Post by dbbn on Apr 11, 2024 15:42:26 GMT
Match Preview
Saturday 13 April 2024
Vanarama National League South
Havant & Waterlooville v Braintree Town
Our last away game of the regular season takes us down into Hampshire to play Havant & Waterlooville.
The Hawks are normally challenging at the top end of the VNLS table, but having finished tenth and five points off the play-offs last season, this season their fate was sealed on Wednesday when a home goal less draw with Welling sealed their relegation.
Their record this season is P 36 W 10 D 7 L 27 GF 51 GA 85 Points 37 leaving them with the worst goal difference and most goals conceded in the VNLS.
At home their record is P 22 W 7 D 4 L11 GF 33 GA 42 Points 25.
The writing was on the wall for the Hawks right from the very start of the season as they only won one of their opening twenty league matches, drawing three and losing sixteen. Strangely, that single victory was a four-three home win against Champions elect Yeovil Town. Then they hit a rare purple patch with three home wins on the bounce in December 2023 all against teams in the bottom half of the table, before further home wins against Maidstone United and Chelmsford City, both by two goals to one. Their last home win was on 13 March, another two-one win, this time against Slough Town.
With so many bad results, the Hawks are already on their fourth manager this season. They started the season under Jamie Collins who was appointed in March 2023. He was sacked in September 2023 with Shaun Gale taking temporary charge for one game, before Steve King was lured away from Gloucester City to try and turn results around. The former Dartford and Welling manager lasted less than two months before getting the boot. They are now under the caretaker management of their former U23’s manager Cliff de Gordon who was in charge for that three game winning streak in December.
Leading scorers for the Hawks this season are Ryan Seager with twelve goals, Mo Faal (now at Maidstone U) with eight goals and James Roberts with seven goals.
A face that may be familiar to Iron fans in the Hawks squad is Sam Matthews who had an eleven game spell with the Iron in 2016/17 on loan from Bristol Rovers. He scored one goal in his loan spell to give Braintree the lead away against Dover Athletic, but the game ended six-one to the home side.
Our meeting at the Rare Breed Meat Company Stadium this season was on 4 November 2023. Will Davies gave the Iron a one-nil half time lead before further goals from Shaq Coulthirst, Aaron Blair and Reggie Lambe (goal of the season contender) wrapped up the points, with a late consolation scored for the visitors by Billie Busari. Highlights here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvIamIDcfJ8
Our meeting in Hampshire last season was on 7 January 2023 with the Hawks winning three-one with two Mo Faal goals and one from Charlie Ruff; Jon Benton netting for the Iron. The last Braintree away win in this fixture was on 14 September 2019 by three goals to one. Tom Richardson (2) and Femi Akinwande were the Iron scorers.
After a disappointing goal less draw with struggling Taunton on Tuesday evening, Braintree surrendered the third place spot and slipped to fifth and lost the opportunity to have their destiny in their own hands. Bath City in sixth still have a game in hand on the Iron, but the Iron have an eight point advantage, so a win here could possibly set up a home leg play-off game against the Romans should Maidstone and Worthing not slip up in their final two games.
Saturday 13 April 2024
Vanarama National League South
Havant & Waterlooville v Braintree Town
Our last away game of the regular season takes us down into Hampshire to play Havant & Waterlooville.
The Hawks are normally challenging at the top end of the VNLS table, but having finished tenth and five points off the play-offs last season, this season their fate was sealed on Wednesday when a home goal less draw with Welling sealed their relegation.
Their record this season is P 36 W 10 D 7 L 27 GF 51 GA 85 Points 37 leaving them with the worst goal difference and most goals conceded in the VNLS.
At home their record is P 22 W 7 D 4 L11 GF 33 GA 42 Points 25.
The writing was on the wall for the Hawks right from the very start of the season as they only won one of their opening twenty league matches, drawing three and losing sixteen. Strangely, that single victory was a four-three home win against Champions elect Yeovil Town. Then they hit a rare purple patch with three home wins on the bounce in December 2023 all against teams in the bottom half of the table, before further home wins against Maidstone United and Chelmsford City, both by two goals to one. Their last home win was on 13 March, another two-one win, this time against Slough Town.
With so many bad results, the Hawks are already on their fourth manager this season. They started the season under Jamie Collins who was appointed in March 2023. He was sacked in September 2023 with Shaun Gale taking temporary charge for one game, before Steve King was lured away from Gloucester City to try and turn results around. The former Dartford and Welling manager lasted less than two months before getting the boot. They are now under the caretaker management of their former U23’s manager Cliff de Gordon who was in charge for that three game winning streak in December.
Leading scorers for the Hawks this season are Ryan Seager with twelve goals, Mo Faal (now at Maidstone U) with eight goals and James Roberts with seven goals.
A face that may be familiar to Iron fans in the Hawks squad is Sam Matthews who had an eleven game spell with the Iron in 2016/17 on loan from Bristol Rovers. He scored one goal in his loan spell to give Braintree the lead away against Dover Athletic, but the game ended six-one to the home side.
Our meeting at the Rare Breed Meat Company Stadium this season was on 4 November 2023. Will Davies gave the Iron a one-nil half time lead before further goals from Shaq Coulthirst, Aaron Blair and Reggie Lambe (goal of the season contender) wrapped up the points, with a late consolation scored for the visitors by Billie Busari. Highlights here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvIamIDcfJ8
Our meeting in Hampshire last season was on 7 January 2023 with the Hawks winning three-one with two Mo Faal goals and one from Charlie Ruff; Jon Benton netting for the Iron. The last Braintree away win in this fixture was on 14 September 2019 by three goals to one. Tom Richardson (2) and Femi Akinwande were the Iron scorers.
After a disappointing goal less draw with struggling Taunton on Tuesday evening, Braintree surrendered the third place spot and slipped to fifth and lost the opportunity to have their destiny in their own hands. Bath City in sixth still have a game in hand on the Iron, but the Iron have an eight point advantage, so a win here could possibly set up a home leg play-off game against the Romans should Maidstone and Worthing not slip up in their final two games.