Hawks held as Eastleigh prepare for playoffs
HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE v EASTLEIGH
SATURDAY 25th APRIL 2009
Blue Square South
SATURDAY 25th APRIL 2009
Blue Square South
Report by Jamie Montigue
Eastleigh finished their final league game of the season ahead of the playoffs with an away draw at Hampshire rivals Havant & Waterlooville.
Ian Baird was dealt with the double injury blow this week of both his goalkeepers Jason Matthews and Gareth Howells picking up injuries. As a result, the Conference gave the Spitfires the go ahead to make an emergency loan signing which paved the way for Braintree’s Nicky Morgan to make his Eastleigh debut this afternoon.
The only other changes to the starting eleven from the 1-0 win over Worcester last time out saw Steve Clark come into the side at right back in place of Warren Goodhind whilst Jamie Brown was back in action at the expense of Anthony Riviere, who was rested.
Two minutes into the game Morgan’s first test between the sticks for his new club came from his opposite number as Hawks goalkeeper Nathan Ashmore’s drop kick bounced dangerously all the way down the pitch from one end to the other. Eastleigh’s loan acquisition back-pedalled and watched the ball safely over his cross bar though the referee deemed the keeper to have touched it over for a corner. From the resulting set piece, Guy Butters met Jamie Collins’ near side corner with a diving header which Morgan held safely.
In the 9th minute Eastleigh went on the attack with Luke Byles making a forward run from the left and crossing from the by line to find Tony Taggart whose shot from 12 yards was blocked.
Minutes later the visitors were on the front foot once more as Taggart chipped a cross in for Brown to knock down into the path of Brett Williams. The young striker’s effort however, was straight at Ashmore.
One of several former Hawks on display in the red of Eastleigh at Westleigh Park was the scintillating Taggart who time and again tormented his full back attacking at pace and delivering teasing crosses. His next ball in to the box was well cut by the keeper ahead of Carew as Eastleigh continued with their early pressure.
Luke Medley’s cross from the left was headed away by Aaron Martin but only as far as Jamie Collins in the 14th minute. The Havant skipper blasted the ball out of the ground with a wild shot as the hosts began to show signs of hitting Eastleigh on the break.
Morgan was out well to tidy up a through ball for Luke Nightingale soon after, before Craig Watkins played a neat one-two with Wes Fogden which Steve Clark tidied up by nodded back to his keeper.
The Spitfires had an ideal opportunity to open the scoring in the 20th minute when Taggart latched on to Jonny Dixon’s pass before getting on to his left foot and finding Jamie Brown unattended arriving at the far post with a floated cross. Brown couldn’t quite take advantage on this occasion as he headed wide of goal by a couple of yards when well placed.
Havant went straight up the pitch when Watkins’ pace took him past Clark and left the Eastleigh full back for dead. Morgan kept out the initial attempt with a fine block but CRAIG WATKINS followed up well from his own shot to scramble home the opening goal of the game.
As the half progressed, Luke Medley fed the ball through for Nightingale who beat the Eastleigh offside trap to find himself one on one with the keeper where he was then denied bravely by Morgan who stood tall to save at the striker’s feet.
Shaun Wilkinson lifted a shot high over the bar under pressure from long range but improved with his next attempt in the 37th minute as his stinging drive produced a decent save out of Morgan.
A minute later, ASHLEY CAREW grabbed his second goal in as many games with a real contender for goal of the season. Picking the ball up out on the right flank, Carew took no second thought in pulling the trigger and couldn’t have hit it any better. The ball swerved from left to right at a thunderous pace and nestled into the top left hand corner of goal from all of 35 yards – a stunning strike to get Eastleigh back on level terms seven minutes before the break.
Immediately after the restart, Eastleigh surged forward with Taggart’s cross from the left met by a looping Jonny Dixon header that flew narrowly over the bar.
Down the left flank, the Spitfires were looking dangerous with Byles combining with and complementing Taggart with his overlapping runs to send a couple of deliveries into the box within the opening stages of the second half.
In the 53rd minute, Brett Williams played the ball out to his right to find Carew whose shot was deflected for a corner kick. Williams forced a corner on the opposite side soon after and this time Carew’s delivery was spilled.
The Hawks had a penalty shout waved away as Steven Walker went down in the area and then in the 64th minute Jonny Dixon had played his final action for Eastleigh after an extremely valuable contribution since arriving on loan from Brighton as he will return to his club and be unavailable for the playoffs, as Matt Groves replaced him to complete Eastleigh’s first substitution.
Eastleigh came within a whisker of taking the lead through Brett Williams who hit the underside of the bar with an excellent half volley from Jordan’s headed knock down. Taggart broke down the left in the very next phase of play and drove an angled left-foot strike across the keeper and wide of goal.
