Portsmouth goalscoring legend's son enjoys fleeting Hawks loan stay following Aldershot recall - latest on possible Alex Wall loan departure after netting in Chelmsford City victory

Whittingham, 23, featured six times and netted once for Paul Doswell's side over what proved to be a fleeting loan stay at Westleigh Park, with the 2-1 home triumph over the Essex side on Saturday his final outing of his current Hawks spell.

Doswell had hoped he might be able to keep the Shots midfielder for longer than the initial agreed one-month deal when he arrived at the club at the start of last month.

But the Hawks boss feels Whittingham - son of former Pompey striker Guy - was recalled with Aldershot looking over their shoulders in the National League, as they sit just a place and nine points above the relegation zone having picked up just one point from a possible 15 available since the midfielder was allowed to depart on loan.

Doswell said: ‘He's (Alfy) been recalled by Aldershot which, from our point of view, is disappointing – originally we hoped to have him with us until the end of the season.

‘Aldershot have got their own situation developing at the moment so they've called him back. It's disappointing but understandable in football terms.

‘I get on fantastically well with their manager Mark Molesley (Aldershot boss) and all managers have to do what is right with them.’

Despite substitute Alex Wall grabbing his first goal since October 16 in the win over Chelmsford, the club remain keen to get the forward out on loan.

Doswell believes the striker would benefit from a stint away from Westleigh Park to boost his match sharpness.

Meanwhile, Doswell says he is unsure whether fellow forward Manny Duku - who Wall replaced early on in the win over Chelmsford - will recover in time for the trip to Dulwich Hamlet on Saturday after requiring around 'a dozen' stitches in a nasty head wound suffered in the Hawks' weekend win.

Doswell added: ‘We're still looking to get him out of loan (Alex), he needs to play games. The one area we are okay in at the minutes, with Stefan Payne, Tommy Wright - James Roberts is going to be coming back soon - and with Sam Smart we've got some good options (going forward).

‘My gut feel is to still to look to get him a month's worth of games to get his season moving (Alex). The area of the pitch at the minute we haven't got any cover on is centre-half and midfielders.

‘We've now lost Manny Duku with a head wound that he had probably half a dozen stitches in. It's like a boxer's cut, it's gone from his eyebrow right up to his skull - it's affected his good looks!

‘He WhatsApped me on Sunday morning saying he had a bad headache but he felt okay. My knowledge is no more at the minute than knowing he's had 12 or so stitches put in a cut.’