Dominant Hawks claim rare opening day win as Welling are brushed aside 3-0 at sun-drenched Westleigh Park

The new-look hosts - including 11 players making their league debuts for the club - dominated the first half, opening up a deserved 2-0 lead.

Paul Doswell’s men then added a third in time added on in the second half, giving the final scoreline a look which easily reflected the balance of play. It could easily have been more.

It was Hawks’ first curtain-raising success since Lee Peacock scored within two minutes of his league debut at Boreham Wood in 2011/12.

Remarkably, it was only the fourth opening day victory since the club were formed 23 years ago!

Hawks needed only six minutes to take the lead against a club who were propping up the National League South table when 2020/21 was null and voided in mid-February due to the funding crisis.

Captain Joe Oaster floated in a free-kick from just inside the Welling half, Scott Rendell climbed highest to nod it back across the area and James Roberts - one of nine starting debutants - crashed in a shot off the post.

Hawks were within inches of doubling their lead two minutes larter, Rendell sticking out a leg to deflect Oaster’s low shot agonisingly wide from eight yards out.

As the hosts dominated possession, Roberts - playing in a free role behind front two Rendall and Tommy Wright - fired straight at Wings keeper Murphy Maloney.

The keeper then produced a double save, getting down low to beat out a low shot from impressive left wing-back Joe Newton before also pushing away Wright’s follow-up header.

Newton dragged a shot wide and Jake McCarthy fired past the post before home keeper Ross Worner was called upon for the only time in the first half.

He had to race out quickly to block an effort from Lyle Delle Verde, and it was a key stop as Hawks doubled their lead a minute before the interval.

Right wing-back Josh Passley’s cross just evaded the head of Rendell, but Newton collected the loose ball and pinged in a cross from almost on the touchline which Rendell – the Hawks’ man of the match in my opinion (though the directors gave it to defender Paul Rooney) – nodded in at the near post.

The second half started with a double Welling substitution, including the introducing of ex-Hawk Lucas Sinclair.

In a much quieter second period, Welling started the better but Worner was only really tested by a low shot from Delle Verde.

Wright was close to making it 30 on 67 minutes, a rasping 25-yarder smacking against a post with Maloney static.

Sinclair showed some nifty footwork to go past two challenges but his shot was straight at Worner.

Abdulai Baggie, one of three Hawks subs, was inches away from connecting with a Passley cross seconds after coming on in the 78th minute.

Newton warmed Maloney’s fingers with a fierce angled drive, at the expense of a corner, as Hawks ended on top.

Baggie looked like he was fouled in the area late on after latching onto a Pashley long ball - the lack of a penalty brought Doswell out of the dug out for the only time during the game - before Hawks added a third two minutes into time added on.

It was a great goal, too; sub Billy Clifford playing a one-two with Oscar Gobern inside the penalty area before curling a lovely shot into the top corner.

A third goal was the least Hawks deserved, and gave the the club their highest ever opening day victory.

Their only other curtain-raising wins were against Boreham Wood (2011), Newport County (2004) and Chelmsford (1998) in the Hawks’ first ever competitive fixture.

Hawks: Worner, Pashley, Newton, Oastler, Rooney, Adebowale, Gobern, McCarthy, Roberts (Clifford, 68), Rendell (Baggie, 78), Wright (Wall, 74). Subs: Green, Searle.

Welling: Mahoney, Ezonnolim (O’Keefe, 46), Barnes, Pearce, Shorunbi (Sinclaire, 46), Durojaiye, Arinyemi, Della Verde (Brown, 82), Campbell, Biler, Stevenson. Subs not used: Ilic, Brown.