Thursday, October 26, 2006

AFC Wimbledon 2 Dulwich Hamlet 3

London Senior Cup – First Round

Tuesday 24th October 2006

A deficit holds no fear for the Hamlet lads as for the second time this season, they surrendered a early two lead to the opposition only to reaffirm their superiority with an outstanding fight back capped by one of the most spectacular goals seen in a Dulwich shirt for many a year, courtesy of the goal machine Chris Dickson and a sublime strike that had the Kingsmeadow crowd purring in disbelief.

The early stages of the London Senior Cup, sandwiched between FA Trophy and FA Cups dates for the hosts, may lack the lustre of those more senior competitions, even the presence of the “Old Tin Pot” herself failing to draw in those Dons fans that preferred to save their pennies for Devon cream teas and flagons of cider come Saturday. Still the evening gave the home crowd a chance to gaze upon the FA Cup, paraded pre-match, an honour the reborn Dons crave to clutch to their bosom, not reach out for in a fleeting moment, knowing it still belongs to their bastard forebears in the land of the concrete cow.

To the teams and manager Dave Anderson, picking through the debris of a tough Trophy tie at the weekend, made copious changes to the side that gingerly negotiated their way to victory over Dunstable. Of the starting line-up on Saturday just Simon Sweeney remained with four of the weekend substitutes also being elevated from the bench, providing the opportunity for some of the younger Dons players to get game time in a competitive match. For the Hamlet, cup keeper Chris Lewington resumed his position between the sticks whilst Shawn Beveney made his full debut in attack, his physique providing a sledgehammer to complement the featherlite touch of Dickson.

Reserve XI's, squad team, call it what you will but, whilst some may hold them up as an excuse for defeat more often than not they can be as potent as any so-called “full strength” team. Fired with enthusiasm to show the bosses they are worthy of a call up to ply their trade alongside the “Galácticos” of the First XI, the reserve can be a deadly animal. Proof of the pudding came as AFC gave Hamlet, ring rusty after 10 days without competitive action, the run around in the opening minutes culminating in a deserved, if poorly conceded goal, after just 9 minutes. In came a free kick from the left delivered by Robin Shroot and, with keeper Lewington coming late for the ball, Wayne Finnie rose highest to dink an ungainly header over the tyro custodian and into the net.

As Dulwich found their gear, they started to pose threats of their own with Phil Williams incisive on the wing but unable to provide the telling service for the forwards as the defence drew ranks around him at the vital moments. The defensive bedrock proved an ample foundation upon which the Dons would build their early dominance. Young Shroot, achieving the schoolboy dream of graduating from terrace to terrain, came within a whisker of doubling that lead as a cross field ball found him in acres of space on the left of the penalty area. A quick change of direction, leaving Jason Turley behind and the youngster let rip with a cracking effort that had Lewington beaten but cannoned back off the angle of post and bar to a chorus of agonised gasps from the home support. Cue an exchange of chances as Eniola Oluwa chanced his arm with a first time effort from 30 yards out that almost found the gaping space keeper Paul Smith had left at his right hand post. Soon after neat work from Williams paved the way for a tempting cross into the heart of the six yard box where centre-half Lewis Tozer was arriving to stab the ball fractionally wide of the upright. Mere seconds ticked by and the Hamlet were back on defensive duties again but to no avail as a hideous mix-up at the back proved the precursor for number two. Attempting to clear a back pass up field Lewington cracked the ball against his own defender, the spirited Shroot latching on to the rebound and pulling the ball back across goal from whence Steve Tyson had the facile task of slotting home.

The worrying spectre of heavy defeat loomed but in Wayne’s World the answer to the concession of goals is simply to attack, attack, attack some more. Three minutes later and Dulwich had clasped a lifeline as the man Dickson claimed his obligatory goal. Muscling off a pair of defenders, he set his sights on goal and with Smith stampeding from his line in a vain attempt to smother the danger; the Hamlet hitman was ice-calm as he gently stroked the goal beyond the onrushing custodian.

The goal might have counted for naught within two minutes as a deep rightwing cross seemingly going nowhere was nodded away by Shroot from the clutches of Lewington but the relief column arrived in the shape of Turley who calmly cleared the ball from the goal mouth. If Lewington had been at fault in the two goals so far, he soon showed why he is so highly regarded with a stunning pair of reaction saves, first denying Tyson with a diving one-handed save to turn behind the midfielder’s screaming long-range drive, then reacting quickly to stop the ball at the base of his near post as the resultant corner was delivered to the head of Darren Grieves.

