Dramatic draw is a positive for Havant

Both teams grabbed three tries apiece in an exciting close-fought affair with never more than seven points separating the two sides.

Will Knight and his Havant players, however, came away disappointed that they hadn’t started with a win.

‘It was a game that we felt we had the capacity to win,’ said Knight.

‘We had opportunities to score that we didn’t take and that was maybe down to early season rustiness.

‘That last pass or bit of wrong decision making at the critical point let us down.

‘It is all down to the precision and making sure we deliver on the details.

‘Against the better teams in this league you don’t get many chances so you have to take them when they come along.

‘There are a lot of positives that we can take from it and it is a good foundation upon which to build on.’

The game started in frantic style with both teams looking to make an early impression.

Sidcup kicked for position inside the Havant twenty-two and applied some early pressure.

This paid off with the first converted try of the game with the number eight bundling over from a five-metre scrum.

Stung by this the home side hit back to level the scores.

From a scrummage the ball was moved quickly along the line to winger Scott Morris who bounced off his defender to sprint in.

Joel Knight added the conversion.

With half-time approaching Sidcup regained the lead.

Havant responded with prop forward Armundus Morgan providing a scoring pass for Loz Blackburn with Joel Knight again adding the points.

Havant got their noses in front for the first time in the opening seconds of the second half.

Straight from the kick off the ball was worked to Morris for his second try with the immaculate Joel Knight knocking over the conversion.

Within two minutes though a mistake by Havant allowed the Kent side to level again.

Both teams swapped penalties as the game remained tight through to the finish.

‘We had a chance at the end to snatch it when it looked like we had got in behind their defence,’ said Will Knight.

‘At the crucial moment we overran the ball and the opportunity was lost.

‘If we are to kick on in this league then these are the chances that we have to take.

Will Knight was pleased with his two newcomers in the forwards, Mitch Goldring and Elliott Bellman, who performed well.

He felt both acquitted themselves well and gave good accounts of themselves physically.