Whitehawk boss Steven King has parted company with skipper Matt Lawrence and four other players as he shakes up his squad.

Former Southend United skipper Kevin Maher has also gone as King rebuilds a team he believes is capable of keeping Hawks in Conference south.

Loan pair Dominic Green and Ashley Carew have been allowed to return to their parent clubs after a month at the Enclosed Ground.

And full-back Jason St Juste has departed after just two appearances for the club.

King has so far brought in Dean McDonald, Kieran Forbes, Waide Fairhurst and young Tottenham goalkeeper Jonathan Miles since taking over at Whitehawk last month.

But with McDonald doubtful with an ankle injury and Sam Gargan having been allowed to join Peacehaven on loan this week, he is short of numbers for today’s match at home to third-placed Ebbsfleet United.

Further new signings could arrive ahead of that game with Whitehawk desperate for points as they sit one place above the relegation zone, two points clear of Tonbridge Angels who have two games in hand.

King has so far had four league matches in charge, with two wins followed by two defeats which left him believing fundamental changes to the team were needed.

Lawrence, who played in the FA Cup final with Millwall in 2004, joined Hawks in the summer of 2012 after a career which had also included spells with Wycombe, Fulham, Crystal Palace and Gillingham.

The 39-year-old skippered the Hawks to the Ryman premier title last season and had missed just two games in the current campaign before being dropped to the bench last weekend.

Maher, 37, whose tally of 500 Football League appearances is not far short of Lawrence’s figures, joined Whitehawk in December and made 11 appearances, sparking a mini revival for the club prior to Freeman’s dismissal.

Green and Carew were the last of the five loanees brought to the club by caretaker boss Colin Reid, who had just two games at the helm.

St Juste was heralded as a coup when King landed the former Darlington and Southampton left-back a fortnight ago but he was struggling with the travelling from his Leeds base.

King said: “Matt Lawrence has been a great servant to the club but I feel we need to go in a different direction.

“I feel changes were needed to the squad. We need to get people on the ball, passing the ball.

“We have had two wins and two defeats so far, although we shouldn’t have lost at Weston last week.

“I knew how it would be when I came in. I knew it would be tough but we need to strengthen in order to pick up enough points to stay up, which I’m convinced we will do.”

King says Gargan and goalkeeper Chris Winterton, who was replaced by 20-year-old Spurs development keeper Miles at Weston-super-Mare, still have roles to play at the club.

He said: “Sam needs to get some matches under his belt. He has gone to Peacehaven and scored a hat-trick in his first game, which is exactly what it was all about.

“With Chris, I felt there was no one to give him competition so that is why we have brought Jonathan in.”

Lee Hills is fit to return from a hamstring injury tomorrow while Alex Addai and Alex Parsons come back into contention.