‘Excellent’ Hawks set new National League South club record as they maintain 100 per cent home record against Concord

The 2-0 home win over Concord Rangers made it 11 unbeaten NLS games - nine of which have been won.

Hawks’ previous longest unbeaten start to a NLS campaign was the 10 games in Paul Doswell’s first season, 2019/20.

The hosts dominated the first half but found Concord keeper Melvin Minter in superb form.

Prior settled nerves three minutes after the restart when he headed in a great cross from Josh Passley.

Faal’s tireless running paid dividends just before the hour mark when he nicked possession off a defender before firing home.

‘We played very well,’ said Doswell. ‘If it had been 5-0 at half-time that wouldn’t have been a wrong scoreline. We had 15 attempts in the first half alone.

‘After 10 minutes you could see we were playing very, very well and we carried that all the way through.

It was Hawks’ fifth successive home league win of 2022/23, a far cry from last season’s form.

It took Hawks until mid-March - and 15 NLS games - to record five Westleigh Park league victories last term.

‘Since I’ve been here our away form has always been good, but we have been hit and miss at home.

‘I’ve always said home form will dictate where you are in the league.’

Hawks are now one of only three clubs in the top six tiers of English football still protecting an unbeaten record.

Unfortunately for them, one of the others is Ebbsfleet who thrashed Taunton 5-0 - their 10th win in 11 matches - to remain two points ahead of Hawks.

Doswell revealed that Prior had been passed fit to return after undergoing midweek cognitive tests following his head injury at Weymouth.

That allowed him to return to training on Thursday and, with Danny Wright sidelined with a calf problem, was always going to start against Concord.

Wright’s scan, meanwhile, has revealed a ‘very, very slight tear’ which could see him back in contention for the home league game against Oxford City on October 22.