Special Feature On The Hawks Latest Title Quest

Sometimes you have got to gamble, and it's certainly paying off for him and his club with a few months left of the season.

When teams earn promotion, thoughts can turn to trying to do it again. Often, that requires players who have been there and done it in their new surroundings.

But Havant’s manager decided to stick with what he knows and allow the vast majority of the side who took them up from the Ryman Premier to try again in the National League South and not flood his squad with outsiders.

Should the Hawks win their games in hand then they go top, and a 0-0 draw at fellow fighters Hemel Hempstead on Saturday represented a good day’s work.

“We were very efficient and hard working, it was a good point for us away from home,” he told the National League’s Oli Osborn.

“We probably just edged a tight game, we had the better chances apart from a late one which Ryan Young saved.

“It’s a good clean sheet though it’s also a bit frustrating for us, big things didn’t go our way and we should have had a penalty.”

Unity is what’s behind their title quest, and after being relegated from this division two years ago a board which stuck by their manager is also getting pay back.

“There’s no bad eggs in the dressing room, they support each other even when they’re not in the team,” he added.

“We rewarded the players after promotion with new contracts and they’ve not let us down this season.

“We are Saturday-Tuesday for the next few weeks, starting with Gloucester City in midweek. That’s when the experienced players really come in.

“They’re scrapping for points at the other end and we’ll have our hands full I’m sure.”