Deal Town 1 Dulwich Hamlet 3 (AET FT 1-1)

Deal Town 1 Dulwich Hamlet 3 (AET FT 1-1)
The FA Cup – First Round Qualifying Replay
Tuesday 18th September 2007

Gentlemen now abed in South London shall think themselves accursed they were not here and hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks that fought with Dulwich upon this lauded day. Apologies to the Swan of Avon but Dulwich found pride and passion, battling against a sea of troubles and a Deal side as intransigent and unyielding as any of Kent’s White Cliffs. Though the game kicked off 15 minutes late as the Dulwich charabanc navigated a tortuous path through the roadworks of the garden of England, both teams clicked into top gear from the off. A pulsating first half warmed the chill Kentish night as the Charles Ground reverberated to loyal locals and hardy South London travellers, raucous encouragement shattering the suburban still as spectators were treated to a passionate spectacle easily the equal of anything served up to those snuggled in front of their televisions. Somehow it was goalless at the break, the returning Daniel Morris spinning to shoot just wide after only three minutes, Deal replying with a smart strike from Darren Waring but always rising too high. A flicked header skimmed the back post soon after, before the ever-dangerous Danny Smith wove some magic on the left but lashed his shot high over Sheikh Ceesay’s crossbar. Embarrassment for Deal stopper Gary Phipps was averted after he lost the ball to a marauding Anton Innocent on the far side of his penalty area, the ball dragged away from the Hamlet hitman by foot of Josh Davidson.
In Smith Deal possessed talent on the left wing mirrored by the Hamlet who gave a debut to teenage wingman Billy Chattaway, the two prodigies to the fore in the final throes of the first half, Chattaway rising to meet a long throw-in only for his head to spring off a defender’s back and wide of the mark. Smith made his riposte, put in on the left but from an acute angle lashing the ball over the ball. At the death Beveney galloped away down the flank to feed the precocious Chattaway, the spry winger letting rip with a flashing drive that seared a fraction wide of Phipps’ left-hand upright.
The second half was but three minutes old when the hosts broke the stalemate with a well-worked effort, a rapier like raid on Hamlet’s right flank and the ball made its way to Lee Jones who let loose with thunderous shot that gave Sheikh Ceesay between the sticks not a jot of chance. Kentish delirium lasted a mere four minutes as a Dulwich raid of equal penetration and ferocity saw Shawn Beveney escape down the left wing, leaving a sluggish marker trailing in his wake. The angle seemed too acute with Deal ‘keeper Gary Phipps marshalling his near post, but Beveney kept his cool, adroitly bending the ball low past the powerless number one and into the far corner of the net.
A stunning save from Ceesay kept matters even as Adam Govey met an underpowered clearance with a sizzling volley that had the Hamlet custodian leaping majestically to tip a fierce strike over.
Battering away at each other, the pugilistic pair exchanged blows, exchanged chances; Beveney shot too high swivelling on to Phil Williams slipped pass, Anton Innocent was denied by a fine covering tackle from Josh Davidson.
Fatigue should have sapping the last drop of stamina by now but still neither side would succumb. Beveney’s raid on the left set up Chattaway, a brace of defenders smothering his efforts to shoot and though the ball ran kindly for Innocent his shot lacked the power or precision to beat Phipps. A desperate tug by Ricky Dobson on the edge of the area in the final seconds might have thrown the game to the Dealers, the Hamlet man booked for his indiscretion when many of the Kentish persuasion were calling for his dismissal. However the chance when begging as an ineffectual free kick curled harmlessly over the crossbar.
As the last train back to London departed Deal on its circuitous route back to the capital, battle was rejoined. A scything challenge on Beveney gave Hamlet an early opportunity but Williams curled the free kick over. Deal replied, slicing open the Hamlet right flank, but when the ball reached Mark Pollard he larruped his shot high and wide from a tight angle. Still locked together at the break, the spectre of penalties loomed but Dulwich had other ideas and they caught their opponents on the hop within a minute of the restart as a free kick into the heart of the six yard box was met with a towering header from Shayne Mangodza to put the Hamlet ahead. Deal might still have forced this game to that final lottery of spot kicks but chances went begging and with two minutes left on the clock, the valiant Deal resistance was finally quashed as young Chattaway capped his momentous degut with the winner. The defence was left in a quandary as a poor clearance was latched on to by Beveney. Bearing down on goal, a third seemed inevitable as Phipps was beaten, the tireless Davidson blocking Beveney’s effort on the line only for the lurking Chattaway to pounce on the loose ball and hammer it home. Deflated Deal had at last yielded. Chalfont now await for the Hamlet.

Teams:
DTFC: Gary Phipps; Darren Waring (John Utterson 109); Josh Davidson; Adam Govey; Paul Lamb; Mark Munday (Tim Austin 112); Lee Jones; Dave Bathgate (Capt.); Aaron Robinson; David Cory; Danny Smith
Substitutes not used: Jorden Barnett; Michael Cassar; Jurgen Wild (GK)
Bookings: Bathgate; Robinson; Smith

DHFC: Sheikh Ceesay; Rene Regis (Craig Braham 64); Ricky Dobson; Benson Paka; Shayne Mangodza; Steve Aris (Capt.); Shawn Beveney; Stanley Muguo; Anton Innocent; Daniel Morris (Phil Williams 67); Billy Chattaway
Substitutes not used: Daniel Jones, Harry Vitalien, Chuck Martini (GK)
Bookings: Chattaway, Dobson

Match Officials:
Referee: Mr Carl Brook (St Leonard’s)
Assistant Referees: Mr Jonathan Gooding (Ashford, Kent) & Mr Saul Kay (Whitstable)
Goalscoring:
1-0 DTFC Lee Jones 48th minute
1-1 DHFC Shawn Beveney 52nd minute
1-2 DHFC Shayne Mangodza 106th minute
1-3 Billy Chattaway 117th minute
Attendance 186