Petersfield Town 0 Havant & Waterlooville 7: WHEN things aren’t going for you seven goal thrashings are what tend to come along to compound matters yet further.

Add to the run of bad luck from this game you go 1-0 down after 12 minutes, your goalkeeper is sent off after 16 minutes, the referee awards a controversial penalty against you – all of this on top of the seven goals conceded.

The National League South visitors put in a strong performance and their experience certainly told over the 90 minutes in last Wednesday’s Hampshire Senior Cup match but the game was over as a contest as soon as Rams keeper Anthony Ender received his marching orders just after the quarter hour mark.

Both sides were trying to feel their way into the game in the early stages, with Godfrey Poku curling a shot just around the post on four minutes, and two minutes later Hawks keeper Ryan Young smothered a curling free kick well after it bounced in front of him on the heavy pitch.

Havant got their noses in front on 12 minutes after good build up play through midfield and down the left hand side of the pitch. The ball was worked up to Matt Paterson and from just inside the box he curled his shot inside the far corner of the net.

Four minutes later Ender raced from his line as Jake Thomson was put clear on the edge of the box and he clearly brought the Hawks man down and the referee showed him a straight red card.

Replacement keeper Luke Eaton’s first task was picking the ball out of the net as he was powerless to stop Brian Stock’s curling free kick from 20 yards out.

The Rams rallied midway through the first half when the ball was worked to the right where Joe Briggs cut inside before hitting a low shot which Young again did well to watch before pushing it around the post to safety.

The corner was only cleared as far as Stuart Green 25 yards out and Young had to dive to his right this time to push the ball around the post.

Jamie Ford had to deflect Poku’s shot from the edge of the box over the top before Havant stretched their lead still further on 37 minutes in controversial circumstances.

The Hawks broke forward quickly and as the ball broke into the penalty area an excellent interception tackle managed to stop the attack, or so everyone thought.

Although the defender had clearly taken the ball with a clean tackle the referee pointed to the spot and Paterson sent Eaton the wrong way with his spot kick.

Four minutes before half time the visitors looked to punish the home side further when Eaton did well to block Shamir Mullings’ shot, before Paterson had his follow up cleared off the line and Thomson hit the outside of the post as he tried to tuck away the rebound.

Havant got their fourth on the stroke of half time when Harry Medway received the ball on the right and after cutting inside he curled his shot past Eaton and into the net.

Any hopes the second half would be better for Petersfield evaporated just 12 minutes after the restart. Briggs lost the ball in midfield to Poku, who then drove forward down the middle of the pitch and rolled a low shot into the bottom corner of the net.

Petersfield again had two good chances to score midway through the second half. David Jerrard got himself into a good position on the edge of the penalty area before shooting straight into the keeper’s arms.

Then Joe Richardson broke from midfield, rode three tackles and then created the space for himself to shoot from inside the box but with the goal at his mercy he screwed his shot horribly wide.

Havant then wrapped up the game with two goals in three minutes. On 74 minutes a throw in from the left was quickly worked into the path of substitute Theo Lewis on the right and he hit a low shot across the dive of Eaton and into the bottom corner of the net.

Lewis then turned provider when he took a quick free kick in midfield and rolled the ball forward to Marvin Morgan on the edge of the penalty area. He turned his marker and then unleashed a low shot past Eaton into the net.

The final chance of the match fell to Mullings with eight minutes remaining, who after getting clear hit a rising shot which clipped the top of the crossbar.

Petersfield: Ender, Searle, Wain, Green (Norgate), Hyde, Ford, Richardson, Jerrard, Neighbour (Neal), Briggs, Bailey (Eaton). Sub not used: Lowley, Sackman.