Doswell insists ‘we can improve’ after Hawks thrash leaders Wealdstone at home

Hawks keeper Ross Worner made a great save at Wealdstone

Hawks vs Chelmsford City - Vanarama National South, Westleigh Park, Havant. Photo by Dave Haines/Portsmouth News — Hawks keeper Ross Worner made a great save at Wealdstone Hawks vs Chelmsford City - Vanarama National South, Westleigh Park, Havant. Photo by Dave Haines/Portsmouth News

Paul Doswell has warned the Hawks can get even better after their stunning 4-1 Vanarama National League win at leaders Wealdstone.

Despite having key players missing, the visitors came from behind to thrash a Stones outfit who had won 10 successive league and FA Cup games.

The win lifted the Hawks back up to third in the league and Doswell is predicting they will get stronger.

'We achieved this with a lot of players unavailable,' he said.

'When we start getting players back fit we will be even better.

'It was a gutsy performance after a difficult opening and under the circumstances it is a great result for us.

'We knew it was a big game because now we have cut their lead on us to seven points.'

At the start it looked like being a difficult afternoon for the visitors.

They found themselves put under a lot of pressure early on and fell behind after 11 minutes when Ross Lafayette – who once played under Doswell at Sutton - headed in a Dennon Lewis cross.

Fortunately the Hawks were gifted an equaliser just four minutes later.

Home goalkeeper Aston Oxborough allowed Jonah Ayunga to close him down and his clearance cannoned back off the striker into the net.

Still the home side pressed and Doswell reckoned the game-changing moment arrived soon afterwards.

'Our goalkeeper Ross Worner made a brilliant save to deny Lafayette and keep us in it,' he reported.

'If they had scored then they could easily have gone on and scored more.

'Though we weren't great in the opening 15 minutes, we kept going.

'That save allowed us to recover.'

By the interval the game had been turned on its head after Andy Drury put the Hawks in front.

'We knew that Wealdstone would have to commit more men forward in the second half,' said Doswell.

'After the break we were better and looked a good side.

'Drury ran the game for us and we dominated the whole of the second period.'

Substitute Alfie Rutherford extended Hawks’ lead five minutes after the break.

The 'Stones' fate was sealed on 68 minutes after Rutherford was fouled in the area.

Danny Kedwell stepped up and made no mistake with his spot-kick.

'It was an enjoyable game that had a National League feel to it,' said Doswell, whose side are now the joint top-scorers in the division alongside Wealdstone with 28 goals from 12 games.