Lewis Smith netted in Hornchurch's defeat at Havant (Gavin Ellis/TGS)

Day to forget for Hornchurch and Romford

Conference South

Havant & Waterlooville 5 Hornchurch 2

Urchins slumped to another away defeat to slide back down the table.

Beaten 4-0 at Welling on New Year’s Day, Jimmy McFarlane’s men conceded three times in the first half at Westleigh Park to leave themselves with a mountain to climb.

Dan Strugnell headed over Joe Woolley to open the scoring on 15 minutes and Sahr Kabba fired home a second for the hosts before the half-hour mark.

Ollie Palmer added a third just before the break and the scoreline remained unchanged until the final 10 minutes.

Lewis Smith’s deflected effort got Urchins off the mark, but Palmer made it 4-1 two minutes later.

Martin Tuohy crossed for Wayne Gray to grab a second for the visitors, but Palmer completed his hat-trick a minute from time after Woolley spilled Christian Nanetti’s free-kick.

Ryman Division 1N

Chatham 5 Romford 0

Boro fell to a fifth defeat in six league outings on a disappointing day in Kent.

Hussein Isa’s goal had given Paul Martin’s men the points when the two sides met at Ship Lane in October, lifting them to seventh.

And Billy Hunt, Ben Jones and Jamie Dicks all had chances in the opening 10 minutes for Boro, before Jack Barry cleared Austin Gacheru’s header off the linie at the other end.

Lee Hales hit the post before Gacheru had another header cleared off the line by Adam Salmon.

But Chatham made the breakthrough three minutes before half-time when Hales looped a volley over Chris Clark.

The match remained in the balance until the 72nd minute when Harry Smith headed home a free-kick for Chatham’s second.

A foul on Smith gave Matt Solly the chance to make it 3-0 from the spot and injury-time goals from Smith and Hales completed a miserable day for Martin’s men.