Theo Lewis' first-half header turned Wealdstone's level-par start to the season sour as they fell to a first home defeat of the campaign against Havant and Waterlooville at Grosvenor Vale tonight.

The hosts struck the bar inside the opening minutes through Danny Green, but struggled to turn their domination into anything tangible after a bright start.

Instead, it was the visitors who would strike first when Lewis was left unmarked from a free-kick to head beyond Jonathan North.

Wealdstone came close after the break through Dan Fitchett and Dylan Kearney, but were left with nothing to show for their performance in front of a sizeable crowd at the Vale.

One change followed Saturday’s late heartache at Gloucester City, with Fitchett’s return alongside Elliot Benyon allowing the hosts to revert to a two-man attack against Lee Bradbury’s unbeaten visitors.

Fitchett missed out on Saturday’s starting line-up with injury - but showed no ill effects when forging the first chance eight minutes in.

Shaquille Hippolyte-Patrick drifted in from the right to feed the former Sutton United man, who rolled the ball low across the box only for Green to rattle the bar from eight yards with Ryan Young well beaten in the Hawks’ net.

The Stones had far the better of the opening stages with Havant struggling to get out of their own half, but that did not stop them coming close to taking the lead themselves.

A rare foray into Stones territory won them a corner, from which Lewis made an unmarked run to the near post and was only a body on the line away from nodding the visitors in front.

The hosts continued their bright beginning without causing Young too much concern - with a quality final ball the elusive piece of the jigsaw.

Abobaker Eisa and Green tried their luck from range, while Havant repeatedly handed possession back to the Stones, as their long ball tactics resembled hit-and-hope rather than anything more in the opening half-hour.

But perhaps it was all a ruse - with seven minutes to go before the break, that physical style bore fruit as a 35-yard free-kick from Theo Widdrington was nodded, unmarked, beyond North by Lewis.

The goal again highlighted the Stones’ all-too-common lapses in defensive concentration which have dogged them in their opening three games, leaving the hosts a goal down in a game they had dominated.

Green floated a free-kick over the bar before half-time but Wealdstone’s early impetus had been extinguished, leaving Bartlett to reignite their flame at the break.

It was nearly flickering again three minutes into the second half when Hippolyte-Patrick’s clever ball just reached Fitchett, but with enough advance notice for Young to race off his line and produce a flying save at his feet.

Benyon picked up the pieces but after turning goalwards saw his effort saved too, and Havant hacked the ball clear.

Wealdstone continued to work their way into good positions but it took another 20 minutes to create a clear-cut chance, with their momentum slowly building.

Green’s free-kick was turned goalwards by Fitchett with a firm header from six yards, but Young was equal to his effort and held on to his effort with two strong hands.

Within moments Wealdstone came yet closer, only to be denied by the linesman. A move started by Eisa found its way to Hippolyte-Patrick, whose goalbound shot was turned onto the post by the former - although the first he knew about it was when the flag on the far side was raised.

Another set-piece nearly became Wealdstone’s undoing again, and ended with the kind of miss that had this been a Premier League encounter, would find its way onto YouTube by the end of the night.

A corner from the right dropped at waist-height for Lewis barely three yards out, but with North beaten, he took pity on the hosts and directed a header away from goal and to safety.

Two late substitutions looked to reinvigorate the Stones’ charge once more, with a final throw of the dice from Bartlett hoping his double change would become a lucky one.

It almost paid immediate dividends as Kearney found the ball fall at his feet from another flag kick, but his two bites of the cherry were both blocked inside a crowded box.

But seconds later he had a chance that should have brought the hosts level, and one you would bet Fitchett, the man he replaced, would have buried.

The enigmatic Eisa had been shown outside most of the evening, but after turning the ball onto his favoured right foot, delivered a perfect cross to the young striker from deep.

The substitute was unmarked but turned the ball over Young’s bar from a fine position, a miss which left Wealdstone’s already fragile confidence at Grosvenor Vale beginning to sap away.

More corners followed in the dying moments, but the David against Goliath battle continued, with the Hawks’ superior height and strength allowing them to see out the victory with relative comfort.

Wealdstone: North; Oshodi, Brown, Hill (Ijaha 67), Okimo; Hippolyte-Patrick, Cox (Wellard 80), Green, Eisa; Fitchett (Kearney 80), Benyon.

Not used: Godfrey, Osei-Bonsu.

Havant and Waterlooville: Young; Harris, Molyneaux (Woodford 46), Robinson; Fogden, Widdrington, Lewis, Carter (Stock 53), Williams; Rutherford (Hayter 84), Prior.

Not used: Tubbs, Barker.