Many Hawk’s fans would of hoped that this season Lee Bradbury would vanquish any memory of last years catastrophic tenure, under he who should not be named.
Despite coming into a troubled Havant and Waterlooville side in October last year, the former AFC Bournemouth manager focussed the team. Producing a late flurry of results that left them finishing in 10th, with much hope for the next campaign.
Praise was heaped onto the shoulders of the Blue Square Bet’s player of the season Ollie Palmer, whose 37 goals in 67 appearances lead to him being snatched in the summer by League Two outfit Mansfield. Leaving the Hawks with potentially precarious striking options.
Bradbury used the summer wisely strengthening the squad with six new signings before the opening fixture away at early favourites Ebbsfleet United. The match finished goalless, which raised the question; how much are the hawks going to miss Palmer’s presence?
From the first home match against Weston Super Mare it would seem immediate replacement Dennis Oli had established a link with Sahr Kabba, as the pair ripped through the defence countlessly.
The West-Leigh Park outfit would have left many fans buoyed by the promising start to the season, which saw them keep three consecutive clean sheets. Preserving the fans quiet optimism, and in particular the performances of Christian Nanetti and Kabba provided food for thought.
Fast-forward to the 7th of October and a slightly different picture is plastered on the wall. Accumulating just a single victory in September in which they conceded 13 goals in six games, added with being dumped out of the FA Cup has left a slightly sour taste in the optimists’ mouth.
The troubles were worsened by Scott Bevan’s latest setback. The goalkeeper had established himself between the sticks until breaking a metacarpal in his hand, leaving him unavailable for six weeks. The outstanding Nanetti has also been absent through injury, as well as a brief return to Italy. In total the club have had eight first team players side-lined through injury, giving the manager a selection migraine, let alone headache.
Bradbury then suffered his biggest home defeat since taking over. Being humbled 5-0 to Sutton United made it consecutive home defeats for the 38-year-old, providing a wake cup call for the players and manager alike.
The boss has reacted quickly, bringing in fresh faces to re-galvanise the side. Crystal Palace goalkeeper, Ross Fitzsimons joins the ranks, so too does Crawley Town’s Jonte Smith, who adds another attacking dynamic to the team.
Nigel Atangana too has been recruited, from France. The 24-year-old central midfielder has already had the fans salivating. With a tall strong presence in conjunction with explosive power, the player has all the makings to quickly become a fan favourite at West-Leigh Park.
However most notably Portsmouth’s Ryan Bird and promising teen sensation Ashley Harris have joined the side on loan. The latter has the ability to play wide, as well as central, so it will be interesting to see where he fits into Bradbury’s plans. The fact that three attacking players have joined the side is no coincidence, with Bradbury looking to add more goals to the team.
Despite the setback The Hawks have displayed more promise of late. Dennis Oli grabbing his first goal for the club against Gloucester City is hopefully just the start for him. Kabba too has rekindled his goal scoring form, scoring three in the last two outings. Followed by Havant’s first victory in six matches at Maidenhead, could suggest things are finally looking up for Bradbury and his troops.
Havant face a tough test this weekend as they welcome Basingstoke to West Leigh Park, The Dragons haven’t won in four matches and shouldn’t be expected to roll over. A victory would be the clubs first at home since September’s solitary win, and would restore some faith and confidence in the manager.
First however, The Hawks must overcome Hartley Wintney in the second round of the Hampshire Senior Cup. The team will have to guard against complacency after being knocked out by lesser opposition in the same competition last year.
It should be noted that previous managers have left with better records than Bradbury’s current. But there’s no better way to silence your critics than putting a few consecutive wins together.
Written by: James Newnham
