Hawker swoops to secure Wick win at Hailsham

The central defender turned in the loose ball after Ryan Barrett’s header from an Andy Chick corner was saved.

Victory at the Beaconsfield means the improving Dragons have lost just one of their last five Southern Combination Division One matches.

This game only went ahead after a pitch inspection following heavy rain and both sides struggled with the treacherous conditions, making play scrappy at times. But Wick manager Lee Baldwin was delighted with the way his players dug in and said: "This was one of those days when we didn’t play our best but still won.

"We’ll take that as there have been plenty of matches where we have been the better side but have dropped points. Our midfield of Andy Chick, Alex Kew and Aaron Tester were superb in difficult circumstances with Chick once again showing why he’s our captain.

"He continually drove us forward, made big tackles and led by example on a day when we were without seven players. Now we head to Forest Row on Saturday seeking another win to really get our momentum going.

"We somehow managed to lose 1-0 at home to them earlier in the season so we have a point to prove - and if we can get three or four wins under our belts we can start climbing the table."