Dos hoping for third time lucky against Notts County as Hawks bid for FA Trophy upset

Paul Doswell, then the Sutton boss, with Notts County counterpart Martin Allen prior to the FA Cup second round tie in December 2011. The Magpies won 2-0.Photo by Scott Heavey/Getty Images.

The Hawks boss' previous meeting with his opposite number provided 'one of the best moments of my footballing life', while he's winless on the two occasions he's come up against the Magpies as a manager in cup ties.

But Doswell will be hoping there's more of the feelgood factor after his side's FA Trophy last-16 tie against higher division County at Westleigh Park on Saturday.

He guided former club Sutton United to the FA Cup fourth round and a meeting with Leeds United in 2017 after sinking Ardley's AFC Wimbledon side.

Against that, he twice failed to mastermind U's cup shocks when facing Notts County in 2008 (0-1) and 2011 (0-2) at Gander Green Lane.

Whatever happens this weekend, Doswell is going to be adding to one of those contrasting emotions.

'Whenever you play Notts County there’s always history because they’re such an historical club,’ he said.

‘I remember at Sutton I played Notts County twice in the second round of the FA Cup.

‘I’ve lost to Notts County at home which was live on the TV and against Notts County on the TV.

‘It was actually against Wimbledon, which I still think is one of the best nights of my football life, away from home against a League One team, Sutton went and beat them and Neal Ardley was the manager.

‘It’s very, very possible. The only reservations I’ve got is having two games in six weeks and very little training in that time and how it will impact the players.'

There has also been a previous meeting between Hawks and Notts County.

Doswell would be forgiven for not knowing what happened at Meadow Lane on that afternoon in December 2007.

But he was fully aware of how the Hawks fared in the clubs' only previous meeting - a 1-0 FA Cup win for the underdogs - and is hoping the celebrations will be the same again.

‘I’m very aware of it (the previous meeting),' added Doswell.

‘I watched Havant in that particular cup run and they had a brilliant run all the way through to Anfield.

‘The game I remember really well was the Swansea game when they played really well.'

Hawks returned a full round of negative results from their Covid-19 tests at training today.

But they will be without cup-tied trio Tony Lee (Poole), Moussa Bakayoko (Dartford) and Oxford loanee Leon Chambers-Parillon (Biggleswade) as they aim to reach the quarter finals of the Trophy for only the fourth time in their history.

Hawks have only played three times since their last Trophy tie against Braintree on December 19 – on January 2, 16 and 19 in the NL South.

They received a walkover into the fifth round after scheduled opponents Altrincham withdrew after a positive Covid test result in their squad.