SAS: Who Dares Wins star Ant Middleton puts Hawks squad through their paces at training

Ant Middleton addresses Hawks players ahead of taking a training session. Picture by Dave Haines

The star of hit TV show SAS: Who Dares Wins put the National League South squad through their paces on Tuesday.

Middleton was clearly impressed with what he saw from the Hawks as he afterwards took to social media to praise their attitude - and wish them well for the remainder of the season.

Addressing his 323,000 followers on Twitter, he wrote: 'Great lads, great attitude, a big push for the last few games of the season. You got this Hawks.'

Ant Middleton talks to Hawks players ahead of a training session. Picture by Dave Haines

The 42-year-old, who was born in Portsmouth, is a former UK Special Forces soldier, Royal Marines commando and royal engineer in the Army.

Also an adventurer, actor and author, the versatile Middleton has gone on to enjoy a highly successful TV career.

As well as being chief instructor on the Channel 4 series SAS: Who Dares Wins from 2015 until 2021, he is the chief instructor on SAS Australia and host of Million Dollar Island, among other roles.

Hawks will hope that their training session with Middleton will spark a sorely-needed upturn in form as they seek to revive a faltering bid for a top-seven position.

Jamie Collins' side are currently two places and five points outside the play-off spots, having set an unwanted club record of failing to win any of their last 13 league matches.

If they are to scrape into the top seven, Hawks - who have a game in hand on the two sides immediately above them - will almost certainly have to win all of their remaining three fixtures.

Those games are trips to Oxford City on Saturday and Concord Rangers next Thursday night followed by a final day home clash against Welling United.

That sequence couldn't begin with a much more demanding assignment because Oxford are riding high in the top three - and only champions Ebbsfleet United have lost fewer matches.

Hawks, whose last three outings have all ended in draws, were beaten 1-0 in October's reverse fixture - a result which ended a run of nine wins and two draws in an 11-match unbeaten start to their league programme.

The final two encounters look more favourable on paper at least. Concord prop up the table and face a punishing end-of-season run of matches, while Welling are 18th and will likely be safe from relegation by the time they travel to Westleigh Park.

Seventh-placed Braintree Town and eighth-placed Eastbourne Borough, incidentally, will face each other in a crucial contest in Essex tomorrow.

Remaining fixtures - St Albans City (5th, 72 points): Tomorrow - Dartford (a), April 29 - Farnborough (H).

Worthing (6th, 72 points): Tomorrow - Taunton Town (a), Tuesday - Cheshunt (a), April 29 - Hemel Hempstead Town (h).

Braintree Town (7th, 70 points): Tomorrow - Eastbourne Borough (h), April 29 - Slough Town (a).

Eastbourne Borough (8th, 68 points): Tomorrow - Braintree Town (a), April 29 - Concord Rangers (h).

Hawks (9th, 65 points): Tomorrow - Oxford City (a), April 27 - Concord Rangers (a), April 29 - Welling United (h).