Walton Casuals 4 Dulwich Hamlet 1

Westview League Cup – Second Round

Tuesday 12th September 2006

The League Cup once again faded from the memory as on the dew-dappled field of Franklyn Road, the hosts ran riot to exact swift revenge for their mauling in the previous Saturday’s league encounter. Defeat was doubly disappointing for, despite several changes from Saturday’s victorious line-up, Hamlet were frustrated in their finishing whilst strewing errors like confetti in defence to provide as great a contribution to the hosts’ goals as their own desire for vengeance.

Injuries restricted the Walton selection, the hosts making a number of changes in defence and missing Saturday’s goalscorer Chris Morrison. Hamlet’s changes were less enforced, the names of Cedric Meeko and Chris Hurst appearing in the starting line-up for the first time since pre-season whilst up front the twin teenage terrors of Sol Pinnock and Carlton Murray-Price led in the line in the stead of Luke Cornwall and the rampant Chris Dickson. How glad the Casuals defence must have been not to face the twin threat of the goal machine’s boot and tongue!

With a point to prove, both sides were at each others throats like hungry wolves from the off. If Saturday’s encounter had started tamely this was pure blood and guts football, neither team shirking the tackle. Frequently the feisty became the foul and had a more authoritative official taken the whistle cards of either hue might have been fluttering through the night air with disturbing regularity.

First chance fell to the Hamlet as Pinnock showed strength and determination to battle the ball from a defender but cutting into the area from the left he drove a low shot across the goal. Walton’s Craig Carley might well have opened the scoring soon after, ghosting in at the back of the box, to nod the ball goalwards but finding only James Pullen’s hands. Springing from the traps Dulwich swiftly moved the ball upfield and Pinnock was again in but again an angled shot on the run fizzled wide of the far post.

Conceding a corner after Pullen had tipped over a blazing volley from Greg Ball, Dulwich dozed off as the dead ball was delivered, Ball taking full advantage to beat Pullen and plant a firm header home at the near post. Fortune favoured the brave as manful defending kept Hamlet from drawing level within two minutes. Overlapping wide Ohran Stewart collected a freekick to lash a low cross into the six yard box met first time by Lewis Tozer, a maiden goal only prevented by John Ambridge’s lunging block. The hard running Walton man would return to haunt the Hamlet later but first Dulwich would restore the game to parity. Executed in classic simplicity, Murray-Price showed a clean pair of heels to the defence as he latched on to a pass drilled to perfection from midfield and finished with aplomb giving keeper Matthew Reid no chance as the ball was forcefully driven past him.

As the cauldron bubbled, the pace and passion never relented. Ambridge came to his side’s rescue in spectacular fashion denying Pinnock with a goalline clearance after the striker had brought down a left wing cross, beaten his marker and lashed a rapier sharp drive past Reid. Winning medals too in the trenches was Dulwich skipper Gavin Dayes, his perfectly timed tackle robbing Ball as a Scott Harris pass threatened to sent the forward scampering clear on goal. Dayes’ work was not done and like a flash he was back in action to rattle David Ocquaye off the ball with a juddering tackle. With half-time mere moments away, the simmering tension finally boiled over as Nicolas Plumain became involved in a contretemps following a crunching tackle. Things turned ugly as several players became involved, the referee impotent, while all around him was threatening chaos. Tempers finally calmed, Plumain became the recipient of the evening’s first caution.

Lessons clearly not learnt Dulwich found themselves trailing again 6 minutes from the restart as a carbon-copy goal saw Ambridge inflict further pain upon the Hamlet as he arrived unheralded at the near post to nod the ball just inside the upright. Hard as they ran Hamlet could not force an equaliser. Plumain came close at the end of a magnificent move but from the corner of the six yard box his attempt to clip the ball over Reid was plucked from the air by the keeper.

Victims of their own inability to clear their lines, the Hamlet slid further behind as the hour mark ticked by. Skipper Scott Harris, a powerhouse leader in the middle of the park, was allowed too much space in the area, but his two efforts were blocked. Still the ball remained in the danger area, one hopeful punt upfield and the peril would have receded. Instead Carley was given the opportunity to drive in a shot from close range; Pullen was beaten and Walton were ecstatic.

