Staines 3 Dulwich Hamlet 2

Staines 3 Dulwich Hamlet 2
Saturday 23rd August 2003
Isthmian League Division One South

Despite a heartening fight back from a two goal deficit, ultimately the Hamlet were the architects of their own defeat as the 100% record came to a stuttering finish at Wheatsheaf Park, home of big-spending Staines. Unchanged from victory at Horsham in midweek, Dulwich were confident of maintaining their bright start to the new term and early on held the upper hand. In the eight minute Francis Quarm unleashed a steamer of drive from the edge of the box to which Matt Lovett had to react sharply, diving to his right to batter the ball away. Moments later David Moore produced a mazy dribble that had left defenders dizzy but as he cut into the penalty area, moment’s hesitation cost him dearly as a lunging Steve McGrath tackle robbed him of the ball as he shaped to shoot.
There were ominous portents of what was to come shortly after as concerted Dulwich pressure saw them win a corner. An in-swinger looked destined for the head of Omari Coleman, until Lovett hove into view with a punch off the Hamlet hitman’s head. Suddenly Dulwich found themselves desperately back tracking as the Swans launched a swift counter attack that saw the ball find Dean Pitcher in a scoring position only to fire wide of the target with a shot on the run.
Swans in nickname the Staines team may be but this current side, boasting many years of Conference and Football League experience in its ranks, possess a steely backbone in contrast to that graceful bird. This fact was not lost on Quarm as Mark Pye left his calling card on the young midfielder with a bone-crunching foul that saw Quarm launched into the air but brought nothing stronger that a mild admonishment from the referee. Perhaps the man in black had in mind Pye’s infamous encounter with the equally fiery George Borg that left the former Aldershot manager singing soprano.
As the action swung from end to end both sides had chances, Ronnie Green’s glancing header from a glorious Tony Houghton cross from the left wing whizzing the wrong side of the upright whilst the attentions of Junior Kamara did enough to distract Pitcher as he met a low cross from the right only to loft it into an adjoining garden.
Midway through the first half, things started to go wrong for the Hamlet as Staines snatched the advantage with a brace of goals in less than a minute. Aggrieved at a dubious freekick awarded to the hosts, the Hamlet defence had not yet regained its composure when the ball was delivered and although the first assault was cleared it was not to a position of safety. Matt Flitter was first to the ball and despite an attempt to dispossess him sent in a killer cross to the back post where Paul Ellis was waiting, stooping to power the ball past Paul Seuke.
Dulwich barely had time to digest this when they were caught out once again almost straight from the kick-off. Kezi Ibe latched on to Dulwich dithering, winning the ball and embarking on a one-man mission on the Hamlet goal. In all reality he should not have been allowed to get a shot on but as he stumbled through some half-hearted challenges before firing past a cruelly exposed Seuke, Lee Doherty in particular must have been asking himself how he could not land a telling tackle on the forward.
To the Hamlet’s credit, shell-shocked as they were, there was no question of capitulation as, with skipper Al-James Hannigan cajoling and urging on his young charges, Dulwich turned up the gas to assail the Staines goal. A storming surge down the right saw Green pull the ball back from the goal line to Coleman. Finding his path to goal blocked Coleman laid the ball back to Houghton but his cracker was deflected over the crossbar. Coleman went close himself within minutes as a rasping low drive went just wide of the post.
A great tackle from Houghton allowed Coleman to streak down the left before picking out Green in the centre, the ball making its way to Danny Ward whose effort was blocked.
Two minutes of stoppage time played the Hamlet found a lifeline as the deficit was halved courtesy of a Kamara goal. Rising highest he met a Houghton freekick with a looping header that left Lovett rooted to the spot and sent the Dulwich fans to their half time Bovril a little happier.
Three minutes into the second half and the two sides were back on level terms. A ball over the top found Coleman and his lighting pace left Flitter eating dust as he bore down on goal, giving Lovett no chance as he banged a sizzling low drive home from 10 yards out.
By now referee Kevin Haines, whose reluctance to admonish players had typified the first half, had remembered his cards with both McGrath and Richard Gell getting ones to match their shirts.
With both sides now cranking up the pressure, it seemed certain that further gaols were on the cards, Pitcher stabbing wide after meeting a cross from the left. This was the cue for a flurry of Dulwich set pieces that saw them come within an ace of grabbing a third. Pye was again the perpetrator, Alex O’Brien the victim, the quickly taken freekick seeing Hannigan ghosting in at the back a la Martin Peters hoping to catch the Staines rearguard unawares. Unfortunately Lovett was alert to the danger punching the ball behind for a corner. A deep ball to the back followed with Hannigan lofting in a delicate chip that had the Staines defence flustered as it was heading behind for another corner.
Then suddenly the game was turned on its head as the Hamlet once again found themselves victims of a smash and grab raid as a swift Swans counterattack saw them regain the lead courtesy of a Craig Maskell penalty. For once it was not the veteran striker tumbling to the ground in the penalty area that won the hosts their spot kick but Hamlet could have few complaints about the award as a lazy attempt at a challenge saw Pitcher tumble over Doherty’s outstretched leg. Unlike Tuesday night there was to be no reprieve for the Hamlet as Maskell, deadly as ever from 12 yards gave Seuke no chance with the penalty.
On came Mark Hynes in place of Ward and he almost made an instant impact arching like a salmon to meet a left wing cross but unable to direct it on target.
Dulwich’s task became even more difficult when they were reduced to ten men after Houghton’s express train lunge into Ellis left the Staines defender writhing in agony on the floor and Mr Haines brandishing a red card. It may have been a genuine attempt to win the ball but the Staines player’s reaction convinced the referee that Houghton’s impetuous tackle merited dismissal.
Even with ten men the Hamlet were not yet down but time was against them. Hynes almost set up Coleman from close range only for a defender to nick the ball off his toes. Haughton was sent tumbling in the box but no penalty resulted and in the dying embers of the match Hynes got on the end of a Hannigan delivery with a diving header a fraction off target.

Teams:
Staines:
Matt Lovett; Paul Ellis; Darren Deegan; Steve McGrath; Matt Flitter; Julian Sills; Richard Gell; Paul Ellis; Kezie Ibe; Craig Maskell; Dean Pitcher
Subs: Phil Dicker; Jon McDonald; Darren Beale; Eddie van Halen; Danny Rouco

Dulwich Hamlet:
Paul Seuke; Junior Kamara; Lee Doherty; Alex O’Brien; Al-James Hannigan; David Moore (Warren Haughton 84); Tony Houghton; Francis Quarm; Omari Coleman; Danny Ward (15: Mark Hynes 75); Ronnie Green (Eben Allen 63)
Subs not used: Charley Side; Scott Ward (GK)