With thirteen minutes remaining Havant went ahead for the second time in the game, again against the run of play. Fancy footwork from Luke Medley worked an opening to send a low cross into the box where STEVEN WALKER did all the rest by finding the smallest of gaps between Morgan and his near post to beat the keeper from 8 yards.
Eastleigh went all out to get back into the game as can be expected and came close when Jordan headed over the bar from a Carew free kick but got their just rewards when MATT GROVES hit the ball first time across Nathan Ashmore to provide an end product from Peter Adeniyi’s sublime approach play and killer ball that was like a sword to the Hawks defence as Ian Baird’s side grabbed a deserved equaliser four minutes from time to ensure an unbeaten league run against Havant this season.
Two successive Eastleigh corners followed, meanwhile Havant were denied stealing all three points thanks to a perfectly timed saving tackle from Aaron Martin to keep out the goal scorer Walker’s shot in injury time.
Wilkinson chipped the ball in to Watkins whose backward header was wayward extremely late in the game before the final action saw Wilkinson blaze comfortably wide from a centrally positioned free kick.
Eastleigh will now play Hayes & Yeading United in the all important play off semi-finals with the first leg being played away on Tuesday night and the second leg at the Silverlake Stadium a week today.
Match pictures by Jozef Montigue
Check out the gallery here:
As the half progressed, Luke Medley fed the ball through for Nightingale who beat the Eastleigh offside trap to find himself one on one with the keeper where he was then denied bravely by Morgan who stood tall to save at the striker’s feet.
Shaun Wilkinson lifted a shot high over the bar under pressure from long range but improved with his next attempt in the 37th minute as his stinging drive produced a decent save out of Morgan.
A minute later, ASHLEY CAREW grabbed his second goal in as many games with a real contender for goal of the season. Picking the ball up out on the right flank, Carew took no second thought in pulling the trigger and couldn’t have hit it any better. The ball swerved from left to right at a thunderous pace and nestled into the top left hand corner of goal from all of 35 yards – a stunning strike to get Eastleigh back on level terms seven minutes before the break.
HALF TIME: Havant & Waterlooville 1-1 Eastleigh
Immediately after the restart, Eastleigh surged forward with Taggart’s cross from the left met by a looping Jonny Dixon header that flew narrowly over the bar.
Down the left flank, the Spitfires were looking dangerous with Byles combining with and complementing Taggart with his overlapping runs to send a couple of deliveries into the box within the opening stages of the second half.
In the 53rd minute, Brett Williams played the ball out to his right to find Carew whose shot was deflected for a corner kick. Williams forced a corner on the opposite side soon after and this time Carew’s delivery was spilled.
The Hawks had a penalty shout waved away as Steven Walker went down in the area and then in the 64th minute Jonny Dixon had played his final action for Eastleigh after an extremely valuable contribution since arriving on loan from Brighton as he will return to his club and be unavailable for the playoffs, as Matt Groves replaced him to complete Eastleigh’s first substitution.
Eastleigh came within a whisker of taking the lead through Brett Williams who hit the underside of the bar with an excellent half volley from Jordan’s headed knock down. Taggart broke down the left in the very next phase of play and drove an angled left-foot strike across the keeper and wide of goal.
With thirteen minutes remaining Havant went ahead for the second time in the game, again against the run of play. Fancy footwork from Luke Medley worked an opening to send a low cross into the box where STEVEN WALKER did all the rest by finding the smallest of gaps between Morgan and his near post to beat the keeper from 8 yards.
Eastleigh went all out to get back into the game as can be expected and came close when Jordan headed over the bar from a Carew free kick but got their just rewards when MATT GROVES hit the ball first time across Nathan Ashmore to provide an end product from Peter Adeniyi’s sublime approach play and killer ball that was like a sword to the Hawks defence as Ian Baird’s side grabbed a deserved equaliser four minutes from time to ensure an unbeaten league run against Havant this season.
Two successive Eastleigh corners followed, meanwhile Havant were denied stealing all three points thanks to a perfectly timed saving tackle from Aaron Martin to keep out the goal scorer Walker’s shot in injury time.
Wilkinson chipped the ball in to Watkins whose backward header was wayward extremely late in the game before the final action saw Wilkinson blaze comfortably wide from a centrally positioned free kick.
Eastleigh will now play Hayes & Yeading United in the all important play off semi-finals with the first leg being played away on Tuesday night and the second leg at the Silverlake Stadium a week today.
FULL TIME: Havant & Waterlooville 2-2 Eastleigh
Match pictures by Jozef Montigue
Check out the gallery here:
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