Hawks old boy Joash pushes club to brink of relegation
A Westleigh Park old boy helped send Hawks to the brink of National League South relegation.
In a must-win game against fellow strugglers Dartford, Hawks threw away the lead to crash to a 2-1 loss.
After James Roberts had put the hosts ahead, ex-Hawks centre half Joash Nembhard headed Darts level before Ollie Box’s 68th minute decider
It was an 11th home league defeat of a miserable campaign, with the Darts winning for only the second time in 19 matches - and for the first time since Adrian Pennock took charge in early March.
The maths make dismal reading for Hawks. Even if they win their last three matches, Torquay need just a point to finish above them, while Eastbourne need two, Dartford three and Torquay five (from six games).
If two of those four clubs get the points they need, the Hawks are doomed to be playing in the seventh tier next term for the first time since 2016/17.
Hawks went into the game minus two midfielders, with Pompey loanee Harry Jewitt-White injured and Alfie Whittingham having been recalled by Hampton & Richmond.
There were four former Hawks in the Darts squad Nembhard, Alex Wall and Paul Rooney in the starting XI and Tyrell Miller-Rodney on the bench.
Interim co-boss Ross Betteridge said: “I just don’t feel we were really at it today.
“In the first half Ross Worner has kept us in it, no doubt about that.
“We got the goal but didn’t push on from there.
“The players I don’t feel do very well with the mental side of things … we concede one and then switched off, potentially leading to the second goal.
“I don’t think we played our best football today. When we don’t get it down and play, we struggle.”
Hawks’ relegation will be confirmed on Wednesday, if they don’t beat Welling at Westleigh Park. Even if they win, they would be relegated if Dartford beat Worthing on Tuesday and Eastbourne win at Truro on Wednesday.
“We’ll give it our all on Wednesday, that’s all we can do at the moment,” claimed Betteridge.