Match Review: Hayling United (5) vs Whiteley Wanderers (0)

8th March 2025
Hayling United 5 – 0 Whiteley Wanderers

After a short break from his marathon training, Steve returned to the squad for our second meeting with Hayling United in as many weeks. The hosts came into the match in strong form, riding a wave of five consecutive wins — and they made their quality count.

It was Hayling who threatened first, breaking quickly down the left. Vickery was alert, saving well with his feet, and then calmly collecting the ball from the resulting corner as it pinballed through the box. Whiteley responded with promise. Charlie sent a pinpoint ball over the top to Dylan, who earned us a corner. From the set piece, Kerby found space on the edge of the box and clipped a lovely effort onto the bar. Jack reacted quickest to the rebound and slotted home, only for the flag to go up for offside.

Early signs suggested Hayling were content for Whiteley to have possession in the defensive third. As the game progressed, both sides pressed well, forcing mistakes and disrupting each other’s rhythm. Tactically, the match became a battle of approaches — Hayling opting for direct balls over the top, while Whiteley looked to build patiently from the back.

Hayling broke the deadlock midway through the first half following sustained pressure, bundling in a scrappy goal from close range. Whiteley looked to respond immediately, with Rory feeding Jack, who tried to weave through the defence but couldn’t get his shot away. In the same move, Jack went down injured, forcing an early substitution.

Hayling pressed for a second and came close twice — first heading wide from six yards, then miskicking when well-placed. Before the break, Kerby intercepted smartly and played Rory through one-on-one, but his effort was straight at the keeper.

Half Time: 1 – 0

Whiteley came out strong in the second half, with Dylan getting a chance early, only to scuff his shot on his weaker foot. Lyle then drew a great save from the Hayling keeper, before Reece lofted a long ball to Dylan, whose looping header just didn’t have the power to beat the keeper.

Steve was next to thread a pass through to Dylan, who looked to power through the defence — but Hayling closed ranks quickly. Despite some early pressure from Whiteley, Hayling started to grow into the second half. Reece, Charlie and Dylan combined well to snuff out an attack, and Bell made a brilliant recovery run to block a goal-bound shot after Vickery had been rounded.

Whiteley kept pushing, with Rory forcing another save, but gradually Hayling turned the tide. A long ball forward rattled the post, and moments later a swift counter-attack saw them double their lead with a composed finish. That second goal seemed to spark Hayling to life, and over a punishing 12-minute spell they added three more — striking at the near post, then carving through the defence twice more.

Still Whiteley kept fighting. Bell won the ball high up the pitch and found Kerby, who struck a fierce shot that forced an acrobatic save. The rebound looped high, and Dylan tried to finish from close range but fired over. Hayling then delivered the final blow with a fifth goal from another quick counter-attack down the right.

In the dying moments, Steve and Dylan combined well to create a chance for Kerby, whose shot was deflected wide. From the resulting corner, Steve went close with a low drive — but it wasn’t to be.

For 75 minutes, Whiteley battled and looked capable of finding an equaliser. But four goals in a late second-half burst put the game well beyond reach.

Line-up:
Vickery, Paramor, Finn, C Hancock, Harding, S Davies, Bell, Kerby-Dickinson, Harry (73), Newman (79), Sherwood (32)
Subs: T Davies (79), T Hancock (Unused), Hill (32), Hills (Unused), Perry (73)
Man of the Match: Reece Finn
Goal Scorers for Whiteley Wanderers: –
Goals for Hayling United: 28, 76, 78, 80, 88