Beckenham Town 1 Dulwich Hamlet 3

Pre-Season Friendly

Tuesday 18th July 2006

Pre-season for Dulwich began in earnest with a testing encounter ultimately settled by a brace from second half substitute Daniel Nwanze including a stunning dipping volley that drew appreciative applause from all present. The Kent League runners-up Beckenham Town, redolent all in Millwall blue, provided stern opposition for the Hamlet, perhaps more so than last season’s sorry, toothless Lions might have done, going ahead early and matching their guests for much of an enthralling evening’s entertainment.It was a familiar line-up that took the field on glorious summer’s eve for Dulwich. Nine of the starting line-up played their part in last season’s endgame and even the “new boys” were familiar to Hamlet aficionados, for both striker Luke Cornwall and custodian Carl Emberson had both graced the Pink and Blue in loan spells earlier in their careers. The well-travelled Emberson was soon called into action as the Becks raced into an early lead. A low cross in from the right wing, a close range snap shot but Emberson was a match to it with a deft save low at the base of his post. Luck though did favour him as a blue shirted forward was first to the loose ball and the Hamlet keeper was powerless to prevent the ball being slotted home from a matter of feet. Kept busy by the hosts, Emberson was again in action with a magnificent tip over at full stretch as the Becks bombed in a free kick. The acrobatics were mirrored by his opposite number in the Beckenham goal as a deep free kick found Jamie Coyle at the back of the box, his header back across the face of the six yard box met by Dayes’ head, only for the keeper’s gymnastic leap to deny Hamlet an equaliser. Not that it was long in coming for two minutes later a long throw in found Cornwall and he muscularly slipped the bounds of his bodyguards, before hammering the ball past the now exposed keeper.Level at the break, the arrival of Nwanze amidst the ranks of the Hamlet provided the catalyst for victory. Eight minutes in, the ball was worked down the left, drilled inside to Nwanze. The midfielder calmly teed the ball up and let fly with audacious dipping volley a la Joe Cole, which seemed to spend an age in flight as Beckenham’s keeper vainly back-pedalled in a desperate, but fruitless effort to keep the ball from dropping into the net. However all that might have been in vain had Beckenham capitalised on sloppy defending within seconds of the restart, a forward finding himself alone with just the keeper to beat from a mere six yards but unable to take advantage as Emberson spread himself to repel the shot.As the warm summer’s evening faded into twilight, both sides ran the gamut of changes, even Hamlet supremo Wayne Burnett taking to the field to display his twinkling toes to his young charges. Still time for a further goal though, again from the feet of Nwanze. This time his finish was a little less spectacular than his previous effort, though no less emphatic as he latched on the ball six yards out from goal with a mighty drive that ballooned the roof of the net.

Team: Carl Emberson; Jason Turley; Yinka Salaam; Nicolas Plumain; Jamie Coyle; Gavin Dayes; David Moore; Kenny Beaney; Serge Musungu; Luke Cornwall; Phil Williams

Subs used: Adam Wadmore, Dan Nwanze, Cedric Meeko, Carlton Murray-Price, Joel Greaves, Wayne Burnett, Theo Fairweather-Johnson, Andy Notha

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Croydon FC 2 Dulwich Hamlet 2

Saturday 15th July 2006

Pre-Season Friendly (played @ Footscray RUFC)

On blazing summer’s day, on an unfamiliar sward normally frequently by beefy fellows playing with their strangely shaped balls, once regular rivals locked horns in combat. Dulwich’s pre-season preamble to the battle proper began with a test of mettle against a Croydon side who had pressed Premier Division Bromley in their previous outing, something that showed in a late rally that almost saw them emerge victorious, nay should of done but for the referee’s failure to spot a blatant handball in a late goalmouth mêlée.
Whilst the senior players were excused games, this was an afternoon for the triallists and the aspiring youngsters fresh from the Youth Team’s silver gilded season to impress under the watching gaze of manager Wayne Burnett, steely-eyed on the touchlines as the hopefuls performed before him.
In a game of three thirds, as much to give all those aspirants an equal chance to impress, Dulwich shaded the opening period and took the lead with a fine strike from former Tooting and Whyteleafe midfielder Daniel Nwanze, following a sweeping move down the left wing. The second period saw Dulwich double their advantage as Ohran Stewart, youth team graduate of 2005, wove his way through the defence before slamming a low drive beyond the Croydon keeper and into the far corner of the net. At this point it seemed as if Dulwich were about to turn on the gas but despite a number of clear openings the Hamlet were unable to add to their advantage.
The third period was momentarily interrupted by the unexpected appearance of a dog on the pitch, but for the downturn in Hamlet’s fortune it might as well have been a herd of black cats for Croydon’s troops found strength as Dulwich’s powers waned. A clumsy challenge gave Croydon the chance to equalise from the spot; soon after a handball went unnoticed as the Hamlet goal almost wilted under a blue tide. Then a stunning strike on the volley from the edge of the box and the Trams had pulled level as the ball looped over a leaping Hamlet keeper before dropping in the far corner of the goal.