Gloucester City stay unbeaten at home with unconvincing win over Havant

Gloucester City made it seven wins from their eight home league matches this season, with an unconvincing 3-2 win over Havant & Waterlooville at the KMM Energy Stadium.

Having beaten Havant in the FA Trophy two weeks ago and having suffered defeat at Uxbridge last weekend, the hosts were looking to emulate the Trophy result and keep up with league leaders Walton & Hersham.

New boy Kane Simpson broke the deadlock on his home debut, as he spun well in the box after being picked out by King Baidoo, before firing home on 15 minutes.

But whilst City controlled possession, Havant created a couple of half chances – with Ethan Giwa-McNeill guilty of not finding the target from a good position.

Giwa-McNeill didn’t have to wait too long for another chance though, and this time he converted as he drilled past Jared Thompson to level the contest on 32 minutes.

City had created half chances, with Elis Watts curling wide and Ed Williams blazing over after creating a position for himself on the edge of the Havant box.

Gloucester would go on to score two goals in three minutes late in the half to suggest they would easy to victory.

First, Michael O’Regan followed his pass forward and got onto the return ball, before smashing past Noah Cooper to restore his side’s lead.

Then in stoppage time, Baidoo produced a great first touch to control a diagonal ball to him, before drilling past Cooper from 18 yards.

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As the second half kicked off, there was an air of expectation that Gloucester were capable of scoring more and really showing a ruthless streak that has been missing for the most part this season.

However it was Havant who struck soon after the break, with Olly Pendlebury stepped onto a header down and curling into the bottom corner to reduce arrears.

And from there the tension rose and City began to look fairly laboured in possession – even moreso when the electric King Baidoo was caught when on the counter and was withdrawn due to injury.

Havant won a number of set pieces in and around the City box and whilst they didn’t create too many clear cut chances, it made the final 25 minutes or so particularly uncomfortable for the hosts.

And with the 3-3 draw with Berkhamsted not too far in the past, City fans must have thought ‘here we go again’ as the hosts looked defensively unorganised at set pieces – with the visitors winning the first contact on too many occasions.

Ryan Seager had the best chance to level for Havant, but after he skipped past two into the box, saw his effort saved by Thompson low to his right – with the recovering defenders smothering away to the rebound.

In the end it wasn’t pretty for Gloucester but a big three points nonetheless and one that could be crucial for them later on in the season.

Attentions now turn to a trip to Slough Town in the FA Trophy next weekend for Daf Williams’s side, before a rip to Basingstoke Town next Tuesday night.

Gloucester City: Thompson, Jones, Roberts, O’Regan, Williams, Watts, Day, Pinchard, Emmett, Baidoo, Simpson

Subs: Obieri, Hanks, Leadbitter, Spence, Phillips

Havant & Waterlooville: Cooper, Atangana, Milner-Smith, Wilson, Pendlebury, Seager, Maloney, Giwa-McNeill, Rooney, Dockerill, Laidlaw

Subs: Livesey-Austin, Whittingham, Owusu, Aston, Warren

C Martin Roofing Man of the Match – King Baidoo (Gloucester City)