Matt Lawrence's commitment has been hailed after the Whitehawk skipper played almost the entire second half in midweek with a broken hand.

Boss Darren Freeman has revealed the veteran centre-back suffered the injury early in the second half of 2-2 draw with Havant and Waterlooville on Tuesday.

Lawrence was aware he may have broken something but played on bravely before going to hospital after the game when the injury was confirmed.

The 39-year-old was due to see a specialist yesterday to determine the extent of the damage but Whitehawk may consider paying for a special cast in a bid to get their talismanic captain back in action as soon as possible.

The former Fulham, Millwall, Crystal Palace and Gillingham player has been in excellent form for the Conference south new boys this season and has been a key player in turning a disappointing start to the campaign into a three-match unbeaten run.

Freeman said: “Matt broke his hand five minutes into the second half. He was aware he had done it although it was not confirmed until he went to hospital. He is now in plaster.

“Matt is a true professional. The fact he played on shows his commitment. He is gutted and it is a massive blow to us.

“He has been our most consistent player this season. We have options for people to come in for him including Andy Pearson, Sami El-Abd and Moses Swaibu but Matt has been outstanding recently. His commitment and passion shine through and a lot of the other boys look up to him.

“He is seeing a specialist, we will hear what is said and take things from there. They make all sorts of special casts these days. We will talk to Matt, talk to the board and see whether there is anything we can do.”