‘Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good’ – Hawks boss Paul Doswell following his side’s best-ever start to a National League South season
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They claimed a fourth win in five games with a 3-2 success at Hampton & Richmond yesterday.
Only Ebbsfleet United - who remain 100 per cent - are above them in the embryonic sixth tier table.
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Hide AdNever before have Hawks taken 13 points from a possible 15 at the start of a NLS campaign.
![Mo Faal and Danny Wright celebrate after the former had netted Hawks' third goal at Hampton & Richmond. Picture by Dave Haines](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjA3MTQzZmE3LTE3ZTMtNDFiZi1iMjk0LWFmYjE4NDczNzM1MzowNThkNzQwMi1mN2RmLTRhOTktYTAwNi03ODk1ODAxZmY1ODM=.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65)
![Mo Faal and Danny Wright celebrate after the former had netted Hawks' third goal at Hampton & Richmond. Picture by Dave Haines](/img/placeholder.png)
But boss Paul Doswell was honest enough to admit his side ‘got away with one’ at the Beavertree.
‘I never felt in control,’ said the manager. ‘I’m happy with the result, but quite disappointed with the performance.
‘Hampton were the better side on the day for me. We can do a lot better.’
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Hide AdSpeaking to the Hawks’ website, he added: ‘We got harried out of possession quite comfortably.
![Danny Wright watches his header put Hawks 2-1 up at Hampton & Richmond. Picture by Dave Haines](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjJhYjgzYzA0LTg1MTMtNDE0Yy1iNWI4LTM4N2NiMzFjNDk0MzoxZTJkMDUyYi0wODQ4LTRkMGQtYTU4YS1hNDMyNjQ0MDllZjc=.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65)
![Danny Wright watches his header put Hawks 2-1 up at Hampton & Richmond. Picture by Dave Haines](/img/placeholder.png)
‘Overall, we got away with one here. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.
‘There’s a lot to look at, if I’m being analytical, as to how we can be a lot better.’
Jake McCarthy and Danny Wright - the latter with a header on 44 minutes - had twice put Hawks into a first-half lead.
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Hide Ad![Jake McCarthy puts Hawks in front at Hampton & Richmond. Picture by Dave Haines](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjI2YjUwYWNhLTkwMWEtNGMwOS05MDU0LWJhMjI4ZTQ1OWE2MTpiMTI0MmQxYS04YzdmLTQ5MTAtYWMyMy0zNzY4MDliOTc1MWY=.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65)
![Jake McCarthy puts Hawks in front at Hampton & Richmond. Picture by Dave Haines](/img/placeholder.png)
Mo Faal, with his third goal in two league starts, extended the advantage before Hampton grabbed aa second through Stefan Ilic on 68 minutes.
But Hawks held on to record their second successive away win, following a 2-1 success at Dartford.
Hawks now host Hampshire rivals Farnborough at Westleigh Park on Bank Holiday Monday (3pm).
![Hampton & Richmond defender Ben Shroll, who ended last season on loan at Hawks, tangles with goalscorer Danny Wright. Picture by Dave Haines](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjMwYTVlODM1LTAzOTAtNGVkMi1hYjA4LWU5YzE4MGNiMjEwNDpiZGQ0NjAxYi1jYzYzLTRmODItOWUyMS00YWJmMjlkZmFjOWU=.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65)
![Hampton & Richmond defender Ben Shroll, who ended last season on loan at Hawks, tangles with goalscorer Danny Wright. Picture by Dave Haines](/img/placeholder.png)
Striker Jason Prior serves the last game of a three-match ban imposed for a sending off at Braintree.
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Hide AdFarnborough, promoted after winning the Southern League Premier South play-off final last May, are currently in the relegation zone.
They have picked up one win from five games so far, a 1-0 home victory over fellow new boys Taunton Town.
Yesterday they were beaten 1-0 at home by Bath City. Among the Boro starting XI was striker Tony Lee, who had a short loan spell at Hawks in 2020/21 before the season was curtailed due to the pandemic.
Lee is on loan from Poole Town, where he struck over 30 goals in the Southern League Premier South last term.
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Hide AdFormer Pompey winger Ricky Holmes and striker Liam Ferdinand - whose late leveller for Binfield denied US Portsmouth an FA Vase final appearance two seasons ago - were also in the Boro team.
Ferdinand was also a prolific scorer in the Southern League Premier South last season, for the Metropolitan Police.