Hawks could be short of strikers as they bid to reach FA Cup first round for third season running

Paul Doswell’s side have won all six of their National League South and FA Cup fixtures in 2022-23.

They have rattled off five straight wins in a stunning start to the league campaign that has seen them take 29 points out of a possible 33 so far.

A goal from Mo Faal also saw them avoid a potential FA Cup second qualifying round banana skin against AFC Totton on home (artificial) soil.

And Hawks will start strong favourites for another home win when they welcome divisional rivals Weymouth in a fourth qualifying round tie this weekend.

The Terras have experienced a truly dire 12 months, with just league wins in 41 league games since the end of last October.

Relegated from the National League in May, they are currently bottom of the NLS with only two points from 11 matches. They have scored just five times in their last nine league fixtures.

But Doswell knows his side rode their luck at times during a recent 2-0 league win in Dorset.

Weymouth will also take heart from a stunning 3-0 FA Cup third qualifying round home win over a Welling side who held Hawks to a 2-2 draw last month.

Against that, the Terras were hammered 5-1 in a league game at Eastbourne Borough last weekend.

Doswell has injury problems to contend with, and could be without three strikers.

With Tommy Wright yet to play this season, Danny Wright missed last week’s 2-0 home win over Concord with a calf injury. And Jason Prior is a doubt to an issue that necessitated a trip to a chiropractor this afternoon.

Elsewhere, James Roberts is ‘40-60’ according to Doswell of featuring due to a badly swollen ankle that has ruled him out of training all week.

That all leaves Mo Faal is Hawks’ only fit striker, but Doswell confessed: ‘Mo isn’t a number nine - he doesn’t really play with his back to goal and he can’t really head a ball.’

Gianni Crichlow and Tomas Kalinauskas could come into contention for starts, while Oscar Gobern has recovered from a groin problem that stopped him training earlier this week.

‘We’ll be the favourites and we’ll expect to get through,’ said Doswell. ‘But I have no problems with saying Weymouth were the better side when we played down there.

‘They obviously have some frailties, though, and they were exposed pretty ruthlessly by Eastbourne.’

Hawks have already banked £9,000 from winning through two qualifying rounds, with another £9,375 up for grabs against Weymouth.

‘At this stage, it’s not about the performance, it’s about the result. We didn’t play particularly well against Totton or Carshalton but we got through.

‘For all clubs at our level, it’s important to reach the first round financially. If we could draw a Football League club at home it could be worth £100,000 - that’s a fifth of our annual budget in one go.

‘We educate the players here - and at all the clubs I’ve been at - about the importance of this competition. The players are aware, but it’s all on the day …’

One great bit of news for Doswell, meanwhile, arrived today with Tommy Wright and Sam Magri joining in first team training for the first time this season.

That was after they had paid their own air fares to take part in a series of double training sessions in Portugal with physio Jake Travis.

The plan is still for the pair to get some games on loan - Southern Leaguers AFC Totton have been suggested - prior to then being potentially available for Hawks at the end of next month.