​SAM Hawkes will be looking to get a full game as Belper men entertain Sheffield Bankers on Saturday (1.30pm).

Hawkes has recently returned to the side after an operation to staple a collapsed lung.

He played 35 minutes for the Nailers as they slipped to a 3-2 defeat in EHL Men’s Conference North – a result that means they are still not safe from the relegation play-off places.

Coach Ben Lamb said: “It’s been a roller coaster of a season and the Durham result is our latest dip.

“We were hoping to build on recent results, where we have beaten Leek 6-0 and took a good point from Sheffield Hallam.

“However, that wasn’t to be and it seems that we just don’t learn from our mistakes.

“We have now played 16 matches and are still making the same silly mistakes that we were making in our first game.

“We just don’t listen - and now we have a battle on our hands to stay in the division.”

The Durham game started, as in previous weeks, with Belper on top.

Tom Sherratt and James Blackwell both had early chances to open the scoring and Luke Davies thought he had given Belper the lead midway through the first half, only for the umpire to rule out the effort.

Neil Slane in the Belper goal made a few good saves to keep the scoreline goalless at half-time but there was little that he could do about Durham’s opener, which came after 39 minutes.

Belper rallied and were level only three minutes later when in-form Ben Inshaw flicked a loose ball into the roof of the net.

Durham regained the lead from a penalty corner and went 3-1 up with 12 minutes remaining.

Inshaw scored a second to set up a tense finale but it was Durham who broke with the final goal of the game.

Dan Mills will replace Mark Lamb at centre back for this weekend’s game against Sheffield Bankers.

Lamb, the Nailers’ former captain, retired from first XI hockey following the Durham defeat and is currently in Australia for his sister’s wedding.

Jack Wells is still struggling with a hip flex problem but should at least make the bench.