‘Beyond a smash and grab’ – boss Doswell praises rock bottom Weymouth as Hawks narrow gap on National League South leaders Ebbsfleet

Goals in the last 12 minutes from James Roberts and Danny Wright extended their unbeaten seasonal league record to 10 games - eight of which they have now won.

But boss Paul Doswell said the victory ‘was beyond a smash and grab’ performance after the hosts had belied their lowly position.

‘They were probably the best side we’ve played in terms of their press and energy, we had to hang on in there for 70 minutes,’ Doswell stated.

‘We couldn’t get a foothold in the game - credit to Weymouth, they were like men possessed.

‘There’s no way they will be at the bottom if they continue to play like that.

‘Most of the games this season we have dominated in terms of possession, but this time the opposition were right in our faces.

‘But we defended very well, we talked beforehand about the importance of a clean sheet as we haven’t had many of them.’

Indeed, this was only the second clean sheet Ross Worner had recorded in Hawks’ outstanding start to the NLS campaign.

‘Coming back, we were marking the team and Ross and the back four all had eights,’ said Doswell. ‘The rest were sixes and a few fives. And sixes and fives don’t often win you football matches.’

As usual, skipper Joe Oastler and Joash Nembhard were paired in central defence with Joe Newton and Josh Passley in the full-back roles.

He added: ‘I like to think I’m always an honest manager, and I couldn’t say our performance was brilliant - but it was a brilliant result. I would have been quite happy with point given the first 70 minutes.

‘We had a physical game at Welling on the Saturday. Mentally and physically, that must have taken something out of them.’

Worner provided the assist for Roberts to open the scoring in the 78th minute with his fifth goal of the season.

The keeper’s 60-yard ball was latched onto by Roberts, who took it past keeper Ryan Sandford before scoring.

Wright, who had come on for the injured Jason Prior, completed Hawks’ fourth away win in six NLS fixtures when he headed in a Billy Clifford cross.

Hawks’ fine night was completed with news that leaders Ebbsfleet had dropped their first points of the season at the tenth attempt, held 1-1 at Oxford City.

With less than a quarter of the campaign completed, Doswell’s men have a nine-point cushion over eighth-placed Braintree, the team immediately outside the play-off zone.

Hawks have picked up six more points in their first 10 games of this season than when they won the NLS title in 2017/18.

They also went unbeaten in the first 10 games of Doswell’s first term at Westleigh Park, in 2019/20, winning five and drawing five.

‘We’ve had a great start, but it’s only a start,’ said the manager.

‘The players haven’t put a foot wrong yet - even the two games we’ve drawn (at Braintree and Welling) we’ve been down to 10 men for large periods.

‘What it (the good start) has done is take bit of pressure off us. We could afford to have a poor quarter and still be up there.

‘It’s a really tough league. There are more teams this year, and good teams - Worthing have come up and they haven’t lost yet (won five, drew five).

‘There’s three teams still unbeaten after 10 games, which is very unusual.

‘All we can try and do is keep hanging onto Ebbsfleet’s coat tails.’

Prior, who was knocked out in the 65th minute last night, will now miss Saturday’s FA Cup trip to Carshalton due to concussion protocols.