The Hawks finish the season in tenth place after drawing 1-1 with Boreham Wood at Westleigh Park this afternoon.
Sahr Kabba put the Hawks into an unlikely lead at the end of a first half dominated by the visitors when he found space to drive a shot through Wood keeper James Russell.
The second half became a more balance affair with chances at both ends, but it was Boreham Wood who finally made the chances count three minutes from the end when substitute Rob Hastings buried a shot seconds after coming on.
Whites take top play-off spot as Hawks coast towards summer
Sat Apr 20 2013, 18:36
Salisbury City secured their second place finish and play-off superiority with an emphatic 5-1 victory against the Hawks at the Raymond McEnhill Stadium this afternoon. The Whites went ahead as early as the sixth minute when Brian Dutton put home Elliott Frear’s parried shot, and were 2-0 up at the break after Chris McPhee scored a second in the 35th minute.
Ryan Brett’s narrow angled shot three minutes into the second half killed any hopes of a Hawks revival, although Perry Ryan’s 30 yard stunner – smashed past Mark Scott in the 56th minute – did give the travelling fans something to cheer. Salisbury though had undoubtedly dominated the game and substitute Dan Fitchett wrapped it up with two further goals in the last four minutes of normal time.
The Hawks’ second attempt to play Dover in three days ended in a 1-1 draw at Westleigh Park tonight.
This time the Whites struck first when Harry Ottaway put the side ahead in the tenth minute, before Alex Grant equalised for the home side in the 40th.
The Hawks will take on Dover Athletic again at Westleigh Park on Tuesday night after yesterday’s Blue Square South encounter with the Whites was abandoned after 60 minutes. Genuine tickets retained from yesterday’s game remain valid for the rearranged fixture.
The game looked unlikely to go ahead after persistent rain flooded the Havant area through the morning, but despite areas of standing water on the pitch the officials gave the game the green light.
A play-off berth may be just out of reach this season, but the Hawks sent a clear message to the rest of the league on Tuesday night that Lee Bradbury’s outfit are more than equal to the sides contesting the top five places in the table.
The 2-1 win puts the Hawks not only on the same 56 points as their hosts for the evening, Boreham Wood, but also the same number of games won and drawn. The visitors took an early lead in the encounter when Eddie Hutchinson headed home Steve Ramsey’s free kick with less than two minutes on the clock.
The Hawks’ ten match unbeaten run came to an end on Saturday at the hands of Maidenhead United and former Westleigh Park regular Richard Pacquette.
The striker headed home twice in the first half to put the Magpies into an unassailable lead. Despite the defeat the Hawks remain in a respectable eighth place in the table.
A second half hat-trick from the unstoppable Ollie Palmer helped the Hawks to a thumping 4-1 win against Hayes and Yeading United at Kingfield this afternoon.
In blustery winds the Hawks dominated the first half and went ahead in the 27th minute when Steve Ramsey’s deflected free kick wrong footed youthful keeper Milan Stojsavijevic.
As much as the Hawks controlled the first half though, the hosts did the second until Stojsavijevic dropped a speculative shot from Ramsey in the 63rd minute and Palmer fired the loose ball in off the far post.
Luke Williams made the hosts’ pressure count in the 74th minute, but the visitors restored their two goal advantage less than two minutes later when Palmer was put through again.
Capping a frantic four minutes of play, the hosts were offered a lifeline in the 78th minute when Alex Grant pulled back substitute Tom Collins and gave away a penalty. Collins took the shot himself, but put it too close to Masters who dived brilliantly to save it.
Palmer then secured three points for the Hawks and the match ball for himself after Kelvin Bossman sprinted 40 yards to put the ball at his feet two minutes into injury time.
Hawks Boss Lee Bradbury has been awarded the Blue Square South Manager of the Month for March, with top striker Ollie Palmer also named as the league’s Player of the Month.
The double award comes at the end of a significant 31 days that saw the side rise from 19th to 8th in the table with five wins and a draw from the six games played. During that time Palmer bagged seven of the fifteen goals scored, putting him top of the league’s scoring chart with 22 goals even before today’s hat-trick at Kingfield.
Bradbury meanwhile has skilfully managed his side over the last few months, bringing in a plethora of new faces while allowing some of the under-used old guard to gain experience at local sides on loan. The result is a reshaped Hawks team that stands top of the form table and just four points away from the play-off bracket. While the play-offs may be a step too far even for this resurgent side this season, the future for the Hawks certainly looks far brighter now than it did in the Autumn.
Sun Oct 21
The Hawks have reluctantly been forced to disband the Ladies side after a player exodus to higher ranking sides in the summer left the team unable to compete this season.
Having come one goal shy of joining the top tier of women’s football in the play-off final the season before last, the side’s meteoric rise up the leagues drew the attention of bigger names and nine key players departed for clubs such as Brighton and Portsmouth in the close season.
It is not anticipated that the side will reform for next season, bringing to an end a short but spectacularly successful six-year life that started with three consecutive promotions.
Hawks in final FA Cup qualifier this Thursday
Tue Oct 16
The Academy face Didcot Town away in the third and final qualifying round of the FA Youth Cup on Thursday night, kick off 7:45pm. The winners face an appetising tie in the first round proper against Aldershot Town.
Hawks to face Didcot in 3rd Qualifier
Sun Oct 7
The young Hawks will travel to Southern League outfit DIDCOT TOWN in the 3rd Qualifying Round of the FA Youth Cup after they gained a crushing 6-0 home victory against Basingstoke Town last night.
Given that the Oxfordshire based club won 11-0 in the previous round against Chalfont St Peter and 4-2 away at North Leigh before that, they are obviously decent opposition.
The game is provisionally arranged for Thursday 18th October at 7.45pm
Spitfires shot down in penalty shoot out
Thu Oct 4
The Young Hawks dream of a place in the First Round Proper and a game against Football League opposition is still alive after a fantastic match saw them knock highly-rated Eastleigh out of the prestigious FA Youth Cup at the Silverlake!
Two goals from Lee Hursthouse saw Hawks race into a comfortable lead, but Eastleigh hit back to equalise in normal time. The young Beasts then stunned our lads by taking a 4-2 lead in the first period of extra-time. We looked dead and buried but Mitchell Frost pulled one back from the penalty spot then with tensions rising, sub Connor Messenbird hit a superb leveller to make it 4-4 in injury-time.
In the deciding shoot-out both sides buried their first three penalties but then Hawks keeper Charlie Searle pulled off a cracking save. Eastleigh’s last pen was struck against the cross-bar and this saw the young Hawks into the 3rd Qualifying Round where they will meet either Didcot Town or Basingstoke Town AWAY in a fortnight.
Well done to coach Paul Barton and his trusty assistant Pete Jodrell. They recognised that this years squad probably wasn’t technically as good as some previous Hawks youth teams. However he has got them organised superbly. What they lack in ability is more than made up by sheer hard graft and teamwork. Allied with grit and determination they have therefore got their just rewards.
Hawks to play Portsmouth
Mon Jul 23
The Hawks academy will take on Portsmouth Academy at Westleigh Park tomorrow (July 24th) evening with a 7.30pm kick off. Entrance will be £4 with £2 for concessions.
The Hawks will take on Dover Athletic again at Westleigh Park on Tuesday night after yesterday’s Blue Square South encounter with the Whites was abandoned after 60 minutes. Genuine tickets retained from yesterday’s game remain valid for the rearranged fixture.
Hawks Boss Lee Bradbury has been awarded the Blue Square South Manager of the Month for March, with top striker Ollie Palmer also named as the league’s Player of the Month.