Decarrey Sheriff’s strike in the third minute of stoppage time gave the Sports a 2-1 win at Havant & Waterlooville.

That came after the hosts, reduced to ten men after James Roberts saw red, thought they salvaged a point when Callum Kealy’s penalty drew them level on the stroke of 90 minutes.

Fletcher Holman’s first senior goal put Borough ahead with ten minutes to go, with Mark Beard’s side picking up a deserved win in Hampshire.

Borough made two changes to the team that had beaten Weston-super-Mare four days earlier, with Scott Leslie and Yaser Kasim coming into the starting eleven. Alex Finney was due to start, but pulled up late in the warm up so Freddie Carter resumed his role in the centre of defence.

The Sports created the first opportunity inside four minutes. Sam Beard clipped the ball forwards and Sheriff did well to hold off the defender and allow Leone Gravata to run through, but Ross Worner was out quickly to save at the winger’s feet.

But despite being the better team in the early stages, Borough couldn’t create anything for their possession.

Havant came into the half, and created their first opportunity midway through the first 45 when former Sport Kai Innocent’s low cross was flicked goalwards by Kealy but Ben Dudzinski tipped the ball around his near post.

The hosts grew into the game, and it was from a Borough corner that they nearly went in front. After clearing Gravata’s ball in, Tom Blair sprinted forward with the ball into space, and played it across goal but Muhammadu Faal couldn’t get on the end of it at the far post.

Chances fell to both teams as half-time approached. Carter swung in a cross from the right and picked out Sheriff, but he couldn’t keep his header down before Gravata’s low drive brought a save out of Worner.

Sheriff then went close again three minutes before the break. Beard whipped in a great cross and picked out the forward at the far post, but his diving header back across goal went just wide with Worner stranded.

Borough came out on the front foot after the interval, with Billy Vigar teeing up Sheriff but he pulled the ball wide of the bottom corner.

However, the hosts started to gain momentum with a succession of corners and looked set to score on the hour, but a tremendous block from the sliding Jack Paxman denied Roberts.

The forward then had an effort deflected just wide, before Innocent did well to find Ansu Janneh who drove forwards but his low drive was well held by Dudzinski.

But the tide then turned with 16 minutes to go. After getting a booking in the first half, Roberts was shown a second yellow after pulling back Gravata and was sent off by referee Steve Hughes.

And Borough nearly made their numerical advantage count straight away. Carter chested Beard’s free-kick forwards to Sheriff. With his back to goal, he teed up Holman whose first time effort beat Worner, but only to come back off the post.

The Sports kept the ball alive. Jay Beckford found Paxman on the right. He swung the ball in and found Gravata at the far post, who was allowed to check inside but only to see his strike come back off the other post.

But just when it looked like it could have been one of those nights for the Sports, they struck. Gravata did very well to turn away from Tom Mehew and then beat Billie Busari before slipping in Holman, who from a tight angle rolled the ball across Worner and inside the far post for his first senior goal for Borough.

However, Havant came back, and were gifted the opportunity to draw level. Busari ran onto a long ball forwards and cut inside the area, before being bundled over by Beckford to give referee Hughes no choice but to point to the spot. Kealy stepped up, and fired down the middle to draw the hosts level as the clock hit 90.

But the Sports didn’t give up. Havant couldn’t get Beard’s free-kick from the right away, and the ball eventually fell to Brad Barry whose ball into the danger area wasn’t cleared by Roarie Deacon and Sheriff pounced to volley home from six yards.

But there was still time for more. Busari broke forward from kick off and played the ball in to Deacon, but his low drive was superbly turned around the post by the diving Dudzinski. A big save to earn the Sports three big points.