Dulwich Hamlet 2 Burgess Hill Town 2

Ryman Isthmian League Division One South

Tuesday 28^th November 2006

The seasons turn; leaves turn russet and plummet to earth. Lazy autumnal evenings make way for brisk breezes as the chill bite of winter makes its presence, the Hamlet fans looking forward to a winter of attrition and wistful gazes towards the promotion pack, a fast-growing log jam behind the Hamlet becoming ever more compact. But this year something different is happening at the Hill, the faithful congregation find themselves glancing back down at a chasing pack, a novel feeling for all but the most venerable of supplicants at the Pink and Blue Shrine. All this despite a moribund month of November, two more points cast away tonight in a game full of alarums and excursions to compound the pain of Saturday's Hastings hammering.

That defeat elicited some creative thinking in the management department. Centre-half Gavin Dayes, stand-in striker at the death on Saturday, returned to the starting line-up but in a holding midfield role. One would not be too surprised if the versatile Dayes enters the arena clad in the green and gloves of goalkeeper before the season is out to ensure he completes the set. Returning too was Lewis Tozer, sidelined with an ankle injury, but back to partner Justyn Roberts at the heart of defence, Jamie Coyle sliding across to right back. Wholesale changes were completed as Daniel Jones took over from Sol Pinnock in attack and David Moore returned to midfield. Ten league games unbeaten and fresh from wiping the floor with Leatherhead, the Hillians saw no reason to change; a starting XI matching that had tanned the hide of their last opponents.

14 seconds from the kick-off and Dulwich found themselves in arrears as the fast-starting visitors rocked the Hill with a crackerjack of a goal. A quick hoof forwards. Coyle winning the header but the ball lost and Mark Pulling furnish with a perfect pass to wallop a swooping volley that looped beyond Lewington's acrobatic leap and find the top corner with deadly accuracy. At least the concession of a early goal allows the victims the maximum time to recover their ground though Burgess Hill, already scenting a victory that might move them within a point of the leadership, were in no mood to allow the goal hungry Hamlet more then the merest scent of goal.

Six minutes in and Chris Dickson's pace opened a window of opportunity but his attempt at a cheeky chip failed to trouble keeper André Foster. Soon after Pulling managed to sneak in between defender and keeper but stretching to the ball, he hooked his effort wide of the Hamlet goal. Feisty the game was, a rare booking for the ebullient Dickson as he protested at refereeing inconsistency, a foul on Dayes waved away only for Hamlet to be punished in the blink of an eye for a copycat offence.

14 minutes and Hillians' resistance broken. Moore flattened. A free kick wide right half cleared straight to Kenny Beaney who lashed a low daisycutter goalwards. Down went Foster to parry the ball to safety or so he thought for skulking unmarked was Coyle and with precision and power he drilled the ball firmly between diving keeper and upright. Burgess Hill's lackadaisical defenders found a ready scapegoat in the assistant referee but naught came of their vociferous grumblings.

If Dulwich now held the upper hand it was still the Hillians who carved open the better chances, built on a defence and midfield who by fair or foul did all in their power to stifle the Hamlet raids. A caution for Neil Watts, failing to retreat at a free kick but his delaying tactics proved more painful for him eventually forced from the field before the half-hour was out. A quickly taken free kick supplied Ashley Jarvis for spectacular looking bicycle kick but it proved little more than an irritant for Lewington as he gathered the ball in. A yellow card soon followed for goalscorer Pulling as he rapped Moore across the kneecaps with a cynical late tackle, but his emotions were soon channelled in more productive efforts as he flashed a left wing drive across the face of the Hamlet goal.

The not-so-silent assassin, Dickson, mounted a one man raid, a powerful run to the edge of the box, a nick past a defender but Kevin Joyce across to slash the ball to safety. Intricate passing from the Hamlet swept the ball across the park but it all ended fruitlessly as Jones' shot from 20 yards out trickled just wide of the upright. The raids continued to mount up. A quick breakout, Dickson fed on the right of the area but too tight an angle as Foster spread himself at his feet. Coyle failed to repeat his scoring heroics as Moore's cross was headed out to him only for the volley to be lofted over the bar. The pacy visiting attack still posed threats, Pulling chancing his arm with a speculative effort from distance but always too high. The last minute saw a lightning quick Hamlet counter, Beaney released on the left but a tempting curling cross proved a foot too far for Dickson, Foster grateful to cut out the danger.

