Taunton Town claim FA Trophy Final with 2-3 victory over Havant and Waterlooville
Taunton Town defeated Havant and Waterlooville 2-3 in the FA Trophy Final on Friday 26 September 2026. The result puts the visitors through to the next stage of the competition. It is a significant achievement for a side that arrived at the final with mixed recent form.
By then the visitors had already shown they could respond after setbacks. Their last five matches include a heavy 4-1 defeat to Salisbury, but also a convincing 4-0 win over Millbrook. That inconsistency is what cup football has its own rules for.
Havant and Waterlooville came into the Final with a different pattern. They lost 3-1 to Chippenham Town on 8 September after drawing 1-1 in their previous meeting with the same side. Before that they suffered a 5-0 hammering against Salisbury and a 4-1 defeat to Bognor Regis Town.
The scoreline tells you enough about a game where chances were created but not always converted. And here's the thing — finals do not always reward the team that dominates possession or creates the most opportunities. This was a match decided by moments, not sustained pressure.
For Havant and Waterlooville the disappointment is immediate. They reached the Final but could not hold on. For Taunton Town the result is something to build on, especially given their recent trajectory.
