Hawks closing in on another unwanted club record after 'ridiculous errors' contributed to Concord Rangers defeat

But the Hawks boss did take some small comfort from the chances created and the first-half showing of his men in the 3-1 defeat.

Hawks have now gone nine league fixtures without a victory – losing the last four - and will equal a club record set in 2000 if they fail to beat Ebbsfleet at Westleigh Park next weekend.

Last time out, Doswell's troops set an unwanted record of going nine successive league games on home turf without victory after their defeat to Dartford.

Hawks were hoping a trip to face Concord - a team they had not been beaten by in the previous seven encounters - would provide them with a much-needed win. Instead, it ended up piling more misery on an already misfiring squad.

They now find themselves sitting in 14th in the table, sitting the same number of points off the play-off places and second-bottom Braintree (eight).

But despite the defeat to Concord - themselves claiming a first league win in seven attempts - Doswell was clinging to the chances created as a small positive to take forward as an alarming dip in form continued in Essex.

Speaking to the club post-match, he said: ‘You're paid to score goals, you're paid to defend and you're paid to keep them out of the goal - both of those scenarios if you look back at the game - see the chances and you can't miss from three or four yards out.

‘We reflect on lots of missed chances and two ridiculous errors you won't see again in a game. It's hugely disappointing, but very, very positive (with) that first-half, it's the best we've looked for some time, created loads of chances.

‘Goals change games and we had seven clear-cut chances in that first-half and not to take any of those seven and then give away the goal we gave away. A back-pass on a bumpy pitch from Alfy (Whittingham) and obviously it rolls over Ross' foot - a massive error for the first goal.

‘I thought the second half was much more even but the first-half we dominated, it should have been five or six.

‘In football, pretty much, you've got to score the chances when you get them and make sure you don't give away stupid errors. We've made two stupid errors and the referee's error for the second goal.’

After a bright beginning which had seen Manny Duku see an effort cleared off the line and strike the crossbar, Hawks had themselves to blame with Nana Kyei slotting into an empty net after an error from goalkeeper Ross Worner on 34 minutes.

Things got worse for the out-of-form visitors as Danny Green headed home six minutes after the restart. Hawks had some hope when striker Stefan Payne scored his first goal since January 2021, breaking his duck for his new club on his third outing after arriving on loan from Chesterfield earlier this month with more than half-an-hour still to play.

Yet there was to be no comeback with Ben Williamson outmuscling Joe Oastler then firing home on 66 minutes as Concord claimed a 3-1 victory.

Hawks’ current club record of league matches without a win is 10, set towards the end of the 1999/2000 Southern League Premier Division campaign.

The only other time they have gone nine without a win was in 2019, stretching across two seasons – the last eight of their debut National League campaign and Doswell’s first National League South match in 2019//20.