Dulwich opened the second half on a high, the mercurial Phil Williams dancing and teasing his way down the right wing but finding all avenues blocked as he searching for a chink of light in the Hillians' rearguard. A corner won by more Williams magic saw Tozer leap the loftiest but a flicked header fizzed just wide of the far top corner of the net. Injured by a hefty challenge, Williams was forced limping from the field to be replaced by Sol Pinnock, the substitute's first contribution to unleash his stallion speed and tear down the left to pull the ball back on to the feet Dickson, only for the hotshot to misfire, rifling the ball wide of the back stick.

Schoolboy exuberance ruled, attack followed counter in quick succession but a cornucopia of furious football failed to reap a harvest of goals. 20 minutes remained when Dulwich finally got their noses in front and once again the hero was captain Coyle, an officer leading his men out of the trenches across enemy lines rather than sip G&Ts back at the mess. A Hamlet corner lashed into the heart of the six yard box, Dayes stretched a lithe limb but only for the merest of glances, to enough to divert the ball to Coyle once more lurking at the back and a crisp drive through the massed ranks of white and green finished the job.

Scent of victory wafted on the air but wasteful finishing and luck would conspire against the Hamlet. Moore let loose a humdinger of a drive that brushed the bar as it flew over. Nick Fodgen entered the bad boys' book with a caution for hauling Dickson to the ground on the lip of the area, Foster lashing the resultant free kick away from the toes of the Hamlet striker. Gliding through the middle of the park Dayes laid the foundations for yet another chance. Substitute Billy Warner and Dickson got in each other's way but the former managed to get in a deflected strike that looped over a stranded Foster only to rebound off the bar. Pinnock might still have tucked the ball home but, stretching, he hooked the ball against the bar and Burgess Hill travelling band breathed a sign of deep relief. The cost of that miss became all too evident three minutes later as the Hillians clawed their way level, a free kick pumped into a crowded box and at the second attempt a Hillian head connecting to bullet the ball home, Kevin Joyce claiming the goal.

Still the three points might have gone the way of the Hamlet. 44 minutes, Dulwich pressure on the six yard box but at the last Warner just over. Stoppage time and Dickson released, Foster out to narrow the angle and blessed with good fortune as Dickson attempted to stab the ball through his legs, only for the keeper's trailing foot to deflect the shot away from goal.

The hearty celebrations of the visitors at the whistle are testament to the winds of change that have swept through the Hamlet of late but this will be of little consolation at the thought of two more points thrown away. Nor will the news from Fleet that the Hastings revival had claimed the scalp of the erstwhile leaders allowed Dulwich to creep a further point clear at the head of the pack.

Teams:

DHFC: Chris Lewington; Lewis Tozer; Gavin Dayes (Cedric Meeko 86); Justyn Roberts; Jamie Coyle (Capt); Jake Daniel; David Moore; Kenny Beaney; Daniel Jones (Billy Warner 67); Chris Dickson; Phil Williams (Sol Pinnock 53)

Substitutes not used: Jason Turley; Nicolas Plumain

BHTFC: André Foster; Tom Edmonds; Lloyd Cotton (Glen Matten HT); Nick Fogden; Kevin Joyce; Joe Bye; Shaun Grice (Capt); Mark Pulling; Adam Pullin (Jordan Hall-Pike 59); Ashley Jarvis; Neil Watts (Owen Hill 30)

Substitute not used: Dan Turner

Attendance: 218

Officials:

Referee: Mr Alan Black (South Croydon)

Assistant Referees: Alex Neil (Woodmansterne, Surrey) & Mr Chris Breakspear (Walton-on-Thames, Surrey)

Goalscoring:

0-1 BHTFC Mark Pulling 1^st minute (14 seconds)

1-1 DHFC Jamie Coyle 14^th minute

2-1 DHFC Jamie Coyle 70^th minute

2-2 BHTFC Kevin Joyce 88^th minute

Oh I don't like to be beside the seaside!

Hastings United 4 Dulwich Hamlet 2

Ryman Isthmian League Division One South

Saturday 25^th November 2006

The Pilot Field, antebellum pre-war clapboard and corrugation, a paean to the identikit, flat pack stadium that proliferate the modern game. A slaughterhouse for Hamlet hopes as Hastings inflicted painful defeat on their fresh-faced opponents, exploiting naïve defending to hammer home a quartet of goals whilst manning the barricades resolutely whenever the danger threatened from the Hamlet's prolific strike force. A year ago almost to the day, Dulwich had trekked south to the coast and shredded their hosts with a four goal performance to cap an encouraging end to autumn. Just two of that triumphant staring eleven remain, Jason Turley and Jamie Coyle, the old guard culled in the intervening months to make way for youth's bright torch. Today that torch burned too dim for it was the turn of the hosts to open the floodgates, victory raising spirits amongst a dogged support too used to seeing points snatched away at the death. For Hamlet came only reflection and reappraisal; perhaps the curse of Manager of the Month has turned its evil eye upon the men in pink and blue, the conquest of Chatham a rare flame in a muted month.

