Dulwich Hamlet 1 Enfield 1

Dulwich Hamlet 1 Enfield 1
Ryman Premier Division
Saturday 26th August 2000

Still unbeaten but still without a win - so stand Dulwich three games into the new season. As against Purfleet, a point against homeless Enfield was secured thanks to a determined second half fightback, which could have ultimately ensured a first victory. However that would have been unfair on Enfield who dominated for large periods of the match, only for Matt Fowler's stunning header 11 minutes from the death to cancel out Kevin Rattray's 20th minute opener.
The only change from the Purfleet game saw Dave Richards replace the impressive Danny Cecil in the heart of defence, after the youngster suffered a thigh strain. Striker Konye Amaechi who had made a promising debut, kept his place although Fowler had responded to treatment enough to claim a seat on the bench.
It was to be Dulwich's defence that was to be first tested with the Hamlet struggling to cope with Enfield's pacy forward line, ever probing, ever testing. A number of times they went close early on but shoddy shooting and competent keeping kept the scoresheet blank. In contrast Declan Perkins was getting little change out of the E's defence although he would have hoped to have done better when meeting a delightful cross from Dean Palmer only to plop a weak header into the hands of a grateful Jerome John in the away goal.
On the quarter hour Amaechi refused to give up on a ball out of midfield, battling Adam Gant to reclaim the ball and set up Perkins. He sent in a fine shot but it lacked the power and speed to trouble John.
As so often in the past it was to be a corner that was to prove Hamlet's downfall, as Enfield took the lead in the 20th minute. A simple goal out of the textbook, but one that will have the Dulwich management pulling their hair out in frustration. A short corner from the left by Jay Devereux was delivered into the heart of the Dulwich box where Rattray met it with a thumping header that gave Les Cleevely no chance.
Within a couple of minutes E's threatened to double their lead as the impressive John Morgan sliced through futile Dulwich resistance, leaving a string of players trailing in his wake only to overrun the ball at the death, allowing Cleevely to claim at his feet. Still there was enough in that moment of genius to understand why he has been watched by a number of league scouts.
How Dulwich were still in this game was a mystery but Enfield would rue a number of missed chances that could have put this game beyond the Hamlet's before half time. Chief culprit was James Bunn who despite running the Dulwich defence ragged had clearly left his shooting boots in North London. Finding a space on the right, he unleashed a rasping shot from 20 yards out that flashed across the face of Cleevely's goal but skimmed the wrong side of the post. Three minutes before half-time he was guilty of a similar lack of bearings went a well worked freekick saw him drag the ball wide of the post.
Dulwich frustration came to a head in the closing minutes, as Tony Chin became the fourth Hamlet player to be booked by an over officious referee. The Dulwich defender was apoplectic when his header from a corner was blatantly deflected wide only for the Frimley official to award a goal kick. Bang on the whistle Chin was joined by Sheldon Brown after his heavy tackle was deemed worthy of a caution.
Changes were called for if Dulwich were to gain anything from this match and, at the start of the second half; Dave Garland replaced Amaechi with Fowler and brought on the evergreen Gary Hewitt in place of Brown. This brought an immediate turnaround in Dulwich fortunes as they started to come more into the game. Fowler had an instant effect, setting up Dulwich captain, Peter Garland only for the midfield general to balloon the ball over the bar with only John to beat. Dulwich stepped up a gear and the pressure on the visitors' goal intensified but somehow they could not fashion a breakthrough.
Mark Garland went close with a thumping header from a freekick that was deflected wide, only for a linesman's flag to negate the effort, but with brother Peter leading the charge from midfield and the ever dangerous Dean Palmer and Michael Ebanks constantly threatening down the flanks surely the equaliser was not far away. Fortune wads certainly favouring the hamlet as Bunn contrived to waste two glorious chances, first blasting wide from a clear scoring position, then being denied by a fine save from Cleevely.
On 72 minutes, Palmer unleashed a blazing shot on the run over the bar, but it was to be his last contribution to the game, hobbling off shortly afterwards to be replaced by Bobby George. Five minutes later and Richards could only hold his head in his hands as a gilt-edged chance went begging. The centre-half was unmarked as he met Peter Garland's corner only to misdirect his free header an eternity wide of the mark. Still this was but a brief reprieve for the E's for two minutes later the scores were level. Ebanks collected a ball down the left-hand channel, pulling the ball back to Peter Garland. He lofted in a deep cross the back post where it found the head of Fowler, who put a stunning bullet header past the powerless John. Ecstasy reigned on the pitch and on the terraces as the ball hit the back of the net. With 11 minutes still on the clock could a victory be on the cards?
On the Hamlet battled and they came close to clinching the game, most notably when John was just too alert, meeting Ebanks inviting ball, nanoseconds before the onrushing Peter Garland. However there was to be no further scoring.
Truly a game of two halves, the Hamlet were probably the happier at the final whistle, their second half performance punishing an Enfield side that had had enough chances to wrap the game up in the first 45 minutes. Still credit to the visitors - for a club with no home and whose wages are paid by a loyal bunch of supporters, there was no quarter given. The only black point on the day was Mr Melin, whose lavish distribution of yellow cards must surely ensure promotion to a higher level, the sooner the better.

Team: Les Cleevely; Dean Palmer (Bobby George); Michael Ebanks; Dave Richards; Mark Garland; Tony Chin; Sheldon Brown (Gary Hewitt); Peter Garland; Konye Amaechi (Matt Fowler); Declan Perkins; Phil Barber