Hawks sign Chelsea youngster Teddy Sherman-Lowe on loan for remainder of the season

Teddy Sharman-Lowe has joined Hawks on loan from Chelsea for the remainder of the season. Picture by Dave Haines

The National League South title challengers were forced to enter the market for a new shot-stopper after Brad House was recalled from his loan spell by Sutton.

House has played the last nine NLS fixtures after joining second-placed Hawks in early November following Ross Worner’s knee injury.

Sharman-Lowe, 20, was a colleague of current Pompey loanee Dane Scarlett when England won last summer’s Under-19 European Championship tournament.

The keeper has played just one competitive game this season - for Chelsea U21s in a EFL Trophy tie at Sutton, where ironically House was in the home team’s goal.

That was his third EFL Trophy outing for Chelsea U21s while Sharman-Lowe had a three-game loan spell at Burton Albion in 2020/21.

‘I initially asked about someone else,’ said Hawks boss Paul Doswell, ‘but I was told Chelsea felt Teddy was ready to go out on loan.’

Sharman-Lowe comes recommended by Ross Turnbull, a former professional keeper who works at Chelsea.

The 20-year-old is set to make his debut in this weekend’s trip to north Hampshire to face in-form Farnborough.

Boro lost seven of their opening 10 league games after stepping up from the Southern League Premier South, albeit six of them by the odd goal.

That included a 1-0 August Bank Holiday Monday loss at Westleigh Park, Jake McCarthy netting a late decider.

But they have not lost in the league since a 1-0 home setback to Chelmsford on September 27, winning seven and drawing five times since. No NLS club possesses a longer unbeaten league run.

Striker Mason Bloomfield, signed from Bromley on New Year’s Day, scored the winner on his debut at home to Hungerford and then struck twice in last weekend’s 4-1 success at Dulwich Hamlet.

Hisham Kasimu, a former Wessex League striker with Team Solent, is Boro’s leading NLS marksman so far with eight goals. He was signed after scoring 30 goals for Southern Leaguers AFC Totton last season.

In a ‘massive boost’ for the Hawks, centre half Joash Nembhard could be ready for a first team return at Farnbrough.

He has been out since suffering a broken bone in his foot during the FA Cup loss to Weymouth in mid-October.

In his absence, Doswell has been ‘mixing and matching’ who plays alongside skipper Joe Oastler in central defence.

Midfielder McCarthy has filled in there, while player-coach Jamie Collins has been asked to do a job if the opposition possess a big, physical No 9.

Armed with the only unbeaten away record in the top seven tiers of English football, it could be considered good news that five of Hawks’ next six league games are away.

A trip to Farnborough is followed by Dover (Jan 21), St Albans (Jan 24), Taunton (Jan 31) and Ebbsfleet (Feb 4).

‘We are proud of our away record and we want to keep it going,’ said Doswell, ‘but we’d always rather be at home than away.’

Striker Danny Wright is back in the squad after a knee injury, and Hawks have also sent Tommy Wright out on loan to AFC Totton.

The current plan is to recall him in early March and Doswell said: ‘It’s a win win for Totton and ourselves.

‘Tommy needs to go and get regular games, he needs to get himself fit and scoring goals.’

Starting at Tavistock this weekend, Totton have nine Southern League Division 1 South fixtures up to and including Saturday, March 4.

‘The great thing for Tommy now is he’s feeling no pain at all,’ revealed Doswell.

‘You have to remember, he’s hardly played for eight months.’

The last time Tommy Wright played at Southern League Division 1 South level he struck 50 league and cup goals while on a season-long loan spell to Salisbury in 2016/17.