For the homesters a host of injuries disrupted preparations as they aimed to repeat a rare midweek victory away to Whyteleafe but kick-off saw few changes from that triumph as Dominic Cruttenden was relegated to the bench, Kevin Rose moving from left back to join the attack in his stead, Rose's role in defence covered by James Sims. Hamlet meanwhile were unchanged from their own midweek victory on the road. Lack of fitness saw a postponement of James Wastell's predicted arrival between the sticks, meaning Chris Lewington retained custody of the gloves.

Mountainous seas may have been rattling the shingle along the Hastings seafront but loftily perched high above all this tumult, the Pilot Field seemed an oasis of calm. Dark ominous clouds may have scuttled overhead but the predicted downpours had failed to wreak their havoc upon the lush turf, a faint sprinkling of precipitation enough to provide the zip that might aid the Hamlet's incisive passing game. Not in awe of the Hamlet's fearsome reputation, Hastings made early inroads, a corner forced within the first few minutes and Lee Carey supplied by Sam Adams to rifle a 25 yard effort wide of the far upright. Soon after Hamlet fashioned a chance of their own, a corner delivered deep to the back of the area where skipper Jamie Coyle rose highest to nod the ball down to the feet of Sol Pinnock, a snatched shot from six yards easily smothered by Lee Worgan on his line.

Found penned in their own half by ambitious opponents, the quarter hour arrived before a Hamlet chance presented itself, Pinnock in the vanguard, taking the ball to the back line before pulling the back to Phil Williams. Tricky feet flummoxed his marker but a neat pass into the path of Nicolas Plumain came to naught as power replaced precision and the ball was hammered high over the bar. After too many lacklustre performances, Williams was on turning on the style, futile cries ringing out for a penalty as Jimmy Elford ended a run into the area with a clumsy challenge. Instantly Hamlet found themselves defending desperately, ersatz striker Rose vainly glancing around him for assistance before electing to chance his arm with a fierce drive that had young Lewington twisting like a sidewinder as he leapt to tip the goal bound effort over his bar. The millstone of their lowly league position failed to hamper Hastings as they grew in confidence, chances continuing to flow their way. A long throw aimed for Tim Olorunda spun off a defender into the path of John Bradley, the centre forward wasting the opening as the ball was lamped high and wide. Left winger Lee Carey found an extra gear as he cut in towards goal from the sidelines but again the chance went begging as a shot was curled well wide. Dulwich still threatened, a free kick releasing Dickson on the left, his tempting low drive into the heart of the Hastings six yard box cut out by Sean Ray as Pinnock hovered menacingly, the Hastings skipper proving his young protagonist's nemesis with a perfectly timed tackle in the area as Pinnock burst on to Dickson's pass. Stan-in striker Rose' aim was off when he larruped a volley harmlessly wide from an Adams cross but the reward for endeavour would soon be bestowed upon United. A half-hearted clearance was easily cut out by Elford; the wing back slipping through some insipid challenges before feeding Olorunda threaded a low drive into the bottom corner of the net as Lewington dived to no avail.

Fired up Dulwich went straight on the offensive with Dickson mere millimetres away from a telling connection with Pinnock's cross from the left. Moments later the equaliser did arrive. Caught cold at a corner Hastings were undone as Eniola Oluwa led a one-man assault on a short-handed defence, a pass in the direction of Dickson dowsed with fortune as Sims' attempted interception merely played the ball into the path of the goal hungry striker. Worgan had no answer as Dickson neatly tucked the ball home to restore parity.

The goal seemed to drain confidence from the hosts. Williams produced a run of sinewy beauty that mesmerised the left flank of the Hastings' defence. Only Rhys Whyborne failed to fall under its spell proving a rude awakening from the reverie with a rudimentary tackle as the goal loomed. Worgan denied Plumain with his feet as the midfielder let rip with a twenty yard drive after the home defence had failed to effectively clear a free kick. Then with half-time but a heartbeat away Dulwich managed to shoot themselves in the foot. Having already survived a scare when Carey latched on to a Bradley pass through a gaping hole in defence, only to overrun the ball as Lewington was rounded, Dulwich's abortive attempts to halt the run of Nima Chan paved the way from Olorunda to restore the hosts' lead in stoppage time, a fierce strike on the turn after being played in giving Lewington no chance.

