After work tonight, I drove for an hour, to visit the home of Havant & Waterlooville FC of the Southern League Premier Division, after their relegation from the National League South last season.

The home team play at Westleigh Park, where the capacity of 5300 with covered seating for 710. The record attendance was 4400 in 2008, when the home side played Swansea City, in a replay of the 3rd round of the FA Cup. The ground boasts a 3G pitch, covered standing on three sides and a big grandstand. There are also club shop and refreshment facilities.

Manager of Havant & Waterlooville this season, Shaun North, knows his team will be expected to bounce straight back this season, after a disastrous relegation in 2023-24. Striker Harvey Bradbury has joined the squad, from Chatham Town, along with Harvey Laidlaw who was ex of Portsmouth.

Farnborough FC are managed by Spencer Day, who led them to a respectable 8th position in National League South in 2023-24. This season Farnborough will be hoping to challenge for promotion. They have made some astute signings, with striker Charlie Postance coming in during the close season. Another Farnborough FC striker, Millar Matthews-Lewis, came good in the last match Farnborough played, scoring a brace off the bench as “the yellows” drew 3-3 with Hartley Wintney.

The game opened with Havant & Waterlooville facing immediate pressure from a Farnborough FC side, who seemed to regain the ball in midfield every time the home team tried to break forward. In the 27th minute a goal by Farnborough’s Mason Bloomfield resulted from a burst of fine counter attacking football to break the deadlock and put the visitors 0-1 ahead.

At the break despite some late pressure from Havant & Waterlooville the score remained 0-1 to Farnborough.

Immediately after the break on 47 minutes Trialist C scored from close range to put Farnborough 0-2 in front.

In the 70th minute Farnborough won a penalty, which was converted by Millar Matthews-Lewis to make it 0-3. The 330 fans in attendance were quite vocal about how badly they felt “the Hawks” had capitulated.

A modicum of respectability for the home side was achieved in the 90th minute when a foul on the edge of the penalty area resulted in a spot kick which allowed Havant & Waterlooville to pull a goal back when Leon Maloney finished clinically.

At fulltime it was the National League South side who went away having showed their superiority. There was a dawning realisation from Havant & Waterlooville fans that the season ahead may well be transitional and quite tough at times.