Hawks seeking to create more National League South play-off momentum – but boss Doswell insists: ‘Under-estimate Hungerford at your peril’

Match winner Manny Duku in action for Hawks during their impressive weekend win at Dulwich Hamlet.
Picture by Dave Haines — Match winner Manny Duku in action for Hawks during their impressive weekend win at Dulwich Hamlet. Picture by Dave Haines

Ross Worner is expected to have recovered from injury as Hawks look to carry on building National League South play-off momentum.

The goalkeeper sat out the weekend win at Dulwich Hamlet with a neck injury, Charlie Searle keeping a clean sheet on his first NLS appearance of the season.

But Worner trained on Tuesday morning and should reclaim his place for Wednesday’s home clash with Hungerford, where another victory could see Hawks further narrow the gap to the top seven.

Manny Duku’s second half winner at Dulwich gave Hawks a third win in four games - the other was drawn - which scissored the gap between themselves and the play-off spots to five points.

That is a far cry from a few weeks ago when Hawks were 10 points off the top seven after a dismal nine-match winless league streak.

‘Four games is a long time in football,’ said Hawks boss Paul Doswell. ‘A week is a long time.

‘The players we’ve brought in have made a real difference and we’re starting to get one or two back as well.

‘Having said that, we only had 14 at Dulwich after losing two players on the day - it just seems constant at the moment.’

In addition to Worner failing a fitness test, midfielder Jake McCarthy withdrew due to sickness. He also trained on Tuesday, though, and is in contention to face a Hungerford side who have only taken one point from their last six away games.

Doswell, though, knows the Berkshire side can be dangerous - they were 2-0 up at title hopefuls Maidstone in their last away game before conceding two goals in the last 10 minutes to lose 3-2.

They also beat leaders Dorking away - one of six away league wins they had accrued before Christmas.

‘You under-estimate Hungerford at your peril,’ said Doswell. ‘People shouldn’t be surprised where they’re at. They’ve got a 20-goal striker and real pace.

‘I know they see the likes of us and Maidstone as big scalps, but at the moment they’re a scalp for other teams. They are where they are for a reason.’

Hawks would jump above Hungerford into the top 10 if they can record a third successive Westleigh Park success.

That would give them an extra boost ahead of Saturday’s tough trip to lofty Dartford.