Gloucester City manager Daf Williams expressed relief after his team clinched a hard-fought 3-2 win over Havant & Waterlooville on Saturday afternoon.
City started brightly with new signing Kane Simpson making an instant impact, scoring on his home debut just 15 minutes in. His sharp, half-turn shot slipped into the bottom right corner, giving the Tigers an early advantage.
However, Havant & Waterloovile responded against the run of play in the 30th minute. Ryan Seager’s clever hold-up play set up Ethan Giwa-McNiel, who fired a low, powerful shot past the Gloucester goalkeeper to level the score.
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Gloucester regained the lead just before halftime. Michael O’Regan’s high press won possession, and as he surged forward Elis Watts found him, allowing the centre-half to deliver a precise finish into the net.
The home side appeared set to head into the break with a slender one-goal lead, but King Baidoo had other ideas. In the 47th minute, he showcased excellent control before slotting home to extend Gloucester’s lead to 3-1.
Havant & Waterlooville cut the deficit quickly with a goal just four minutes into the second half. Following a long ball cleared by O’Regan only to Ollie Pendlebury, the midfielder struck a powerful half-volley into the bottom corner.
Despite mounting pressure and time remaining, the visitors could not find an equalizer. Gloucester dug in defensively to hold on for a vital three points and return to winning ways.
Williams admitted the performance wasn’t his team’s best, stating, “It’s a good win, we scored three goals but are a bit stuck in a rut. We haven’t won in two league games, and in training we expect a bit more from ourselves. We’ll work on those areas as we prepare for next Saturday.”
He praised the squad’s resilience after conceding late in their previous match. “I’d have been really disappointed if we didn’t come away with three points today. The lads showed resilience to keep the clean sheet at the end.”
The manager also highlighted areas for defensive improvement that will be addressed in training.
Simpson’s goal underscored his value to the squad. “That’s why we brought him in. He’s still finding his sharpness after limited minutes recently, but he’s now scored in both games he’s played, with clinical finishes.”
Final team lineups:
Gloucester City: Thompson, Jones, Roberts (Leadbitter 92), O’Regan, Williams, Watts, Day (Obieri 92), Pinchard, Emmett, Baidoo (Spence 61), Simpson (Hanks 67).
Havant & Waterlooville: Cooper, Atangana, Milner-Smith, Pendlebury, Seager, Maloney, Giwa-Mcneil, Rooney (Livesey-Austin 74), Dockerill, Laidlaw.
Referee: Paul Collier
Attendance: 1,089