It’s bottom v second bottom of the National League South form table as Hawks travel to Dulwich Hamlet

Paul Rooney celebrates his equaliser against St Albans City. Picture by Dave Haines

Wednesday’s 2-1 home loss to St Albans means Paul Doswell’s men have banked just four points from their last six matches.

From looking a shoo-in for the play-offs, Hawks are now just three points ahead of eighth-placed Tonbridge, albeit with two games in hand and a superior goal difference.

Ironically, the only team below Hawks in the form table is Dulwich, who have taken just three points out of a possible 18.

Paul Rooney nets Hawks' equaliser against St Albans. Picture by Dave Haines

All those came last weekend in a 1-0 home win over St Albans in new manager Hakan Hayrettin’s first game in charge.

Hayrettin guided Maidstone to the NLS title last season but was sacked as Stones manager in early January with his side second bottom.

Hayrettin replaced Paul Barnes, who had picked up just a solitary point from his previous 10 league games.

After the jubilation of beating St Albans, though, Dulwich were brought crashing back to earth with a 5-1 caning at Chelmsford two days later.

St Albans' Joy Mukena goes in high on Hawks striker Danny Wright. Picture by Dave Haines

Doswell said after Wednesday’s loss to St Albans: ‘If we don’t make the play-offs then we are culpable.

‘But if we do make the play-offs, as we fully expect to, we need to go into them in good form.

‘It was a poor result (v St Albans) and we’ve had a poor sequence of results - we’ve got to go to Dulwich on Saturday and get one (a good result).

‘All teams have tough runs, and we’re having ours.’

Hawks defender Joe Newton looks to the heavens after St Albans' second goal had deflected in off Tyrell Miller-Rodney. Picture by Dave Haines

They certainly are. Hawks are third bottom of the league table comprising the last 10 results for every NLS club, having picked up just eight points. Dulwich, with four, prop it up.

Shaun Jeffers’ first-half opener for St Albans on Wednesday was cancelled out by Paul Rooney’s leveller.

But the visitors won it when Cambridge United loanee Glenn McConnell saw a shot deflected in off Hawks sub Tyrell Miller-Rodney.

‘It was a very disappointing first half,’ Doswell told the Hawks’ YouTube channel. ‘We got given the absolute run around.

‘There was a massive gap between our back four and midfield three, and a massive gap between the midfield and the strikers. St Albans played around us.

‘Goals change games and their second one knocked our confidence if I’m being honest. They got their goal, we got ours, then they got a deflected second - that’s the way it’s going.

‘I know there’s outside noise but you can’t let your head go down. You have to puff your chest out and go again.

‘If you don’t know football then you’ll panic, and we’re not going to panic.’

Hawks travel to south London having lost their last five away NLS fixtures, and all without scoring a single goal.

Against that, only Weymouth (11) have lost more NLS matches at home this season than Dulwich’s 10.