Road warriors Hawks can put a stop to Welling pain

Hawks have been backed to keep their nerve as they go to bogey side Welling United at Park Road on Saturday.
Hawks midfielder Brian StockHawks midfielder Brian Stock
Hawks midfielder Brian Stock

The south-coast side have Dartford chasing them and know they must continue winning to stay ahead.

Assistant manager Shaun Gale insists the Hawks won’t struggle under the pressure as the title race enters a thrilling run-in.

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The Hawks hold a three-point lead over Dartford with a game in hand.

There is also just one goal, in the Hawks favour, between them on goal difference.

Gale knows the visitors will need to improve on recent results against Welling to maintain their advantage.

Park View Road has not been a happy hunting ground for the Hawks.

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The Hawks have lost eight and drawn one of their last nine league games against their hosts.

Gale isn’t too concerned about the past, though.

He said: ‘The players we have in our current squad are of a different mentality than before.

‘We are top of the league and determined to go out and get the results to stay there.

‘All we can do is focus on what we can do and accumulate as many points as we can between now and the end of the season.

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‘There are bound to be a few twists and turns between now and then.

‘We will be doing the same at Welling as we have in all our away games this season.

‘That is go out and try to win the game.

‘Our record on the road this season is second to none.

‘That should give us the confidence we need for another good result.’

The Hawks maintained their excellent away form with a hard-earned point at Whitehawk on Easter Monday.

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Gale saw it as a point gained rather than two points dropped against the team sitting at the bottom of the league.

To be fair since the start of the year the Sussex team have been one of the form sides.

It was a game where the Hawks created the better chances and could easily have claimed the three points particularly during the first half.

Gale knows his team will need to take their chances at Welling.

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‘At Whitehawk their goalkeeper made two or three good saves,’ he added.

Hawks midfielder Mike Carter may be ruled out for the rest of the season.

Carter limped off with a bad hamstring injury in the Good Friday game against Weston-super-Mare.

Central defender Ryan Woodford also remains a doubt with a calf injury.

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Brian Stock is closer to returning but Gale feels the Welling game may be a bit too soon for him as he continues his recovery.

Hawks: Young, Strugnell, Harris, Rose, Williams, Lewis, Robinson, Tarbuck, Fogden, Prior, Tubbs, Hayter, Rutherford, Dudzinski, Huggins, Molyneaux

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