Into the arena of youth, stepped the venerable warrior Wayne Burnett to add steel and experience, to goad his charges from the frontlines. But Walton were infused with confidence, Dulwich ragged, Ocquaye’s storming run unchecked but unproductive as his final shot was gathered. The Hamlet though were in charitable mood as the distributed ball was lost almost instantly and Ball was hand to take full advantage, giving Pullen not a ghost of a chance as he slammed home one of his easier goals.

Fortunately things did not get worse for the Hamlet as Carley missed a great late chance for number five meeting a deep left wing cross that beat the Dulwich defence but miskicking with the goal at his mercy.

Teams:

WCFC: Matthew Reid; Ryan Adams; Kristian Webb; Chris Woodward; David Meechan; John Ambridge; Anthony Gale; Craig Carley; Greg Ball; Scott Harris (Capt); David Ocquaye

Subs not used: Chris Morrison, Jack Watkins, Steve Sutherland, Paul Westram; Danny Andrews (GK

DHFC: James Pullen; Danny Moore; Nicolas Plumain; Cedric Meeko; Gavin Dayes (Capt.); Lewis Tozer; Chris Hurst (Matt Dean 69); Ohran Stewart; Sol Pinnock; Carlton Murray-Price; Phil Williams (Wayne Burnett 69)

Subs not used: Daniel Nwanze; Chris Dickson; Jason Turley

Attendance: 40

Officials:

Referee: Mr Colin Lymer (Mayford)

Assistant Referees: Mr Vince Penfold (Addlestone) & Mr Simeon Potter (Sutton)

Goal Scoring:

1-0 WCFC Greg Ball 17th minute

1-1 DHFC Carlton Murray-Price 27th minute

2-1 WCFC John Ambridge 51st minute

3-1 WCFC Craig Carley 60th minute

4-1 WCFC Greg Ball 67th minute

Walton Casuals 1 Dulwich Hamlet 3

Ryman Isthmian League - Division One South

Saturday 9th September 2006

Beyond the fences of Franklyn Road weeping willows dipped their branches to touch the face of Father Thames flowing by, sheltering expectant anglers dangling for pike and perch whilst swans sailed serenely by, their languid progress masking the furious beating of the feet beneath the surface. The walls enclosing the Casuals' humble home performed a similar function as Dulwich's grand tour of the suburbs of Walton began in fine style by the banks of the Thames with a convincing win over an injury-ravaged Walton Casuals, whose walking wounded sparkled early to take a deserved lead before being swamped by a rampant tide of Pink and Blue.

Club skipper Jamie Coyle was sidelined, having suffered a hairline fracture to his shin, sustained in claiming Hamlet's final goal in the FA Cup disposal of Three Bridges, but Hamlet were fortunate to once again be able to call on the services of Gavin Dayes for his first league start of the season, a four game ban keeping him out of the selection reckoning so far. In goal James Pullen returned from his FA Cup sojourn but otherwise Dulwich went into the game unchanged bar the welcome sight of Jean-Serge Musungu among the substitutes.

The game got off to a lively start; a green sward cut smooth though dotted with crests and valleys proved ample stage for our cast of travelling players to display their arts. Rampaging forward Nicolas Plumain cut a swath down the left to feed Luke Cornwall, a low pass laid towards the penalty spot but Plumain unable to provide the final link in the chain as a mighty defensive hoof saw the ball cleared to safety. Moments later Chris Morrison exploited a gap in the Dulwich defence but a vital interception saw his close range effort deflected mere millimetres the wrong side of the upright. Morose for mere minutes, Morrison was soon the object of adulation for the Casuals as he gave his side with a classic old-fashioned headed. Plumain proved no match for Craig Carley as the tricky wing man nipped past him, delivering the ball into the heart of the Hamlet area where the waiting Morrison rose to bullet the ball past Pullen, powerless to prevent the ball finding its target.

Erroneous strategy for the Casuals, taking the lead, for the goal was to stoke the fires in the Hamlet bellies none more so than the bellicose Chris Dickson. Wayne's World may be the Academy of Arts but this was the Art of War. "Once more unto the breach, my Hamlet, or shore up the wall with your Pink and Blue dead; imitate the action of the tiger; follow your spirit and upon this charge cry, "God for Hamlet and St Wayne". Fire and brimstone, white-hot passion burning, this is war lads and we are the dogs of it.

