Southampton-based hitman James Taylor and strike partner Warren Haughton produced their best display of the season in Havant & Waterlooville's 5-4 goal feast at Cambridge City.

The pair bagged two goals apiece to help fire the Hawks into a 5-1 lead before Cambridge decided to make a game of it.

Co-manager Mick Jenkins reflected: "The front two looked very potent and at 5-1 I felt we were in cruise control. But a bit of sloppiness set in after that.

"Mind you, we had a very young defence and an 18-year-old in goal, so mistakes were bound to happen."

City's Rob Nightingale and Hawks' former Saints' Academy left-back Brett Poate joined Taylor and Haughton in the first-half scoring act and it was Haughton's second goal from a Poate cross that made it 5-1 just after the hour mark.

But the hosts kept battling and, after Robbie Simpson had made it 5-2, City scored twice in the dying minutes - first through Danny Bloomfield and then from a Nightingale penalty awarded against keeper Luc Curling.

Sadly for the youngster, he was sent off as a result and Taylor had the job of picking the spot kick out of the net.

Jenkins reflected: "It was a very hard decision. The linesman missed a blatant offside and their fella ran into Luc.

"He didn't deserve to be sent off in only his second senior game for the club. The ref blew up straight after the penalty and I think he could have shown a bit more common sense.

"I vented my feelings about that. It blotted an otherwise great day for us."