Saturday 24 April 2004 - Twerton Park - kick off 3.00pm Dr Martens Premier Division

City welcomed back keeper Paul Evans as the only change to the side that beat Grantham Town 5-1 the previous Saturday. He watched as a Poate’s free-kick flew over his bar in the 2nd minute but this was his only interest in the opening exchanges. Jamie Cook had shot wide and Partridge denied by a save from Howells but with barely five minutes on the clock City took the lead. Sam Bailey’s long clearance out of defence dropped beyond the Havant back line. While they were appealing in vain for an offside flag (either against Cook or Partridge – I don’t think they knew) Partridge raced onto the ball and stroked it beyond Howells. Havant were unable to handle Cook and Partridge all afternoon and they combined two minutes after the goal only for the latter to drag a shot wide. Cook then left Town for dead with a neat turn but shot wide. At the other end Byles sent another free-kick high over the bar. The home side were beginning to see more possession after this flying start by City but with Bailey and Matt Coupe once again outstanding Evans was barely called into action. Hooligan and Eribenne spurned half-chances but this was as near as they could manage. Bobby Ford and Russell Milton were getting more involved in midfield and they began the move on 23 minutes that ended with Partridge lifting Cook’s cross over Howell’s goal. Seven minutes later City did double their lead, although not without a large slice of luck, when Milton’s pass again freed Partridge. This time his shot was destined to end up nearer the corner flag than the goal before former City defender Masson intervened and turned the ball into his own net. Three minutes before the break Evans had to be alert to claim Skelton’s header and Owers’ denied Masson with a brave block.

With little to lose even at this stage Havant threw Taylor into the action to form a three-man attacking force with Hooligan and Eribenne. This approach paid dividends almost immediately. Hooligan and Eribenne had already gone close before the substitute got onto the end of a 53rd minute cross to head past Evans. This finally woke the home fans up and for a while the Hawks looked capable of turning the game around. However, what they had failed to allow for was Partridge. And in the space of three minutes around the hour mark he first calmed City’s nerves and then won the game for the Romans. It was his shot that Howell’s turned away for the corner that lead to the third goal. Milton’s centre was cleared only as far Owers, and when his powerful shot was blocked by the overworked keeper the ball dropped perfectly for Partridge to fire home from close range. Three minutes later he completed his hat-trick with a similar finish. Milton drove a low free-kick across goal that found Coupe beyond the far post. He turned it back toward Partridge and he did the rest. This understandably knocked the stuffing right out of Havant and City could have go on to win the game by an even bigger margin. Substitute Steve Jones almost set up Partridge for his fourth four minutes later and the striker then wasted another clear chance from Cook’s unselfish pass. City visibly relaxed during the closing stages and Skelton nearly grabbed an injury-time consolation goal, rattling the crossbar with a powerful shot, but this could not hide a stunning performance by City that has given them every chance of earning a play-off place.