ROCKY Baptiste scored twice in a vibrant Havant display as they continued their Monday night stranglehold over Basingstoke Town.
Ernie Howe's side went down for the third time in two seasons on a Monday evening on the south coast. This time the punishment came from Baptiste, whom the Town boss decided against signing in the summer after being unconvinced by his trial period at the Camrose and excessive wage demands.
Howe could be forgiven for whistling "tell me why I don't like Mondays" at Westleigh Park, as `Boomtown Baps' and fellow forward Vill Powell gave his defenders a torrid time.
"We never seem to get it right down there," said Howe. "It was a very disappointing performance and a bad night for us."
Havant got off to a blistering start, but Powell did not have his shooting boots on, firing well wide across an exposed goal after getting behind Wayne Heath.
The Aussie, in at right-back for the injured Steve Hemmings, was one of three changes made by Howe after the dour 1-1 draw at Bishop's Stortford.
Midfielder David Ray, who was clattered off the ball on Saturday, leaving his left ankle badly bruised and swollen, was replaced by Dean Peltohaka, while James Taylor came in for the benched Mark Peters up front against his old club.
Baptiste put Havant ahead on 12 minutes after Matt Gray returned a low defensive clearance at pace with real interest.
The speed caught out Jason Bristow and his attempted, sliding cut-out fell short as Baptiste collected on the edge of the box, turned outside the covering Mark Paterson and scored centrally from 18 yards with a shot that went in off the left post.
Throughout the rest of the half, Town had goalkeeper Rob Bullivant to thank for a string of quality saves and blocks. In the course of the 90 minutes he produced a dozen superb stops in a top solo display.
Despite Havant going ahead, Town hit back with a little spell where Lewis Cook enjoyed success on the left and delivered some crosses Taylor and Whiddett were unable to meet, due to the fine shackling from Gray and Tom Jordan, watched by his dad and Pompey coach Joe.
One quality move that cut through Havant on 18 minutes saw Peltohaka feed Taylor, who laid off to Webber, arriving in space to burst into the box. But the midfielder dragged his shot across goal and wide.
Bullivant's double stop from Powell and Jordan on 35 minutes came after three phases of Havant attacks but they continued to be thwarted by the big Town man.
Cook, Town's best outfield player, was inches away from netting an equaliser on 41 minutes.
After Martin Whiddett won a free-kick, for enforcing a handball, Cook hit a super, dipping kick that came back off the lower portion of the crossbar. Bristow, following in under pressure from Jordan, headed over the difficult rebound chance.
Havant continued to dominate in the second half, Powell and Baptiste again spurning chances or finding Bullivant in inspired form, as Howe and Pete Peters grew increasingly upset and angry with the referee for the tackles that went unpunished.
Howe was also unhappy with the manner in which Town conceded again. A quickly-taken, hurried free-kick - lacking thought or execution - up to Whiddett saw midfielder Jamie Collins intervene and launch another counter-attack by feeding Baptiste with a quick pass forward past an out-of-sorts Town back line.
Baptiste was free to outpace Heath over 30 yards, reach the edge of the box and round Bullivant before firing a cool finish into an unguarded net. |
