We’ve had to wait 43 days for home league game but, finally, tonight, the Hawks are back at The Enclosed Ground with points on the line, as they go toe-to-toe with the division’s basement club, Haringey Borough.

But zoom out a touch, and the picture is not as bleak as it first seems for Tom Loizou’s side. Momemtum has been desperately hard to come by in the league, and Haringey’s record of six defeats and one draw to start the season has stunted their progress, but their form is on the up as they head to the coast.

The Hawks, on the other hand, can’t stop scoring at home. Saturday’s 2-0 FA Trophy victory over Ascot United made it 17 competitive home matches without defeat, a potential record that we will need to check with our historian.

But back to the league for both sides for the first such time in 17 days. Whitehawk can climb to 4th if all goes their way tonight, but another strong tests awaits them.

The Opposition

We mentioned the shaky start, but away from the league there is plenty of promise for Loizou and his team. FA Cup wins over Dulwich Hamlet and National League South Tonbridge Angels set up a cup tie at Dover Athletic, where two second half goals from the hosts curtailed Haringey’s cup run.

And then there is this recent Saturday, where a 2-2 FA Trophy draw at Folkestone Invicta spawned a shootout, to which Haringey won 5-4. Loizou has been at the helm for 15 seasons, has seen it all, and is the only man fit to take them out of this whole.

One to Watch | Matt Young 

A classy midfielder who was twice loaned to Haringey Borough by Leyton Orient last season, Young finally departed the O’s for good at the end of the season before making the switch north to Loizou’s side permanent.

And the move has paid off, as the 20-year-old Young has already scored an impressive nine goals, including a hat-trick in their 4-2 FA Cup win over Tonbridge Angels last month. In seven games has the #10 found the net this campaign, and he will no doubt prove a handful for the Hawks’ defence tonight.

Recent Form

7/10 | Folkestone Invicta (A) | Drew 1-1 (Won 5-3 on penalties – FA Trophy)                                     

30/9 | Dover Athletic (A) | Lost 2-1 (FA Cup)                                                                                               

26/9 | Athletic Newham (H) | Won 2-1 (London Senior Cup)

23/9 | Hornchurch (H) | Lost 2-1                                                                                                          

16/9 | Tonbridge Angels (H) | Won 4-2 (FA Cup)

Previous Meetings

The Hawks last met Haringey during the 2018/19 season, when the former would ‘enjoy’ just the lone season in the Isthmian Premier before dropping down a division. Haringey would claim both victories, winning 3-1 at The Enclosed Ground before comfortably seeing off the Hawks in the return fixture by a 3-0 scoreline.

How to Follow

If you can’t make it to The Enclosed Ground tonight, then fear not! For we will be providing updates through our X (Twitter) channel, which can be found here.