‘I felt we would score lots of goals’ – Havant & Waterlooville boss Doswell reflects on FA Cup win against Chatham

Paul Doswell said he was confident Hawks would score ‘lots of goals’ in their FA Cup third qualifying round win against Chatham Town.
Roarie Deacon celebrates after scoring Hawks' second goal against Chatham. Pic: Dave Haines.Roarie Deacon celebrates after scoring Hawks' second goal against Chatham. Pic: Dave Haines.
Roarie Deacon celebrates after scoring Hawks' second goal against Chatham. Pic: Dave Haines.

He paid the step 5 club - who play at the same level of the non-league pyramid as the Wessex Premier - the compliment of having them twice watched prior to last night’s 4-1 win at a near-deserted Westleigh Park.

The Hawks boss insisted the tie was akin to a National League South match rather than one with a three-division gap between the two teams.

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‘Chatham have a clear identity in how they play and they are very good at what they do,’ he said.

‘They are very well funded, they have some very good players who should be playing a lot higher.

‘They will walk their league (Southern Counties East) this season - that’s why we knew this would be a difficult game for us.’

Chatham dominated for a 15-minute spell in between Hawks’ two first half goals ‘without really hurting us’ Doswell added.

‘We genuinely felt we would score lots of goals.

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‘They are very good going forward but we knew they over-load at times and they would leave space at the back.

‘It wasn’t a 4-1 game, it was a bits and pieces performance from us.

‘It’s a new group, a much younger group, and we know there’s lots of work on.

‘But we’ve won two and drawn one, and should have won all three.’

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Hawks’ front three of Joe Iaciofano (4), Tommy Wright (2) and Roarie Deacon (2) have now scored all eight of the club’s goals in 2020/21.

‘Joe and Tommy will always score goals and it’s great that Roarie’s now had three starts in a row after being out for so long.

‘Joe is a real fox in the box and Tommy’s goal reminded me of one he scored for Sutton - the keeper thought he was going to go across him but the shot went in at the near post.’