Hawks boss Paul Doswell returns to south west London for FA Cup reunion with his former Sutton assistant manager

The Hawks boss signed Steve McKimm as a player shortly after being appointed manager of Sutton United in 2008.

On retiring as a player, McKimm was handed a coaching role by Doswell before becoming a manager in his own right at Tonbridge Angels in 2014.

Surprisingly sacked by Tonbridge last May, McKimm was subsequently appointed boss at Isthmian League Premier Division club Carshalton.

And the FA Cup third qualifying round draw sees Hawks travel to Carshalton - whose ground is less than a mile from Sutton’s Gander Green Lane - this weekend.

‘I virtually made Steve leave (Sutton),’ recalled Doswell. ‘He was ready to be a number one. And I put in a good word for him with the Tonbridge chairman, who I knew.’

Speaking to the Sutton Guardian in 2014, Doswell said: ‘Steve will do a great job, I had not hesitation in recommending him to the Tonbridge board.

‘I can see Steve succeeding and then returning to Sutton to take over here, once I am dead and buried.’

Carshalton have lost three of their last four seventh tier fixtures, with their sole point in that time coming in a 3-3 draw at Bognor - after twice leading by two goals.

But Doswell is fully aware league form counts for very little when the FA Cup comes around. After all, he has known the heights of beating Leeds United in the competition as well as losing at home to Alton.

‘If we’re 10 per cent off it, and they are 10 per cent above it, those are the parameters that can lose you these games,’ he stated.

‘It’s going to be a tough game, but we would expect to at least bring them back (to Westleigh Park for a replay).

Unbeaten Hawks are flying in the National League South, with Tuesday’s 2-0 win at Weymouth their eighth success in 10 fixtures in 2022/23.

They will be without two key players at Carshalton, though, with striker Jason Prior sidelined due to concussion protocols and midfielder Billy Clifford serving a one-game ban for his red card at Welling last weekend.

The hosts are also minus their skipper Tom Beere through suspension, after he was sent off for a second yellow in a 1-0 league loss to Hastings last Saturday.

Doswell has a good FA Cup record as Hawks boss, with just three defeats in 14 ties spread over three seasons.

During his time at Westleigh Park the club have made around £125,000 from reaching the second round proper in 2020/21 and the first round proper last season.

Hawks have only failed to progress the third qualifying round once in the last eight seasons - a 7-0 mauling at Ebbsfleet in 2016/17.

And they have only been knocked out by lower division opposition once since 2012 - a 1-0 home loss to Met Police during their National League campaign in 2018/19.

Carshalton could include striker Femi Akinwande, who played for Billericay and Tonbridge in the National League South in recent seasons - just two of the 13 clubs he has played for since 2015.

Another attacker, Walter Figueira, has played professionally in Greece and last season appeared for Irish club Waterford in the Europa Conference League.

Trying to keep Hawks at bay will be keeper Danny Bracken, who left Corinthian Casuals in the summer after making more than 500 appearances for the club.