Havant & Waterlooville 5-0 Grays Athletic

(Rutherford 5’, 26’, 65’, Williams 39’, Woodford 85’)

From Martin Road

Ryman Premier League

GRAYS Athletic’s recent resurgence was brought to an abrupt end by promotion-chasing Havant & Waterlooville on the south coast.

Blues lost 5-0, despite coming into the match off morale-boosting back-to-back victories in the Ryman Premier League.

Havant had the better of the early exchanges and went ahead after five minutes.

Alfie Rutherford charged down a Grays clearance and slotted the ball past the goalkeeper Amadou Tangara.

The pressure was on, with Lee Molyneaux’s header cleared off the line before Dan Strugnell and Theo Lewis came closer With 26 minutes gone, Rutherford added to his tally as he latches onto a James Hayter ball and thumped home.

Ten minutes later a sublime long ball from Molyneaux found Rory Williams and he cut through the Blues defence and fired past the Grays stopper.

The second-half continued in the same vein as the first.

Rutherford and Williams combined only for Jason Prior to drag his shot just wide of the post minutes into the half.

With 62 minutes gone, Grays should have reduced the deficit when Arron Wickham shot over the crossbar from four yards, with the same man denied by goalkeeper Ryan Young seconds later.

Rutherford completed his hat-trick 20 minutes into the half to complete a great personal milestone.

Rutherford was denied by the busy Blues keeper Tangara and the pressure showed no sign of easing as the clock ticked down.

With just 15 minutes remaining Havant and Waterlooville piled forward, with George Barker driving in a cross that Prior sent against the post.

Ben Swallow came close as his 25-yard free kick also hit the woodwork but the fifth goal was to come.

In the 84th minute, hard-working Matt Paterson earned a corner which was partially cleared by Grays but, from the recycled cross, Ryan Woodford headed home to put the Hawks five goal up and complete a comfortable afternoon’s work.

Grays Athletic: Tangara, Wickham, Mahal, Sarpong, Aghatise, Wilson, Watkins (Hornsley), Osei, Menga, Bishop, Carlos