1. A trip to another top side in Nat 2 East, as Havant played Barnes who finished runners-up last season. Will Knight making a couple of changes in the squad with Ben Holt fit again at scrum-half and Tam Lindsay starting in the front row. Wes Dugan dropped to the bench with Jez Smith coming up from the Dolphins. A beautiful sunny afternoon greeted the players as the rolled onto the pitch with a small partisan crowd to cheer them on.
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Havant certainly started the brighter giving the home side food for thought and with better accuracy could have found themselves several tries to the good before we saw what Barnes could do. MD6_6206

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2. On twenty minutes Havant really should of scored but Barnes managed to scramble the ball to halfway with Havant showing no regard for Barnes lofty position in the league.

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Finally on twenty-five minutes Jack Phillips found some space out wide, despite the attention of several players scored Havant's opening points much to the delight of the traveling fans. Joel Knight's conversion just a whisker away from going over.

25' TRY  0-5 Jack Phillips scores (Havant) 

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36' - YELLOW CARD Armandus Morgan (Havant)

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42' - YELLOW CARD (Barnes 2) 

3. The game continued in the same fashion with Barnes very flat, and Havant continuing to attack at will. But the blue and white hoops were thwarted on several more incursions deep in side the Barnes 22.

Finally the pressure told and Joel Knight had a simple penalty to knock over giving Havant the lead at half-time.

43' PENALTY 0-8 Joel Knight (Havant) 

Joel keeping us in touch

HT Barnes 0-8 Havant MD6_6641 MD6_6835
 

4. The 2nd period kicked off with Havant still in the changing rooms, as poor tackling gave Barnes two tries in the opening five minutes, advantage Barnes at 12-8.

Barnes Paul O'Dell crossing two minutes in and Jacques Birch, sprinting through four minutes later. Jack Martin converted.

47' - TRY 5-5 Try (Barnes) 

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48' TRY 10-8 (Barnes)

49' CONVERSION 12-8 (Barnes) 

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5. A Joel Knight penalty settled the nerves at 12-11 with the game see-sawing between attack and defence for the away side.

60'  PENALTY 12-11 Joel Knight (Havant) 
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6. Another Joel Knight penalty minutes later had Havant back in front, surely not a win at the high flyers? 12-14 the score.

64' PENALTY 12-14 Joel Knight (Havant)  MD6_6974

7. No sooner than Wes Dugan came off the bench, he won a Yellow for a high shot and had to come off again

67' YELLOW CARD Wesley Dugan (Havant) 

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8. Barnes took advantage and scored their third try of the afternoon with a sweeping move. Making the score 19-14. Barnes hooker Ethan Sikorski scored from a driving maul, Jack Martin converting.

68' TRY 17-14 Try (Barnes)

69' CONVERSION 19-14 (Barnes) 

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9. Havant were certainly not out of the game and more pressure inside the 22 from the pack who were on top form, saw Cam Boa add to his two tries last week with another, game on!  Barne's were now reliving the ghosts of recent last-minute losses to Dorking and Guernsey. 

78' TRY 19-19 Cam Boa (Havant)

79' CONVERSION 19-21 Joel Knight (Havant) 

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10. A long kick up field and winger Ben Griffin was caught in a offside position, the resulting penalty was deep into Havant territory, the catch and drive trundled its way to the try line looking like an odds on try for Barnes when the referee awarded a penalty, then a penalty try and a yellow card for Ross Parkins, cheers from the home crowd whilst the faithful looked stunned from the sidelines. Barnes were back in front, with the clock deep in the red, the score now 26-21.

80' PENALTY TRY (Barnes)

80' YELLOW CARD Ross Parkins (Havant) 

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11. One more chance for Havant running hard at the Barnes defence, the ball thrown out wide intercepted by a Barnes fly-half Jack Martin who added the icing on the cake scoring again in the last minute and converting. No Win / No Losing Bonus Point. 

84' TRY 31-21 (Barnes)

85' CONVERSION 33-21 (Barnes) 

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   Full Time Barnes 33-21 Havant