Hawks boss Doswell on FA Cup win against Cray Valley: I feel relieved – the better team lost today’

There was very little cup magic in the air at Westleigh Park as Hawks made hard work of beating two divisions lower Cray Valley Paper Mills.

The only goal arrived on 18 minutes when debutant George Mclennan’s fine left-wing cross was nodded in by the unmarked Bedsente Gomis.

‘It was a fantastic passing move,’ said Doswell. ‘It was the one moment of absolute quality in the game.’

Apart from the goal, Hawks created few clear chances - though the same could be said for their Isthmian League South East visitors as well.

Doswell added: ‘I feel relieved - the better team on the day lost.

‘We got away with one today - we were a bit ill-disciplined at times - but don’t forget these are never easy games.

‘If we didn’t win the players would have been criticised, and if we did win then nobody would really notice.

‘I’m very relieved - going down to 10 men gave us a mountain to climb, but credit to the 10 players, they didn’t allow Ross Worner to make a single save.

‘If Cray had possessed a bit more quality, then I think Ross would have had to make saves.

‘We restricted them to few chances, and created a couple ourselves, so we have to be ok with that.’

Doswell had no complaints about the red card shown to midfielder Godfrey Poku. Indeed, he believed Poku’s first yellow - in only the second minute - could easily have been a sending off offence in its own right.

‘Godfrey’s feet was off the ground, he wasn’t in control,’ said Doswell.

‘I blame myself a bit (for the sending off), because we were going to take Godfrey off a bit earlier.’

Cray hit the post in the dying minutes, through Matthew Warren’s shot, and Doswell admitted the footballing Gods were on his side.

‘If that had gone in we might have struggled,’ he said. ‘The momentum would have been with them.’

Looking ahead to Monday’s second round draw, Doswell said: ‘It would be brilliant for the area to draw Portsmouth at home.

‘Other than that, I’d love a big League One club at home or someone from our level, or even lower, at home.’

Cray Valley boss Kevin Watson said he was ‘disappointed’ his club’s record-breaking FA Cup run was over.

‘I wouldn’t say we were the better team, but I feel disappointed not to have won,’ he remarked.

‘We worked hard, but we just needed a bit more quality.

‘Was it a penalty at the end? (Ade Yussuf went down in the area, but was booked for diving) I thought it was, but the referee didn’t think so and his opinion is more important than mine.’