Soon after going behind, Dickson battling into the box, a left footed attempt from an impossible angle nestling in the side netting. Chasing down Steve Sutherland, the centre-forward was frustrated as the ball rebounded off him but wide of the goal. Thick and fast the chances came. David Moore purposefully burst into the area squaring the ball for Dickson to stab the ball goalwards only for keeper Danny Andrews to deny with an acrobatic fingertip save.

Home resistance lasted little longer but waned on 24 minutes when Moore performed open heart surgery on the Casuals rearguard, exchanging passes with Kenny Beaney before slicing between the two centre halves and smashing a rip-roaring drive through Andrews, the power too much for him to keep out. The cavalier Hamlet smelt blood. Phil Williams, at times seemingly possessed of faulty Sat-Nav, finally produced a penetrating run only for his low cross to be stabbed behind for a corner, one delivered deep to Tozer, in loco ducis, but a header troubled naught but the hoardings.

Five minutes had elapsed since the goal when Moore struck again. The move had begun in unpromising circumstances as a Dulwich free kick, poorly executed, was latched on to by Moore, his radar set on goal. A diagonal run across and through the defence, subtly garnished with a low drive back across the face of a diving Andrews to put Dulwich into the lead they were not to relinquish.

It was all Walton could do to contain the Hamlet as the half wore on. Williams ruined a wonderful purposeful run that opened up the home defence with a tame strike that failed to trouble Andrews. Seconds later as Walton surrendered possession Plumain capitalised, his screaming effort full of the power the previous chance had lacked but always rising as it whistled over the crossbar. Dickson too might have added to the Hamlet's lead as last few minutes of the 45 ticked past but a powerful strike, too close to Andrews, was battered away.

Second half began ominously for the hosts as an early corner saw the ball ping around the Casuals' area, orange shirted foot soldiers throwing themselves upon grenade after grenade until the ball struck the hand of Luke Cornwall and danger was averted. Ten minutes was all that the hosts would hold out against a sea of Dulwich assaults before Dickson grabbed his obligatory goal in ebullient fashion. Hammering a hole in the home defence, he squirmed his way through, defenders strewn in his wake before finishing in fine fashion with a low angled drive that beat Andrews low at his far post. First the broadsword then the rapier, Walton were on the rack. Defenders burnt by Dickson's pace soon found themselves toasted by his tongue as they protested over a free kick, "Don't talk to me, slowcoach", aimed at a defender tormented earlier.

Walton rang the changes but little they could do could stem the tide, though Dulwich were their own worst enemies in front of goal, extra garnish added where a plain dish might suffice. A better finish from Carley might have made things interested when he took advantage of a defensive lapse to cut in towards goal but a rising shot failed to worry Pullen. Indeed the Hamlet custodian was only once truly troubled as victory drew closer, a free kick allowed too far and bouncing precariously close to sneaking in under the crossbar. The bullish David Ocquaye replaced goalscorer Morrison who limped from the fray to add to his side's injury woes.

Moore was denied a chance to complete a rare hat trick as an unpunished challenge ended his afternoon's involvement. Jamie Cheeseman came off the bench in his stead, only to suffer a similar fate in stoppage time as Danny Moore made a brief cameo appearance at the death. A swift return to Franklyn Road beckons in the League Cup, Walton must patch up their wounded, call upon reserves for the Dogs of War will be snarling at their gate once more.

Teams:

WCFC: Danny Andrews; James Crowe; Chris Woodward; Steve Sutherland; John Ambridge; Kristian Webb; Anthony Gale (David Meechan); Craig Carley; Greg Ball (Jack Watkins); Scott Harris (Capt); Chris Morrison (David Ocquaye)

Subs not used: Paul Westren

DHFC:

James Pullen; Jason Turley (Capt); Nicolas Plumain; Daniel Nwanze; Gavin Dayes; Lewis Tozer; David Moore (Jamie Cheeseman 78) (Danny Moore 90+3); Kenny Beaney; Luke Cornwall; Chris Dickson; Phil Williams

Subs not used: Sol Pinnock; Jean-Serge Musungu; Ohran Stewart

Attendance: 92

Officials:

Referee: Mr Ian Fissenden (Gravesend, Kent)

Assistant Referees: Mr Craig Hooper (Mychett) & Mr Michael Taylor (Alton)

Goal Scoring:

1-0 WCFC Chris Morrison 11^th minute

1-1 DHFC David Moore 24^th minute

2-1 DHFC David Moore 29^th minute

3-1 DHFC Chris Dickson 55^th minute