Depleted Hawks can jump into National League South play-off zone with midweek win at goal-shy Tonbridge

Paul Doswell takes his depleted squad to Kent to face a Tonbridge Angels side who are the joint lowest goalscorers in the division.

Hawks will move up to seventh if they can follow up their recent 3-2 success at Chelmsford with another three points.

Again, though, Doswell will select from a squad very short in numbers.

He only took a squad of 15 to Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup first round at the weekend, and saw defender Sam Magri (knee) and midfielder Leon Chambers-Parillon (Achilles) added to an injury list already containing Ross Worner, Manny Adebowale, Benny Read and Alex Wall.

Hawks will at least welcome midfielder Billy Clifford back from the one-game ban served at The Valley for his red card at Hungerford last month.

Doswell spoke after the FA Cup loss about trying to bring in at least one loan signing for Tonbridge. But it appears the only ‘new’ face he will have, apart from Clifford being available again, is Theo Widdrington.

The midfielder has been recalled from a loan spell at Southern League Premier South high-fliers Gosport Borough, where he has been playing regularly since early September.

Widdrington has not played a competitive game for Hawks since a red card against Ebbsfleet last February in what turned out be the last game of the pandemic-wrecked NL South season.

Striker Tommy Wright remains absent at Tonbridge, serving the final game of a three-match ban awarded for a red card against Slough last month. Wright will return for this weekend’s home game with Maidstone United.

Doswell deployed a 4-5-1 formation at Charlton, with Magri at right-back, in a bid to frustrate the three divisions higher hosts.

He could well revert to the 3-5-2 system favoured this season at Tonbridge, similar to the one utilised at Cheltenham.

With Magri out, Michael Green or Paul Rooney could be used as the third centre half alongside Joe Oastler and Jamie Collins with Josh Passley and Joe Newton as wing-backs with Clifford, Oscar Gobern and Jake McCarthy in midfield and Scott Rendell recalled to partner James Roberts up front.

Alternatively, Roberts could again be used as a lone striker or Abdulai Baggie, who started at Chelmsford, could return to the starting line-up with Scott Rendell partnering Roberts in a front two.

Whichever system he chooses, Doswell will be eager to see an improvement in his side’s NLS defensive record.

Hawks haven’t kept a clean sheet since beating Welling 3-0 on the opening day of the season, but Tonbridge have only netted 12 times in 10 league games.

Fifth-bottom Angels have only scored more than one goal in three of those fixtures, and at the weekend lost 1-0 at a Braintree side who started the day rock bottom.

Ibrahim Olutade, signed from Maidstone in the summer, is Angels’ top league scorer so far with four goals – one more than former Grenada international Ricky Modeste.

Tuesday’s game will be Hawks’ seventh away league fixture, compared to having only played four at home so far. They have already won three times on their travels, at Hampton & Richmond, Ebbsfleet and Chelmsford.

Doswell will be aware, though, that Tonbridge have had some good results this season - beating Hungerford 3-1 away, beating Dorking by the same scoreline at home and drawing 1-1 at table-topping Dartford.