Hawks are behind closed doors again
Higher tier status means turnstiles shut for Trophy tie
Hawks will again be playing behind closed doors when Braintree visit in the third round of the FA Trophy tomorrow.
The club had been allowed to open the turnstiles for the previous two home National League South games against Chelmsford and Slough Town.
But despite the club having been selling tickets for a few days, Havant’s elevation into tier 3 status means no fans will be present as Paul Doswell’s men aim to reach the last 32 of the Trophy against their divisional rivals at Westleigh Park.
The boss gave a handful of fringe players a chance to impress in Tuesday’s second round victory at two leagues lower Bracknell Town.
Wingers Daniel Ajakaiye and Lucas Sinclair and goalkeeper Joe Tupper were all handed their first competitive starts for the club.
Joe Iaciofano and Billy Clifford - both in need of first team minutes - both started at Larges Lane while midfielder Christian Rowe was handed only his second ever sub appearance after a bad hamstring injury.
With a league game at Welling next Tuesday the priority, Hawks fans can expect a very similar side against a club that began the 2020/21 season in shocking fashion.
Rock bottom Braintree lost their opening seven National League South games, with boss George Borg stepping down after the seventh setback.
Replacement Ryan Maxwell has overseen a major improvement since.
Maxwell won his first two league games - against Concord (1-0) and Tonbridge (2-0) - and only a late, late leveller denied them a third successive win against Welling (1-1).
In midweek, a muchchanged side defeated NL South rivals Billericay on penalties after a 1-1 draw to set up this weekend’s Trophy trip to Westleigh Park.
Three players were handed their debuts in the starting XI - young keeper Simon Jackson, full back Mack Miskin and left winger Gabriel Piorkowski - as some of Maxwell’s recent signings were cup-tied.
The latter two have been playing step 3 football for most of the season - Pioskowski at Hayes & Yeading and Miskin at Northwood.
The three subs used - Luke Holness, Danny McCulloch and Jack Clowsley - were also making their first appearance.
Clowsley - who has also been playing step 3 football, for Brightlingsea Regent in the Isthmian Premier - converted the winning spotkick in the shoot-out.
Jackson saved one Billericay penalty while another was fired over the bar. ‘I'm really proud of all the players and in particular the young ones who were thrown in at the deep, yet they responded magnificently,’ said Maxwell.
‘Even when we went behind in the second half I knew we would come back at them and once we equalised we had a couple of great chances to have won the game.
‘All the squad showed great tenacity and worked their socks off for one another and we deserve to go to Havant.’
Hawks last reached the last 32 of the Trophy in 2015/16. that season they progressed to the last 16 before losing 3-0 at eventual runners-up Grimsby Town.
Hawks were semi-finalists in 2002/03 and 2013/14.