Dulwich Hamlet 1 Whyteleafe 2

Dulwich Hamlet 1 Whyteleafe 2
Ryman Isthmian League Division One South
Tuesday 16th October 2007

The fighting spirit of Hornchurch was washed away under lachrymose skies at Champion Hill as Dulwich Hamlet found perennial bogey men Whyteleafe found themselves infused with a fortitude that seemed to seep away from the Hamlet as the match progressed. All this despite an encouraging start from the Hamlet, Ricky Dobson lashing a rising shot over the crossbar within 40 seconds of the first whistle as a corner was flicked on to him loitering on the fringes of the penalty area. ‘Leafe responded with a well-struck free kick from Callum MacLean in the fifth minute but lack of precision made for an simple pouch for Hamlet custodian Sheikh Ceesay, but their plans were thrown astray when talismanic midfielder tiger Ali Reeve was forced from the fray in the 7th minute with a back injury. Worse was to follow as a howler of Robinson proportions allowed Hamlet to take the lead in the 13th minute. Stretching to a right wing cross, Benson Paka’s head connected with the ball to divert the ball towards goal but though the direction was perfect, the absence of power seemed to make for an easy gather for erstwhile Hamlet ‘keeper Rob Tolfrey. However the guardian of the goal mind was already on the distribution of the ball and to the horror of his team-mates the ball slipped gingerly through his hands and into the back of the net.
Yet the goal proved an albatross for the Hamlet as ‘Leafe rallied and had Sean Rivers not snatched at a close range, lashed high over the bar and out of the ground, the visitors might have cancelled out the goal with a matter of minutes. Rivers’ strike partner Danny Platel also had a great chance to level matters, piercing the right flank of the Hamlet defence, but Ceesay rushed from his line to get a vital touch on the green-clad forward’s shot, taking the sting off the drive and allowing Dobson to clear up behind him as the ball ran across the face of the six yard box.
33 minutes and the ‘Leafe’s determination and heart bore fruit as the ball was swept swiftly across the park, play switched from left to right. A speculative low ball was driven in hard on goal, Ceesay unprepared and scrambling across goal, he dived to parry the ball out. However the respite was but momentary for the belligerent, predatory Platel held off his marker to rattle the loose ball into the back of the net tight to the upright. Assiduous Platel proved a handful for Hamlet’s overworked defence and five minutes before the break he came within a whisker of firing the Surrey men ahead, an incisive diagonal run from the left to meet a low pass in from the right embellished with a sweet first time strike, the ball caressed mere inches wide of Ceesay’s right hand post.
False dawn as the second half began with Sol Patterson-Bohner picking himself up from a crunching challenge to curl in a free kick from 25 yards but straight into the hands of the waiting Tolfrey. Soon after a ‘Leafe was allowed a double bounce in the Hamlet penalty area, reaching Graham Tydeman at the back but after a neat piece of juggling his angled volley was blocked by Patterson-Bohner on guard at the back stick.
The mercurial Sebastian Schoburgh reminded the fans of the electric pace with a razor-sharp incursion down the left but the final flourish was missing, the shot saved until the angle was too tight and the ball rippling the side netting.
A quick Whyteleafe free kick caught Hamlet napping on 67 minutes as Rivers took advantage of Dulwich daydreaming only to be denied by Ceesay throwing himself open the final shot. Lessons not learnt though and a minute later Dulwich found themselves trailing. Ineffectual tackling on the flank opened up the space for Platel to lash the ball across the face of goal, but the task of Rivers was made all the more easy as non-existent marking allowed the striker to gleefully nod the ball home inside the far upright.
The defence was in abeyance once more as a free kick was pumped to the back of the box three minutes later, Tydeman ghosting into the space unchallenged but a poor header spared the Hamlet’s blushes, the ball looping well wide of the target.
Hurried and harassed Hamlet went in search of redemption. Billy Chattaway struck a good effort from the edge of the box after substitute Scott Edgar had won aerial the battle for a ball pumped forwards. The industry of Steve May won a corner, the delivery finding Shayne Mangodza but his side footed strike cannoned off the legs of a defender and into the hands of the waiting Tolfrey. Part of double substitution for the final quarter hour, Stanley Muguo’s powerful run ripped a hole through the ‘Leafe right rearguard before whipping a deep cross to the back of the box, too deep for the inrushing attackers but almost dropping inside the back post as Tolfrey remained glued to the ground. ‘Leafe Denva McKenzie’s responded with a fearsome angled volley, lashing the ball goalwards but always too high as it dropped over Ceesay’s crossbar. A frantic passage of play brought the curtain down on a disappointing night as five minutes into time added on, and having forced a last-gasp corner, Dulwich launched an all-out assault on the Whyteleafe goal but cometh the hour cometh the man, Tolfrey’s earlier faux pas but a distant memory for the men in green as his heroics saw him block not once but twice from venom laced strikes inside the penalty area, first from Andre McCollin then from Paka before a third and final effort saw a combination of ‘Leafe bodies barricade the Hamlet’s way to an equaliser. As the siege was lifted the whistle blew, signalling a defeat that leaves Dulwich languishing amongst the basement boys and the management pondering from whence to conjure the magic that will gel the Hamlet misfits into the sum of their parts.

Teams:
DHFC: Sheikh Ceesay; Steve May; Gbenga Sonuga (Capt.); Shayne Mangodza; Ricky Dobson; Sebastian Schoburgh (Phil Williams 75); Benson Paka; Sol Patterson-Bohner; Billy Chattaway (Stanley Muguo 75); Junior Adeniyi (Scott Edgar 65); Andre McCollin
Subs not used: Jermaine Hinds, Nej Hussein (GK)

WFC: Rob Tolfrey; Michael Riley; Alhajie Jabbie; Ali Reeve (Leigh Douce 7); Chris O'Flaherty; Callum MacLean; Graham Tydeman; Robert Smith; Sean Rivers; Danny Platel; Ellis Conroy (Denva McKenzie 75)
Subs not used: Gavin Dilley; Sam Clayton

Attendance: 269
Officials:
Referee: Mr John McGann (Ashford, Middlesex)
Assistant Referees: Mr John Ryan (Worcester Park, Surrey) & Mr Chris O’Connor (Replacement)

Goalscoring:
1-0 DHFC: Benson Paka 13th minute
1-1 WFC: Danny Platel 40th minute
2-1 WFC: Sean Rivers 65th minute