New-look Hawks lift curtain on pre-season friendly programme with victory over Moneyfields

Joe Oastler heads Hawks'' final goal in their 5-1 pre-season friendly win against Moneyfields. Picture by Dave Haines.

Boss Jamie Collins fielded two completely different XIs in each half, with eight close season signings featuring plus some Academy youngsters and triallists.

Defenders Joe McNerney, Brendan Willson and Devante Stanley started the game, as did Tom Mehew and the returning Roarie Deacon.

Fellow new signings Kai Innocent, Ansu Janneh and Tom Blair appeared after the restart.

Former Pompey Academy striker Dan Gifford was one of three triallists, alongside Joe Chidyauski and James Masters.

Academy players Leon Baker, Ammy Jallow, Max Connolly and goalkeeper Oakley Parnham were all given a second-half run-out.

The only survivors from last season’s squad - which missed out on the National League South play-offs following a horrific second half of the campaign - in the first half were Ross Worner, Jake McCarthy, Callum Kealy and James Roberts.

In the second half there were run-outs for Joe Oastler and Mo Faal, underlining the squad rebuilding Collins has had to oversee ahead of his first full term as manager.

Stanley has been signed from NLS rivals St Albans as a potential replacement at right-back for Josh Passley, who has joined higher tier Bromley.

The defender is on the way back to full fitness after suffering a broken leg playing for St Albans last August.

Innocent, signed from Eastbourne Borough, could well replace Joe Newton at left-back following the latter’s move to National League Solihull.

Centre half pairing McNerney and Willson have been recruited from Woking and Easteigh respectively. They are at differing ends of the age spectrum - McNerney is 33 while Willson, who had a loan spell at Gosport Borough last term, is just 19.

Mehew and Janneh will provide midfield competitions, while Blair and Deacon could be attacking wide options.

New faces were much needed after Hawks released six players following the conclusion of 2022/23 - Joash Nembhard, Paul Rooney, Gianni Crichlow, Oscar Gobern, Danny Wright and Jake Andrews.

In addition, Sam Magri turned down a new contract to join AFC Totton while Charlie Ruff (Chelmsford), Tommy Wright (Winchester City) and Tyrell Miller-Rodney (Dartford) also subsequently departed, as did Passley and Newton.

In all, that’s 12 departures – making Collins’ first summer of recruitment one of revolution rather than evolution.

It was one of the more familiar faces for home fans, McCarthy, who headed Hawks into an early lead at the weekend.

Moneyfields, who had played Totton & Eling the previous evening, levelled midway through the half through new signing Stan Bridgman.

The former Pompey Academy hopeful has joined Moneys after spells with Wessex Premier rivals Baffins and Pagham.

Hawks opened up a 3-1 lead within 10 minutes of the second half, thanks to Baker - who was on loan at Sholing last term - and Gifford.

Baker grabbed a second before Oastler rounded off the scoring.

Collins has admitted shoring up Hawks’ defence has been a close season priority of his.

That is no surprise, given that last season’s squad only kept one clean sheet in their final 28 league games - a 3-0 home win against Chelmsford in early February.

Faal, Roberts and Kealy are all proven goalscorers at this level, while Gifford could be an interesting signing if his trial is made permanent.

Hawks host Collins’ former club Sutton United in their second friendly on Tuesday.