Full throttle football but the nets remained unruffled. Five minutes left, a hefty challenge on Williams as he bewitched the Dons defence at the fringes of the penalty area. Free kick to the Hamlet, up stepped Kenny Beaney and with the touch of an artist, he lifted the ball up and over the wall, Smith, despite a valiant leap, powerless to keep the ball from finding its intended target. The Dons hit back in the minutes that remained and Lewington had to be at his best to scramble a fearsome shot on the run from Mark King with Grieves narrowly missing the chance to restore the hosts’ lead soon after as his header from a left wing cross went an inch the wrong side of the back stick.

Second half and Dulwich were at their hosts’ throats from the off. Oluwa wove his wizardry on the wing, threatening the goal within seconds of the restart but the real magic was reserved for Dickson as Hamlet went ahead for the first time in the 47th minute. A pass lifted behind the defence found Dickson seemingly too far from goal, the angle too narrow to pose a threat but the striker’s instinctive ability to snuff out the flimsiest of openings proved telling as he unleashed a thunderous shot from an impossible position leaving Smith clutching at the air as the ball flew unerringly into the top far corner of the net. His celebratory jig may not find its way on to the dance floors of clubland but that goal will become the stuff of legends.

The fuse lit, Dulwich attacked again almost instantly, Oluwa finding a higher gear to blast past the last defender but denied by the foot of Smith at his near post. Not that AFC had died for they came close as a free kick was nodded on to the roof of the net but frustration was creeping into their game as like the old village bobby they found themselves given the run-around by the streetwise South London kids. Gell earned himself a caution for a crunching, late challenge on Beaney before another heavy tackle on Cedric Meeko ended his participation, the midfielder limping from the field to be replaced by Daniel Jones.

A double sub to invigorate the Dons but the ballistic missile of a Finnie throw tested the Hamlet defence, amid the mêlée shots blocked as the rearguard stood firm. Dickson denied moments later as he brushed aside defenders, only for Smith to rush from his line and pinch the ball from the striker’s toes at the very extremity of his penalty area.

The minutes seemed to rush by the football flowed. Nicolas Plumain, providing an overlap down the right, came mighty close from the acutest of angles as he drove the ball across the face of goal. A magnificent chance for the Dons went begging as Grieves found himself all alone in the right pocket. A centre found substitute Jon Boswell who turned Tozer but with the goal looming, hesitated that split-second too long and Lewington was at his feet to smother.

Another yellow for the men in blue as skipper Steve Butler apparently stamped on Tozer after the defender’s vital tackle on the edge of the box as the frustration bit deep. Unable, nay unwillingly, to shut up shop, Dulwich threatened once more. Beveney had a shot blocked from 10 yards out, Oluwa latching on to the loose ball only to be denied by a deflection. The corner cleared to Justyn Roberts and a fearsome drive mere millimetres over the crossbar. Up came the board, five minutes of added time, now the moments crawled. An angled shot from Dickson flashed wide but the spectre of extra time hovered in the air, only dispelled in the final seconds as Boswell leapt for a cross pumped in from the left, only to loop his header over the crossbar.

Teams:

AFCW: Paul Smith; Simon Sweeney; Jake Galbraith; Chris Gell; Steve Butler (Capt); Wayne Finnie; Casey MacLaren (Joe Paris 70); Steve Tyson (Jon Boswell 83); Darren Grieves; Mark King (Niall Connery 70); Robin Shroot

Subs not used: Andy Little (GK); Jack Johnson

DHFC: Chris Lewington; Jason Turley (Capt); Nicolas Plumain; Cedric Meeko (Daniel Jones 68); Justyn Roberts; Lewis Tozer; Eniola Oluwa; Kenny Beaney; Shawn Beveney; Chris Dickson; Phil Williams (Stanley Muguo 90+2)

Subs not used: David Moore; Daniel Nwanze; Theo Fairweather-Johnson

Attendance: 672

Officials

Referee: Mr Dave Bushell (Tottenham)

Assistant Referees: Mr Russell Howes (Wood Green) & Mr Dele Sotimirin (London)

Fourth Official: Mr Columbus Pritchard (Bromley)

Goalscoring:

1-0 AFCW Wayne Finnie 9th minute

2-0 AFCW 19th minute

2-1 DHFC Chris Dickson 21st minute

2-2 DHFC Kenny Beaney 39th minute

2-3 DHFC Chris Dickson 47th minute