JEEPERS KEEPERS

Dulwich Hamlet resident statto, John Lawrence, has been scouring the record books after the South London club used a total of five different goalkeepers in the space of less than an hour of football last week. With 12 minutes left of their second leg Bryco Cup semi-final tie remaining and Dulwich trailing by two goals on aggregate, keeper Scott Ward was sent off for holding back an opponent just inside the penalty area. Having previously gone between the sticks albeit in a friendly several years ago, Lee Akers took on the goalie’s shirt and the responsibility of facing the spotkick, but was unable to keep out Nevin Saroya’s precise penalty. Shortly afterwards Steve Restarick who’d been stuggling with a groin injury was pulled off by manager Martin Eede who brought on substitute custodian James Mercer, relieving Akers of his goalkeeping duties. However there was no happy ending to the story as although Dulwich pulled back a late equaliser on the night through Omari Coleman, they bowed out of the competition 4-6 on aggregate. It was a different tale on Saturday as Dulwich resumed their battle to stay in the promotion race with a trip to deadly rivals Tooting and Mitcham. Approaching half time and with the sides deadlocked at 0-0, the ill-starred Scott Ward finished a nightmare five days by crumpling to the ground in agony as he took a goal kick. As he was stretchered from the field, his namesake Danny Ward donned the gloves and jersey for the final few seconds of the half. With no specialist keeper on the bench the reins of responsibility passed to substitute Jon Ashton for the second half and to chants of ‘England’s Number One’ from the Dulwich travelling fans, the big Cornish defender proceeded to deal with anything Tooting could throw at him, keeping a clear sheet as Dulwich completed a league and Trophy treble over the Terrors with a 2-0 victory courtesy of goals from Mark Hynes and Coleman (penalty).