For Chan his contribution would prove his last of the game, the midfielder failing to reappear after the break, replaced by Brett Griffin. For Hamlet too half-time mean a change as David Moore came on in place of Oluwa. A change might be as good as a rest but for Dulwich they could have done with a rest from incessant Hastings attacks. Three minutes into the half and the deficit became two. Adams on the left wing swept in a deep cross to the back of the six yard box, Dulwich's rearguard cowed by the heavyweight presence of the captain Ray, a towering header cannoning home via the back upright. The burly centre-half might have found himself continuing his celebrations in the isolation of the dressing room after lashing a kick out at Dickson as he beat the latter in the battle for a high ball. An unseemly confrontation followed forcing unsighted referee Ryan Atkin, armed with his pay-as-you-go whistle, into conference with his assistant whose own lack of vision possibly spared Ray the red.

Once the dust had settled, Pinnock found himself the victim of a fine cover tackle from Whyborne after silky skills had opened the defence up. At the other end, the Trojan workhorse Olorunda blew the chance of a hat trick as his shot from 15 yards was smothered at the second attempt by Lewington whilst team-mate Carey's long range drive curled narrowly wide soon after.

The game seemed to be slipping from the Hamlet, the scenario forcing an unusual change as Jason Turley made way for Gavin Dayes, the centre-half taking on the mantle of striker as Dulwich looked to find a foothold. But for the finest of deflections, Dickson might have kick-started a fight back as his dash across the face of the penalty area was capped by a fierce angled strike. Elford rescued Worgan after the keeper had spilled Beaney's free kick before a stunning goal extinguished all but the last vestiges of a Hamlet recovery. Under pressure the Dulwich defence tried but failed to repulse a wave of Hastings assaults, the claret shirts gobbling up the ineffectual clearances, stamping them under foot like grapes in the vat, the fine wine pouring from the feet of Adams, unmarked after injury had incapacitated Justyn Roberts, with screaming drive that flew unerringly into the far top corner of the net drawing ripples of applause from all but the most stone-hearted of Hamlet followers.

An aching chasm now stood before the tyros of Dulwich but surrender is not within their vocabulary. The Alamo it may have been but the Hamlet seemed determined to go down all guns blazing. Had the three W's of defence, Whyborne, Worgan and Way, sorry Ray, had stood before them an unlikely point might still have been on the cards. Released on the left Dickson's incisive run was catalyst for a fearsome Pinnock strike from 12 yards out, Worgan's keen reactions denying a certain goal as leapt to smartly batter the shot away. As Dickson burst into the area there once more was Whyborne with a determined tackle halt this particular attack. With four minutes there came a narrow chink of light, albeit with a fortuitous tinge, as Kenny Beaney pulled a goal back with a 35 yard drive that wobbled in the air to deceive Worgan, the keeper cringing as he somehow allowed the ball to squirm through his fingers and fly over him into the net. For the affable Worgan time was on his side, victory confirmed soon after ensuring mere ribbing would be his fate from his changing room cohorts.

Teams:

HUFC: Lee Worgan; James Sims; Jimmy Elford; Rhys Whyborne; Sean Ray (Capt); Nima Cham (Brett Griffin HT); Sam Adams; Tim Olorunda; John Bradley (Ade Olorunda 89); Kevin Rose (Dominic Cruttenden 83); Lee Carey

Substitute not used: Bernard Asante

DHFC: Chris Lewington; Jason Turley (Gavin Dayes 68); Nicholas Plumain; Justyn Roberts; Jamie Coyle (Capt); Jake Daniel; Eniola Oluwa (David Moore HT); Kenny Beaney; Sol Pinnock; Chris Dickson; Phil Williams

Substitutes not used: Cedric Meeko; Daniel Jones; Billy Warner

Attendance: 291

Officials

Referee Mr Ryan Atkin (London)

Assistant Referees: Mr Mark Wood (Redhill) & Mr Timothy Hatt (Redhill)

Goalscoring:

1-0 HUFC: Tim Olorunda 34th minute

1-1 DHFC: Chris Dickson 36th minute

2-1 HUFC: Tim Olorunda 45th minute

3-1 HUFC: Sean Ray 48th minute

4-1 HUFC: Sam Adams 76th minute

4-2 DHFC: Kenny Beaney 86th minute