Gosport Borough boss Lee Molyneaux praises efforts of his side in Hampshire Senior Cup exit at hands of Havant & Waterlooville

Before the game on Tuesday, both teams admitted their league campaigns were the main priority.

Neither side appeared keen to take the risk of getting senior players injured ahead of important league games.

The situation was also complicated by the rules that stated players had to be signed at the time of the original date of the tie - in this case last December.

With the original meeting between the two clubs postponed, it meant a number of players were ineligible.

‘Putting the game back a month and expecting our squad to be exactly the same was hard for us to take,’ said Molyneaux.

‘I had four players injured and another five who couldn't play because of the rules.

‘We used a number of our reserve players, who usually feature in the Wyvern Combination League.’

Nine of the side that started last weekend’s league loss at Taunton started on Tuesday, with reserves top scorer David Jerrard the only non-regular first team squad member in the starting XI.

Reserves Matt Morris, Ali Alpay and Luke Achurch were all introduced as second half subs.

‘I thought, under the circumstances, we gave a good account of ourselves against a strong Hawks side,’ said Molyneaux.

‘In the end, though, you could see the gap between where they are and where we are.

‘We had good possession in the first half and created the better chances.

‘The Hawks had one chance and buried it.

‘Our goalkeeper, Ben Dudzinski, will be disappointed with the three goals we conceded.’

Borough are without a game this weekend as scheduled opponents Salisbury are involved in the FA Trophy.

Seventh-placed Borough, having played at least four more games than the teams immediately below them, are likely to slip a few places.

Borough are next in league action on Saturday week when they travel to lowly Hendon.