Hawks boast players who ‘should be or could be’ playing the EFL

That’s the opinion of Westleigh Park boss Paul Doswell after three of them were on target in the dramatic weekend win against Taunton.

Callum Kealy, Mo Faal and Sam Matthews netted as Hawks came from behind to win 3-2 thanks to Matthews’ stunning late effort.

The victory enabled Hawks to close the gap on second-placed Dartford to three points, and still holding two games in hand.

Both Faal and Matthews were without clubs when Doswell pounced to snap them up.

Faal had been waiting to see if he could win an EFL contract last summer, having previously been signed by Bolton Wanderers from non-league football in 2020.

Matthews had been training with Eastleigh to keep fit after leaving National League rivals Wealdstone in mid-November.

The attacking midfielder, who started his career at AFC Bournemouth, came off the bench against Taunton on the hour mark with Hawks trailing 2-1.

Within minutes he had teed up Faal for his 16th NLS goal of the season, the third highest total in the division.

Then, with time running out, he received the ball short from a corner before curling an angled 30-yarder into the top corner.

‘Sam was quite simply outstanding when he came on,’ purred Doswell. ‘He scored an absolute worldie, a beautiful goal.’

Matthews was introduced on the right flank, but prefers to be the ‘focal point’ according to his manager in a No 10 role in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

He has only made one NLS start for Hawks, on a tough evening in Somerset which ended with a 2-0 loss at Taunton last month.

He could well be involved from the start when Hawks travel to Bath City on Tuesday.

SEE MORE: Picture gallery – Hawks v Taunton

Doswell stated: ‘We have three players in Joe Newton, Mo Faal and Sam who without question should be or could be playing in the (Football) league.

‘Mo has been exceptional for us, he can do things other players and other strikers in this league can’t do.’

Doswell added: ‘You could put Callum Kealy into that group as well.

‘Callum just needs a run of games and goals - if he can add 15-20 goals a season to his running the channels and creating problems he will be a huge asset.’

Kealy’s stamina - he ran 12k on his Hawks debut against Chelmsford - is part of what Doswell describes as ‘the most athletic team I’ve ever had.’

Hawks look a shoo-in to reach the NLS play-offs, holding a seven-point lead above eighth-placed Chelmsford with two games in hand.

‘We’ve done this without Danny Wright, Joash Nembhard, Oscar Gobern, Paul Rooney,’ explained Doswell. ‘It bodes well, it really does.’

Wright and Nembhard serve the final games of their three-match bans at Bath and the boss remarked: ‘After that we’ll have around 17 players to choose from - we haven’t that virtually all season.

‘If we can just have some luck with injuries now, that would be massive.

‘We’ll be going into March and April time, the play-offs, with our best side available. We’ll be competitive and in a really strong position.’

Regarding Tuesday’s trip to Twerton Park, Doswell said: ‘Bath always play well against us. They’re traditionally good at home and they’ve got a good manager in Jerry (Gill) who knows this league.’

Bath’s current home is not so good, though, with just one win in their last nine league games.

Like Hawks, they are fresh from a late victory - Elliott Frear’s 90th minute goal giving them a 2-1 success at Dulwich Hamlet at the weekend.