Havant underdogs wreck Rovers bid (From Stroud News and Journal)

Havant underdogs wreck Rovers bid

Forest Green 1, Havant and Waterlooville 2 FOREST Green's hopes of reaching a third FA Trophy final at Villa Park were crushed by a defiant display by unheralded underdogs Havant and Waterlooville at The Lawn on Saturday.

Trailing to a tenth minute goal from Neil Grayson, and looking vulnerable in the first half-hour of this quarter-final clash, the Dr Marten's Premier Division outfit refused to buckle under pressure.

And then, with Rovers' composure all but disintegrating in a dismal second half showing, Havant took control to snatch a shock, but deserved victory with goals from Paul Wood and Tim Hambley.

It was a truly disastrous exit for a Rovers side that had been on the crest of a wave for the past nine weeks, having not lost a Conference or Trophy game since defeat at Yeovil. But on a glorious Spring afternoon they got their come uppance for a woeful performance as Havant delighted in their day in the sun.

The script had begun so promisingly for Rovers, with manager Colin Addison being presented with a magnum of champagne for being voted Conference manager of the month for February and his side getting off to the perfect start as they harassed a hesitant looking Havant side from the opening whistle.

Havant keeper, Aaron Kerr grasped the ball at the second attempt after an aerial challenge from Kayode Odejayi from Jon Richardson's free-kick.

Five minutes later when Odejayi flicked on a Steve Perrin goal kick, Kerr was caught off his line as Grayson swivelled to launch a dipping 35-yard effort goalwards, but the keeper just managed to divert the effort for a corner.

After eight minutes rangy defender Alec Masson became the first of no less than five visiting players booked for hauling back Odejayi as he burst clear and it was no surprise at all when Rovers found the net from the ensuing free-kick.

Gary Owers and Alex Meechan teed the ball up for Grayson to blast in a shot which was blocked, but when Kevin Langan chipped the ball back into the box Richardson slipped the ball through to Grayson who drove it home with the minimum of fuss.

Havant hardly got a look-in until the 17th minute when former Swindon Town player Bobby Howe latched on to a neat through ball to fire in a shot which Perrin did well to block for a corner.

But the chance seemed to instill them with greater confidence and they began to compete with increasing tenacity and no little skill, while Rovers took their foot off the pedal and lost momentum.

Meechan went close with an angled header past the post from a Foster cross, but apart from that Rovers service to their strikers began to dry up and only another fine save from Perrin denied Havant a 37th minute equaliser, as he dived full length to push away a close range header by James Taylor from Howe's accurate cross.

That should have serves as a warning to Rovers that the tie was far from over, but it had little effect for in the second half, as had been the case against Farnborough the previous week they simply faded away.

Lacking wide players up front and with Grayson Odejayi and Meechan failing to pull defenders wide, Rovers began to look increasingly ineffective going forward and their passing lost all accuracy allowing the Havant defence and midfield to dictate play but it still took an incongruous goal to pull them level in the 62nd minute.

With Christian Hanson being shown their fourth yellow card for a deliberate handball offence just outside the visiting penalty area, Owers made a complete hash of the free-kick which allowed Havant to break out quickly and in numbers. Matt Russell should have headed the resulting cross away, but let it drop behind him and when Taylor looped a header goalwards the ball glanced off the bar and was headed home at point blank range by Paul Wood.

It was a crazy goal to concede at a crucial stage and should have brought a conscious effort from Rovers but that was short-lived.

Kerr tipped over a looping header from Odejayi and Meechan saw a similar effort clip the bar, but Havant scented an upset and secured it in the 76th minute with a second goal once again out of nothing.

Ben Cleverley had just replaced Langan when a free-kick was driven forward from inside the Havant half and when the ball dropped behind Darren Jones, Hambley controlled it in his stride to nip through a square defence and leave Perrin stranded with a coolly-executed finish.

After that there was no way back as Rovers looked incapable of mounting any semblance of a grandstand finale. Simon Futcher replaced the below par Owers with ten minutes left but even though Wood was sent off for a foul on the Rovers substitute in the 84th minute, the die was cast.

Four minutes of injury time elapsed without any real urgency and Dean Blake might have made it three for Havant when he was put clear with Perrin a long way out of goal but his 50-yard punt drifted well wide, about as far off course as Rovers had wandered after such a promising start

Forest Green: Perrin, Russell, Jenkins, Jones, Richardson, Langan (75, Cleverley), Owers (80, Futcher), Foster, Meechan, Grayson, Odejayi. Subs (not used): Adams, Tweddle, Giannangelo. Havant and Waterlooville: Kerr, Masson, Poate, Davis, Hall, Hanson, Blake, Hambley, Howe (89, Gale), Taylor,Wood. Subs (not used): Haughton, Leworthy, Chalmers, May. Referee: Andy Williams (Hereford).