'It was a fantastic weekend - apart from the result on the Saturday' - head coach Will Knight on 'great experience' of overnight stay in Havant's North Walsham defeat
Havant head coach Will Knight thanked the club for 'pushing the boat out' and providing the squad an overnight hotel stay for their daunting Norfolk trip - but it still was not enough to prevent London & SE Premier defeat at North Walsham.
Havant' s playing and coaching staff set off on Friday night for their Saturday showdown with fourth-placed North Walsham - a side with a formidable home record this season.
But the breaking up of the near 450-mile round trip did not prove decisive as the visitors suffered a 21-12 loss.
It was the first time in a number of years Havant have stayed in a hotel on the eve of an away fixture - and an experience Knight said he and the players enjoyed.
In fact, he stated the weekend could not have gone any better - apart from the all important match result and second-half showing in Norfolk.
‘We went up on Friday, we stayed up in a hotel, then went to the ground on Saturday,’ Knight revealed.
‘It's too long of a drive to do that and be successful - it's probably a big part of why they're so successful at home. I think quite a few teams try to do it in one day.
‘It was a great experience, it was a fantastic weekend - apart from the result on the Saturday.
‘I think the boys really enjoyed it. The club really pushed the boat out and looked after all the players, that's nice, and a bit of reward for the effort they've put in. Every aspect of the weekend was positive - apart from the result and the second half.’
North Walsham have lost just once at home all season and made a blistering start with two early tries helping them open up a 12-point lead inside 10 minutes.
But a refreshed Havant after their overnight stay ensured the scores were even at 12-12 going into the interval with replies from Tam Lindsay and Ben Holt.
A tight second half would be decided by the boot of North Walsham's Will Hodgson, whose three successful penalties after the restart ensured the hosts ran out 21-12 victors to make it six wins from seven on home turf this season.
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