MATCH PREVIEW: HAVANT AND WATERLOOVILLE VS CONCORD RANGERS

 Match Preview 

Havant and Waterlooville vs Concord Rangers 

 

Stadium: Draper Tools Community Stadium (Capacity: 5,300) 

Table Position: 2nd 

Manager: Paul Doswell 

Top Scorer: Jake McCarthy (6) 

Nickname: The Hawks 

2022/23 average attendance: 902 

 

Concord Rangers are back in action on Saturday with another tough test on the cards as Chris Search’s men take on an unbeaten Havant and Waterlooville side. 

Both sides come into the game with contrasting form; the Hawks are without defeat all season whereas the Beach Boys are without a win in eight. 

Last time out the Beach Boys earnt a respectable 1-1 draw at home to unbeaten Worthing thanks to a second half D’Sean Theobalds strike, that saw their six-game losing run come to an end. 

Havant and Waterlooville season so far has been, perhaps unsurprisingly, extremely positive.  

The Hawks were big spenders this summer bringing in many eye-catching new players including Jason Prior, Gianni Crichlow, Muhammadu Faal and the experienced Danny Wright and these arrivals have had the desired impact with Paul Dowell’s men unbeaten and free scoring (Havant have scored three goals or more on five occasions this term). 

Recent history also makes for grim reading for Concord fans. The Beach Boys have lost on each of their past five visits to the Draper Tools Community Stadium, not coming away with three points since 2015 when an early Tony Stokes goal was enough to edge past the nine men Hawks. 

This weekend certainly looks as though it’ll be a busy one for Melvin Minter and his defenders. 

Key Player 

Jake McCarthy 

 

Picture: Kieron Louloudis 

Currently Havant’s top scorer this season midfielder Jake McCarthy is a huge attacking threat capable of scoring goals and also setting them up. 

Having started his career at AFC Bournemouth’s youth setup McCarthy joined Weymouth in the summer of 2017 and was part of the Terras squad that achieved back-to-back promotions from the Southern Football League Premier South up to the National League. 

The 26-year-old joined the Hawks last summer and has netted six goals so far this term marginally ahead of Prior (4), James Roberts (5) and Faal (5) in the Havant’s goalscoring charts. 

 

They’ve Played for Both 

Alex Wall 

 

Picture: Havant and Waterlooville 

Current Dartford striker Alex Wall spent last season with the Hawks having previously had two spells with Concord. 

A non-league journeyman Wall played with the likes of Luton Town, Bromley and Hungerford Town before joining the Beach Boys in 2018. 

Wall enjoyed a positive first season in Essex which saw him notch 21 goals in 34 appearances. 

After one season on Canvey, Wall left to have spells with Hemel Hempstead and Woking before returning to Thames Road in 2020.  

Wall scored the winning goal in Concord’s 2020 FA Trophy semi-final against Halesowen Town and the 32-year-old made a substitute appearance in the final. 

Wall spent last season with Havant and Waterlooville. 

 

Form 

Havant and Waterlooville 

W – 1-0 vs AFC Totton (H) - FA Cup 

D – 2-2 vs Welling (A) 

W - 2-0 vs Weymouth (A) 

W – 2-0 vs Carshalton Athletic (A) - FA Cup 

 

Concord Rangers 

L - 1-3 vs Braintree Town (H) 

L – 0-2 vs Berkhamsted (A) 

L – 2-4 vs Eastbourne Borough (H) 

D – 1-1 vs Worthing (H) 

 

Head-to-Head 

12/02/2022: Concord Rangers 3-1 Havant and Waterlooville 

09/10/2021: Havant and Waterlooville 5-2 Concord Rangers 

01/02/2020: Concord Rangers 0-0 Havant and Waterlooville 

26/10/2019: Havant and Waterlooville 2-1 Concord Rangers 

28/04/2018: Havant and Waterlooville 3-2 Concord Rangers 

 

By Nathan Williams