Boss Paul Doswell rues missed chances as Havant & Waterlooville are held by Welling United

The new Westleigh Park manager, however, felt his side did more than enough to take all three points from their first game back in National League South.

Roarie Deacon gave the home side a 12th-minute lead, before Adam Coombes equalised for the Kent visitors six minutes before half-time.

The Hawks boss blamed a failure to take their chances for the loss of the two points.

‘I thought we dominated the game but football is all about taking your chances,’ said Doswell.

‘You could count six clear-cut chances in the second half that should have been taken.

‘When the chances come you have got to take them.

‘We will take the point and it gets us on the board, but really we wanted all three.

‘For the first 10 minutes I didn't think we were at our best.

‘Then we took the lead with a cracking goal and it was disappointing to concede an equaliser before half-time.

‘Their goal, however, gave us the impetus to come back out strongly.

‘Jonah Ayunga had a great chance six yards out, Josh Taylor narrowly missed the target and no-one gambled when another ball flew across the face of their goal.

‘We created enough to have won the game.’

It was a new-look home side that took to the field, with 10 players making their competitive debuts for the Hawks.

The hosts got the early boost they needed with Deacon’s goal.

Ayunga picked him out with a good through ball, before the former Sutton striker fired a low shot into the far corner of the net.

The Hawks looked comfortable in possession, but as the interval approached Coombes easily beat home keeper Ross Worner from close range.

It was mainly one-way traffic in the second half as the hosts put Welling under sustained pressure.

But chances came and went and the Hawks had to settle for a point.

‘Teams are going to come to us and sit behind the ball,’ added Doswell.

‘You saw that Saturday.

‘It was no surprise to us but when the golden chances come along you have to make them count.

‘That is something we need to get right.’

Hawks: Worner, Straker, Magri, Beckwith, Read, Bailey, Fogden, Taylor (Rutherford 75), Drury (Tarbuck 75), Ayunga, Deacon (Paul 83).