Farnham Town stated their 2026 with a dramatic 4-3 defeat at Havant & Waterlooville in the Southern League Premier South.

Darryl Sanders, Bobby-Joe Taylor and Owen Dean were on target for Town, but Ryan Seager’s four goals fired the Hawks to victory on a cold night in front of a crowd of 669 at Westleigh Park.

The Hawks were quick out of the traps and nearly took the lead in the fifth minute when Harvey Laidlaw picked up a loose ball from a corner and looked to bend an effort at goal, but his shot was always rising and went over the bar.

Town responded by going down the other end of the pitch and taking the lead a minute later. Taylor slipped a neat pass through to Dean, who cut the ball back across the box to Sanders, who confidently fired his finish into the right-hand corner of the net past Hawks keeper Lorenz Ferdinand.

The Hawks nearly got back on level terms on 18 minutes when Leon Maloney wriggled into some space on the edge of the box and hit a shot which deflected off Havant captain Seager and was comfortably held by Town keeper Mike Eacott.

The hosts went close again four minutes later when Seager got the ball on the edge of the box and fired a low shot goalwards on the turn which was well held by Eacott.

Havant had another chance a minute later when Harry Thorpe won a loose ball high up the pitch and drove into the area before hitting his shot from a tight angle straight at Eacott.

Farnham nearly doubled their lead in the 27th minute when Dean’s flick on found Sam Evans in a promising position in the box, but Evans dragged his right-foot shot wide of the far left-hand post.

The Hawks almost equalised on 34 minutes when Brendan Willson’s ball found Seager in the box, who turned sharply and hit his low shot just wide of the right-hand post.

Havant had another chance in the 43rd minute when Mitchell Aston slashed his first-time right-foot shot from the edge of the box wide of the right-hand post.

Farnham were 1-0 up at half-time, but the Hawks equalised in the opening minute of the second half when Freddie Taylor drove forward down the right-hand channel and cut the ball back across the box to Seager, whose shot back across goal beat Eacott.

Havant nearly took the lead four minutes later when Olly Pendlebury let fly with a powerful right-foot shot from outside the box which was parried behind for a corner by Eacott.

Town then regained the lead on 52 minutes when Dean won the ball high up the pitch and slipped a neat pass through to Taylor, who calmly stroked his finish past Ferdinand into the far corner.

The visitors went 3-1 up six minutes later when Taylor's free kick picked out Dean, who had time to bring the ball down and clinically slot his finish past Ferdinand into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

Farnham manager Paul Johnson made a double change in the 62nd minute, with Ogo Obi and Tom Leggett replacing Evans and Sanders.

The Hawks pulled a goal back on 66 minutes when Reuben Swann headed the ball across the box to Seager, who stroked his finish into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.

Swann had a good chance to get Havant back on level terms two minutes later, but he dragged his right-foot finish wide of the left-hand post.

Havant went close again in the 71st minute when Swann drove forward into the box and hit a low shot which was superbly blocked by Eacott.

The hosts then won a free kick three minutes later, and Pendlebury curled the set piece just wide of the near left-hand post.

Johnson made another double change in the 75th minute, with Joe Jackson and Beaux Booth replacing Dan Bayliss and Mat Mackenzie.

Havant got back on level terms on 76 minutes when Swann drove forward and picked out Seager, who bent his finish into the bottom corner to complete his hat-trick.

The Hawks won a penalty two minutes later when Willson was fouled in the box, and Seager sent Eacott the wrong way from the spot to give Havant the three points.

Next up for Farnham is a trip to Hungerford Town in the Southern League Premier South on Saturday, January 10 (3pm kick-off).