Crusaders can't force late winner and have to settle for Havant point
Hungerford Town missed a number of late chances as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Havant and Waterlooville on Easter Monday.
Jake Evans cancelled out Danny Wright’s opener at the end of what was an even first half and the Crusaders twice went within inches of a winner after the break as Rhys Tyler hit the bar before Ryan Jones missed from close range in added time.
Boss Danny Robinson made two changes from Good Friday's 2-0 defeat at Hampton and Richmond Borough, bringing Callum Gunner and Kyle Bailey into the side while handing a home debut to goalkeeper Max Evans, signed on loan from Yeovil after Jed Ward was recalled by parent club Bristol Rovers in the week.
Evans, the 11th man to wear the gloves for Hungerford this season, was a spectator for much of the opening exchanges, with neither side able to establish a foothold and Matt Berry-Hargreaves' looping header the only effort of note in the first 10 minutes.
Havant, who are without a win since February, were soon growing into the game and Evans was forced to turn a ball wide of his near post after Jerry Gyebi was beaten before Muhammadu Faal turned and spooned a half volley onto the roof of the Hungerford net after a quarter of an hour.
Hungerford were working hard and making life difficult for the Hawks as Kyle Bailey headed a Jake Evans corner over the bar but the visitors were probably slightly shading it, fashioning another half chance for Faal who acrobatically turned the ball over the bar.
Havant's Danny Wright was booked for catching Curtis Angell with a stray elbow but James Roberts and Jack Jebb were linking up well down the left while marauding full-back Josh Passley was threatening on the opposite side as the travelling fans began to find their voice.
The opening goal came in the 37th minute when Passley worked space down the flank and delivered a ball for former Torquay frontman Wright, who drifted across the Crusaders defence and nodded in at the front post, his sixth goal of the season.
Danny Robinson has tweaked his side's shape in recent weeks, allowing the influential Ryan Jones to play further up the pitch and he almost provided an instant response when he latched onto a bouncing ball and fired a first time effort from distance narrowly wide of Teddy Sharman-Lowe's post.
The game was flickering into life and James Roberts almost produced a moment of magic for Havant when he beat two Hungerford defenders and then shot from the edge of the box but Evans was equal to his effort and saved well down to his right.
Hungerford found an equaliser a minute before the break when Bailey thwarted a Hawks attack – albeit with a suspicion of handball – drove forward and passed to Angell, who found Jones and the full-back turned frontman beat his marker and fired the ball across the face for Jake Evans to tap home at the back post.
It was a stop-start second half that was without any real drama until 11 minutes from time when Louis McGrory picked out Jake Evans with a sensational cross-field pass and Evans found Tyler on the edge of the box but the Crusaders skipper smacked a shot against the crossbar.
The wind had made things difficult all afternoon but the hosts had it in their sails in the final 10 minutes and Jones had a shot saved late on before the Crusaders fashioned one final chance in the last minute of added time as substitute Fabio Lopes beat his man and pulled the ball back for Jones – probably the man you'd have wanted it to fall to – but he dragged his shot wide from close range with almost the last kick of the game.
Hungerford still have two games in hand but are now seven points from National League South safety ahead of a trip to bottom club Concord Rangers this evening.