Doswell salutes ‘brilliant’ Hawks as they come from behind to win at Billericay in the National League South

Trailing by a goal at the break, Sam Magri levelled with a 70th minute header from a corner.

Two minutes into stoppage-time Tommy Wright latched onto an excellent ball over the top from sub Theo Widdrington and fired his shot across keeper Dion Curtis-Henry and into the far corner.

It was Wright’s third goal in four games since moving from Sutton United for a fee which still has to be settled by a tribunal.

Hawks boss Paul Doswell admitted it was a hard-earned three points.

'Overall it was a very good game and a brilliant three points away from home,' he said as Hawks stretched their unbeaten away league run to 18 games.

'Billericay is never an easy place to come and they had the best home record in the league last season (in terms of fewest defeats).

'Their new signings were impressive and they were very decent, particularly in the first half.

'In the main we coped with it and our goalkeeper Ross Worner didn't have to make too many saves.

'The saves he had to make were brilliant.

'You could see that we played a different type of game with much more passing on a good pitch where we could do it.

'It was a hard-earned three points.'

The visitors made a positive start with Josh Taylor, back from suspension, and Wright both having shots blocked in the opening five minutes.

Taylor was one of two changes to the starting XI from Wednesday’s FA Cup win over Chatham - Moussa Diarra was also recalled with Widdrington and Gomis dropping out.

Wright should have put Hawks in front when he controlled a long ball out of defence but sent his shot over the top.

Billericay, whose only home league loss was against Hawks last March, started to get more into the game and created more chances.

On 27 minutes Kyel Reid ran half the length of the pitch before playing in Joe Felix whose effort was brilliantly tipped over by Worner.

The Blues - who included 39-year-old ex-England international Paul Konchesky, the club’s assistant manager, in their starting XI - made the breakthrough four minutes before the interval.

A cross from the left by Felix evaded the defence and Josh Hutchinson deflected the ball in.

The second half remained a close affair before a double substitution by Hawks appeared to do the trick.

Doswell sent on pacy pair Daniel Ajakaiye and Lucas Sinclair in place of Craig Robson and Joe Iaciofano.

‘We were quite expansive and tried to win the game,' said the boss.

'Once we equalised we went for it even more.

'Putting the pace of Lucas (Sinclair) and Daniel (Ajakaiye) frightened them and made them go a lot deeper.

'We probably just about shaded it overall.'

It was, remarkably, Doswell's 34th successive sixth tier league game away from home without defeat – 16 for Sutton in 2015/16 and now 18 with Hawks since the start of last season.

Hawks’ next outing is against Bath City in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round at Twerton Park on Saturday.

Hawks: Worner, Read, Diarra, Magri, Straker, Taylor, Clifford (Widdrington. 86), Robson (Ajakaiye. 72), Deacon, Iaciofano (Sinclair, 72), Wright.