By George Bryant-Nichols

Hawks U18 travel along the East Sussex coast to meet Hastings United tonight in the Anderson Travel Isthmian South Youth League.

Team news

Hawks skipper Billy Clark, who scored a superb first senior goal on Tuesday night against Herne Bay is training with the first team squad, so Ellis Martin will continue with the armband. Top scorer Toby Reeder is serving the final game of his suspension after being sent off for dissent in the Sussex Youth Cup defeat by Peacehaven, so there will be another chance leading the line for Callum Esnouf, 15, who impressed on his debut in the game against Worthing. Callum recently joined the Hawks after being released by Fulham.

United currently sit mid-table ahead of what should be an exciting encounter with the Hawks, who currently lie six points adrift of tonight’s opponents in seventh, with an equal amount of games played.  

Last time out 

United came out on top with a 2-0 victory at the Terrapura, in Whitehawk’s first game of the league season on the 23^rd of August this year. Previously, albeit with mostly different personnel, you have to go back to the 24^th of September 2019 for Whitehawk’s last meeting with Hastings United, with the Hawks running out 5-1 winners on that day, also at the Terrapura. 

Form 

Hastings United come into this game off the back of recording two wins in successive league games, defeating Bognor Regis Town and Horsham YMCA 3-1 and 2-0 respectively. Whitehawk will look to bounce back after last week’s somewhat unlucky 4-1 revers against league leaders Worthing, considering two positive results in preceding games against the same opponents as Hastings – Bognor and YM both succumbing 2-1 to Whitehawk’s impressive style of football.