Portsmouth academy graduate nets equaliser as Havant & Waterlooville throw away three-goal lead against Ebbsfleet

Despite taking a 3-0 lead into half-time, the visitors were level just 11 minutes into the second period.

Former Pompey defender Sam Magri scored the equalising goal for United.

A spate of injuries forced the home side to ring the changes.

Ed Harris, Jordan Rose, Harry Donovan, Andreas Robinson and Matt Paterson were all ruled out.

Michael Cheek had the first chance for the visitors but swiped at thin air inside the area.

On 17 minutes home goalkeeper Laurence Bilboe produced a good save to deny Weston.

Four minutes later leading goalscorer Alfie Rutherford put the Hawks in front.

Ryan Woodford's header from a deep corner bounced back off the post and the fans’ favourite reacting quickly crashed the rebound into the net.

Bradbury’s men had their tails up, with Theo Lewis flashing a dipping volley just over the bar.

There was an amazing let off for the hosts when Cheek incredibly put the ball over from less than two yards out.And Rutherford punished that miss by grabbing his second goal two minutes before the interval.

Wes Fogden picked him out with an inch-perfect through ball and the striker finished well into the far corner.

With the final kick of the half Danny McNamara cut in from the right and tucked his shot past former Hawk Nathan Ashmore at the near post.

In a dramatic opening to the second half Ebbsfleet blitzed three goals in the opening 1 minutes.

They reduced the deficit a minute after the interval when Danny Kedwell was teed up inside the area.

Four minutes later the visitors struck again with Cheek making up for his earlier miss with a well-taken goal.

It was almost three when Andy Drury's shot bounced down off the underside of the bar.

The Hawks were shell-shocked and on 56 minutes Pompey academy graduate Magri knocked the ball in from close-range to level the scores.

Ebbsfleet looked capable of scoring every time they poured forward.

The home side managed to stem the tide and it became an end-to-end affair.

No more goals were scored, though, and Bradbury’s men will feel it was two points dropped.

Hawks: Bilboe, Strugnell, Williams, Cordner, Woodford, Fogden, Lewis, Carter, McNamara, Rutherford, Paul.Subs : Quigley, Banjo, Huggins, Molyneaux, Jalloh.