The Wright result after a bad week
Tommy’s trio brings the smiles back to Westleigh Park
If there was anything like a ‘must-win’ game just seven matches into a league campaign, this could well have been it. For Hawks boss Paul Doswell, the home clash with Chelmsford was certainly a ‘must-not-lose’ fixture.
Not after the previous weekend’s FA Cup embarrassment at two leagues lower Marine, a humiliation beamed live into the nation’s front rooms via BT Sport.
Not after last Monday’s FA Cup draw had compounded the agony of losing on Merseyside by seeing Marine handed a dream home tie with Tottenham.
And not after Hawks had lost 3-2 at home to Hemel Hempstead two days later, a Hemel team who played for 77 minutes with only 10 men.
But thanks to hat-trick hero Tommy Wright, the woes of the previous few days were forgotten as Hawks returned to winning ways – three points which were, said Doswell ‘massively important.’
Whether it was because supporters were allowed back in for the first time since March, but Doswell’s side had a spirit, an urgency, a hunger, that had been lacking in their previous two losses.
Hawks have never suffered back-to-back league defeats under Doswell and thanks to Wright they ensured that record remained intact with a 3-1 victory.
The 24-year-old broke the deadlock on a cold, rainswept afternoon with a stunning strike on 19 minutes.
Danny Kedwell flicked a long ball into Wright’s stride, but there still didn’t appear too much danger to Chelmsford. But in a blink of an eye, the striker rifled a stunning shot from the edge of the area that arrowed past Lee Worgan and into the top corner.
It was a goal that deserved a crowd to see it; a strike that sweet would have been wasted in a game played behind closed doors.
Wright was unsurprisingly awarded the man of the match bubbly, as hat-trick heroes are rarely ignored.
But Benny Read and Josh Taylor could easily have taken the prize for impressive performances on the right side. At times in the first half, their inter-play was a delight to watch.
Bedsente Gomis shot wide from a Taylor cross, while Wright missed the ball completely after another fine move involving Taylor and Read.
Reed was instrumental in Hawks’ doubling their advantage on 62 minutes, collecting a pass from - who else? - Taylor and firing in a shot that was only half-saved by Worner.
Wright was on hand from within the six-yard box to collect his second goal.
He also showed ‘fox in the box’ awareness two minutes later, latching onto the loose ball and firing in an angled shot - again from close range - after Taylor’s shot had rebounded off a post.
His afternoon’s work over - his first National League hattrick in the bag and his first in Hampshire since his days with Otterbourne in 2014/15 - Wright was replaced by Joe Iaciofano.
Doswell was also able to give the pacy Daniel Ajakaiye his National League South debut in place of Kedwell.
Chelmsford had entered the game having lost their previous three league games, all at home and all without scoring.
Here, they were a threat on the break - Oxford United loanee Dylan Asonganyi and Dan Imray were particularly lively - but it looked as if Hawks would keep a rare clean sheet (they’ve only kept two in 12 games in 2020/21).
That was until the 84th minute when a corner was slung in and Charlie Sheringham - on loan from Dartford - rose high at the far post to nod in.
Doswell was unhappy: ‘It was a big disappointment - we work very hard on defending ser-pieces and that’s the third goal in three games we’ve conceded from one.’ Marine’s extra time winner had arrived via a free-kick while Hemel’s secondminute opener last Wednesday was a virtual carbon copy of Chelmsford’s
Tommy Wright now has eight goals in 2020/21 after his hat-trick at the weekend consolation.
‘Moussa (Diarra) held his hand up for the Hemel goal and Anthony Straker’s held his hand up here,’ said the manager.
‘But I don’t want people holding their hands up -I want them marking their men at set pieces.’
Worner, Read, Mclennan (Straker, 52), Diarra, Magri,
Poku, Gomis, Taylor, Deacon, Kedwell (Ajakaiye, 74), Wright (Iaciofano, 69).
Worgan, Cotter (Liddle, 69), Kpekawa (Morgan, 79), James, Imray, Asonganyi, Olowo, Isaac, Harrison, Crook (Wraight, 69), Sheringham.