Players to do battle before big Marine tie

Paul Doswell joked his Hawks squad seem to be taking a planned weekend table tennis tournament more seriously than their FA Cup meeting with Marine FC.

Players and staff will lock horns off the pitch on the eve of their huge second round tie at the eighth tier Merseysiders on Sunday to determine the club’s champion.

Doswell revealed the squad regularly take to the table after training and are planning on playing a ‘seeded’ tournament upon arriving in Liverpool on Saturday.

Just as they did when they faced Bath City in the fourth qualifying round, the Hawks will stay overnight ahead of their meeting with Marine FC .

An evening stop near Liverpool Docks will help avoid a long journey on the day of their televised clash.

Doswell insists things could heat up in a table tennis tournament that’s being taken ‘very seriously’.

The Hawks boss, of course, was having some light-hearted fun during his pre-match press duties.

But could getting the competition juices flowing on the eve of facing Marine work to their advantage?

Doswell said: ‘It’s not a quiz night or a sing-song because they’ve already done that.

‘It’s going to be a table tennis competition, which is taken very seriously, I’m number one seed as well so I’m seeded to win it - no-one disagreed. I won seven out of seven on Tuesday. Josh Taylor is a dark horse and he could win it. We’re also playing table tennis doubles.

‘But, seriously, I know it sounds weird, but they’re still in there playing table tennis now. They don’t go home anymore.

‘We’ve trained, they’ve had lunch together and they’re still playing table tennis now.'

'Superstitious' Hawks have made sure the same coach, driver and table tennis table used on their visit to Bath will make the trip to Marine.

Despite jesting about the pre-match competition, Doswell has full confidence his team can rise to the challenge and seal a spot in the third round for just the second time in the club’s history.

‘We’ve booked the same coach, the same coach driver, the same table tennis table is going in there,' revealed Doswell. We’re all a little bit superstitious so, seriously, we’ve got the same coach driver, same coach and the same table tennis table!

‘We don’t leave any stone unturned. We’ll give them (the players) all the tools so they’ll know everything about Marine.’