Mixed feelings for Hawks boss after stalemate

The boss was pleased with a point from a goalless draw with title rivals Hampton & Richmond Borough at Westleigh Park.

In a scrappy affair on a bitterly cold afternoon it was the Beavers who showed the greater attacking ambition, though.

With rivals Dartford winning, the Hawks have had their lead cut to two points but they still have a game in hand.

‘It wasn’t a great game or advert for us to be honest,’ said Bradbury.

‘I was a little bit disappointed with how tentative we were in the first half.

‘We looked like a team that didn’t want to lose rather than one who wanted to win.

‘That is not my character. I want to go out and try to win every game.

‘No matter what happens now we can look back at the end of the season and say it has been fantastic.

‘We have said to the players not to have any regrets going forward, so that was disappointing.

‘But at the same time we have kept a good clean sheet against a side that have been flying recently.

‘We didn’t create a lot, though. There wasn’t a lot of goalmouth action in the game neither team wanted to lose.’

It was the visitors who had the slightly better of an instantly forgettable opening 45 minutes which failed to produce a single chance.

After the break it was the Beavers who again looked the more likely to score.

The breakthrough almost came when Hawks defender Ed Harris diverted a header from a free-kick against his own crossbar.

Wes Fogden went closest for the home side with an effort that forced a flying save from the visiting keeper.

The rebound fell to Jason Prior but his fierce shot was blocked.

But for the rest of the time the two sides cancelled each other out.

‘They looked as if they wanted to win it more than us,’ added Bradbury.

‘They went for it a bit more and we were not as good as we normally are in committing bodies forward.

‘While we kept the back door shut, I feel we should have been more of an attacking threat than we were.

‘It is still a good point and keeps Hampton five points behind us.

‘Now we have to make sure we go to Truro tomorrow and get something.

‘That is our game in hand on Dartford and we must look to make the most of it.’

Elsewhere, Bognor slipped closer to the trapdoor with a 2-0 defeat against East Thurrock United at Nyewood Lane.

The Rocks, who went behind after six minutes before conceding a late penalty, are 10 points adrift of safety.

Hawks: Young, Rose, Woodford, Harris, Williams, Stock (Carter, 34min), Lewis, Bradbury, Fogden, Prior, Tubbs (Rutherford, 71min). Attendance: 958