Dulwich Hamlet 1 Sutton United 1

Dulwich Hamlet 1 Sutton United 1
Pre-Season Challenge Match
Thursday 5th August 2004

A last minute goal rescued a share of the honours for a determined Hamlet against a much rejigged Sutton XI whose long serving manager John Rains took the opportunity to give match exposure to more new faces prior to the start of the season. Indeed copious substitutes were the order of the day for this was Dulwich’s third game in six days, having been used as a glorified trial match for Barnet just 48 previous.
Having lost John Wilfort to injury, one that would curtail a promising career in Pink and Blue, Dulwich shifted Julian Curnow to centre-half and brought young full back Russell Bedford into the fray.
For the U’s, a central defensive pairing of Crystal Palace juniors Glen Wilson and Jay Conroy, aided and abetted by erstwhile AFC Wimbledon centre-back Danny Oakins, though the niceties of the professional youth game were soon upset as they received the warm Camberwell greeting of Dulwich’s pocket battleship, the belligerent Charley Side. The striker with dynamite in his boots showed he had it elsewhere as an early thumping header brought a breathtaking save from experienced Sutton stopper Andy Iga. That save proved telling for soon after, in the 18th minute, the visiting suburbanites had snatched the lead totally
An entirely new central defensive partnership of Crystal Palace juniors Glen Wilson and Jay Conroy, and former AFC Wimbledon centre back Danny Oakins lined up in front of Andy Iga, while experienced midfielder Peter Fear, who played in the Football League for Wimbledon and more recently was with Crawley, was also in U's starting line-up.
Iga marked his first outing of the season with a brilliant early save to keep out Charlie Side's header before Sutton went ahead in the 18th minute, slightly against the run of play, as Matt Gray's innocuous looking 25 yard shot evaded the grasp of goalkeeper Paul Seuke. Oakins missed a good chance to extend the lead when he headed wide from a Gray corner, but there were some positive moments from all three centre backs, with both Palace youngsters looking good on the ball.
The dangerous Sebastian Schoburgh headed against the post for Dulwich just before half time, and at the interval the visitors made a trio of changes. On came Phil Wilson between the sticks, experienced Stuart Booth replacing Fear and out to prove his worth to the U’s and David Kennedy on in the vanguard for Andy Martin.
Wilson had barely reached the goal-line before he was facing a penalty after Conroy tangled with Meshach Nugent. Conroy clearly aggrieved to see the decision had go in favour of the Hamlet as he protested in vain that his shirt had been tugged by his troublesome tormentor, but Nugent rendered any arguments academic by slamming the spot kick into the ether. Sutton responded as Joff Vansittart had a powerful header finely battered out by Dulwich's second half custodian, Danny Harwood. The danger not over the rebound was lifted back in by Nigel Brake to the still lurking Vansittart but this time his radar was out and the strike was driven wide of the mark.
A fearsome tackler from Glen Wilson on Kemal Bulent as he scampered down the lefty wing led to a lengthy delay in play as the speedy winger took treatment but to not avail and the stretcher bearers were sent for. The injury would prove serious with the unfortunate Bulent expected to miss a lengthy swathe of the coming season. Soon after a myriad of substitutions saw the miscreant Wilson amongst those replaced as Sutton took off their central defensive pairing lock, stock and barrel, the Oakins/Wilson/Conroy partnership replaced by Martin Dunne, Scott Corbett and Lewis Gonsalves. For Dulwich David Moore replaced the injured Bulent, soon to be joined Levi Coleman and Justin Georgiou who took on the strikers mantle from Side and Nugent. Whilst the Hamlet were settling back into their rhythm, the U’s almost took advantage as Kennedy found that extra gear to burst away from the shackles of defence. Lifting the ball over the advancing Harwood he let out a silent scream first of exultation then of ululation as he could only watch as the bounced up off the turf against the underside of the bar and, amidst a furry of pink and blue, chocolate and amber, be scrambled away to safety.
Yet more subs stepped into the fray. Of Sutton’s brace Danny Jeffreys almost cost his side a goal as he relinquished possession to Coleman, the Hamlet replacement denied only by Phil Wilson’s smart reflexes. Jeffreys’ fellow understudy, Benson Paka, was experiencing the flip side of fortunes coin as he proved instigator of a fluent move which might have sealed victory had not an overstretched Kennedy larruped his strike from Brake’s drilled low cross wide once more.
Buoyed by that Dulwich rallied for the final assault, the relentless Danny Ward sent in a cracker of a strike that had Phil Wilson seemingly beaten until he pulled one of those frustratingly good saves out of his magic hat. But at the death, not even Hecate’s arts could have saved Wilson for though he found yet another quality save to keep out the drive of late substitute Nicolas Plumain, he found himself toothless as Coleman pounced upon the loose ball and directed past the stricken earthbound custodian and into the net to rescue a deserved share of the spoils for a Hamlet side that refused to except defeat.

Teams:
DHFC: Paul Seuke (Danny Harwood HT); Russell Bedford (Nicolas Plumain 85); Paul Reed; Errison Ahwan (Tom Ababio 76); Julian Curnow; Danny Ward; Terry Bowes (Craig Prendergast 85); Kemal Bulent (David Moore 70); Charley Side (Levi Coleman 72); Meshach Nugent (Justin Georgiou 72); Sebastian Schoburgh
Sub not used: Jason Turley

SUFC: Andy Iga (Phil Wilson (HT); Matt Gray (Danny Jeffreys 76); Nigel Brake; Danny Oakins (Glenn Boosey 72); Glen Wilson (Lewis Gonsalves 72); Jay Conroy (Martin Dunne 72); Peter Fear (Stuart Booth HT); Paul Honey (Benson Paka 76); Joff Vansittart; Eddie Akuamoah (Scott Corbett 72); Andy Martin (David Kennedy HT)