TITLE JOY AS HAWKS CLING ON TO POINT
HAVANT & Waterlooville put everyone through the wringer before becoming champions on an impossibly tense afternoon.
The Hawks led by two points going into yesterday’s game but were back in second place before Met Police equalised at Havant’s only challengers Bognor.
Havant threw the kitchen sink at Kingstonian in the final quarter, not wanting to rely on results elsewhere, but were unable to breach the hosts’ rock-solid defence.
However, deep in stoppage time, the roar from the Hawks faithful told everyone that the Sussex outfit were champions.
Hawks boss Lee Bradbury was overcome with emotion after the final whistle, unable to take questions as he was led away from the jubilant crowds to recover his composure.
Havant struggled to find their fluency throughout, but their defence was absolutely rock solid.
And they nearly led on 19 minutes when Jason Prior’s header from Dan Strugnell’s cross was brilliantly tipped over by Ks keeper Rob Tolfrey.
Ks were denied a sight of goal by a Lee Molyneaux-inspired Hawks rearguard. And five minutes after the break, Prior headed into the side-netting from close range when well-placed.
Havant nerves became frayed when news came through six minutes later that Bognor had taken the lead.
They piled on the pressure and had penalty shouts turned down when Rutherford fell in the box.
With 20 minutes left, news that Bognor were level again spread like wildfire.
But the Hawks didn’t let up and Theo Lewis was desperately unlucky on 77 minutes when his spectacular overhead right-footer struck the top of the crossbar.
Joe Turner and Lewis Taylor fired wide after rare Ks breaks.
And Ks defended manfully in the closing stages, as an impromptu fireworks display outside the ground added to the tension.
Then, midway through stoppage-time, there was an explosion of joy at the news from Bognor.
And the celebrations began as the shield was presented on the pitch.
Ks boss Craig Edwards, who led Ks escape from relegation, told
The NLP: “I’ve instilled a simple, effective style of play and if they buy into it we will do well. But Havant were relentless at the end and we had to get some unbelievable blocks in to keep them out.”
Ks fans sang all match in recognition of their last-ever game at Kingsmeadow. But the late afternoon belonged to Havant & Waterlooville.