Sittingbourne 0 Dulwich Hamlet 2

Sittingbourne 0 Dulwich Hamlet 2
Saturday 27th October 2007
Ryman League Division One South

A solid performance on the brickfields of Kent as the resurgence of Dulwich continued apace, another pretender to promotion seen off by late goals once their attacking threat had been snuffed out by the Hamlet’s resilient defence. Having slipped adrift of the leading pack as manager Craig Edwards rebuilt Dulwich in his own image, Hamlet have picked their way upwards and though they still reside in the wrong half of the table, the play-off places lie tantalisingly within grasp, a mere five points away.
Within Stanley Muguo detained in traffic, the management needed a quick reshuffle with Billy Chattaway called up to the starting line-up in the only change from an the initial XI that had seen off the threat of Tooting a week earlier. The right of defence had a slightly incongruous look though with Steve May in the shadow of his gargantuan right back Jermaine Hinds, the pair having shuffled positions in the early stages of the Imperial Fields triumph. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it! For their part the goal-shy Brickies found themselves shorn of on-loan striker Stuart Vahid, whose early season tour of North Kent, had ended in midweek with his recall to Ramsgate, though at least they could once again call upon the services of leading scorer Bradley Spice and influential midfield playmaker Kieran Marsh, who had begun to mine a rich vein of goalscoring form before injury curtailed his influence.
Leaden skies foretelling a primeval winter glowered down upon ramshackle Bourne Park and the early football was as grey as the elements. First threat from the hosts after five minutes as Steve Hafner wheedled his way into the Hamlet box, a sharp shot from a tight angle battered down by Sheikh Ceesay, alert at the near post, and away for a corner off Shayne Mangodza. 12 minutes had passed before Dulwich posed their first threat of note. A clumsy challenge 25 yards out presented Dulwich with a free kick, one from which skipper Shawn Beveney masterfully curled the ball over the Brick wall but too close to ‘keeper Jamie Riley who adeptly plucked the ball out of the air beneath his crossbar. Soon Sittingbourne replied as Anthony Hogg got himself into a good position only to dribble a volley straight at waiting Ceesay.
A shapeless, ragbag of a half ensued as the midfield morass sucked up the ball. When tested defence proved themselves impassable and it was left to speculative and the hopeful to provide the scant entertainment of the half. Benson Paka’s mazy dribble deserved better than a swirling drive from distance that was always, always curling wide of Riley’s net.
As the interval drew closer a rare break for the beleaguered ‘Bourne attackers as a brace of chances in quick succession presented themselves, lifting the locals’ spirits, only for off-key finishing to rapidly dampen them. 39 minutes and a goal kick was headed back behind the Hamlet defence, the Spice boy sneaking in behind Ricky Dobson, caught on the hop, but the angle was aside the Brickies’ striker as the shot rolled across the face of Ceesay’s goal. Moments later and with Dulwich massed on their right flank to repel a Sittingbourne incursion down the wing they left their opposite flank exposed, an almost fatal error as the ball was swung across the park to Mitchell Sherwood. To the Hamlet’s relief Sherwood opted not to attack the goal but instead opted for the spectacular a potent volley from distance never accurate enough to test Ceesay. A purple patch for the hosts continued as Marsh attempted to lob the ball over Ceesay but to no avail. All too soon for the hosts a blast of Mr Meilack’s whistle for half-time curtailed this renaissance, allowing Dulwich the breathing space to regroup and retaliate. Retaliate they did. Barely had the curtain raised on the second half, than the ball was crashed into the side netting though the reactions of some participants on the pitch suggested to those still supping the last dregs of the half-time pint that Dulwich had opened the scoring.
Industry still outweighed invention, tempo adagio, artistry absent. Dulwich were the more incisive but chances still remained at a premium. The ubiquitous Beveney, revelling in his recent rebirth as player and skipper, had the best of them, a back post header powerful but off the mark soon supplemented by a ferocious drive from an acute angle that might have skittled the travelling hoard but for the timely intervention of the side netting.
Phil Williams, the speed streak in his tonsure redundant today, made way for the mercurial Sebastian Schoburgh but the wing wizard could make little inroads in the home defence, not that he was alone in his frustration. Ceesay was barely roused from his reveries, Tristan Knowles attempting to give the Hamlet ‘keeper something to do with a mighty strike from miles out, but swirling high, wide and harmless. Riley too had little to do bar plucking the ball from the head of Scott Edgar as Schoburgh lashed in a tempting cross from hard left.
The weak winter sun had now penetrated that grey blanket of heaven and loath to leave with merely a point, the management brought out the last of the substitutes for the Hamlet as Edgar and Sol Patterson-Bohner were replaced by Meshach Nugent and newcomer Michael Smith respectively, the latter lately joined on loan from the tenants Fisher. Perhaps the change did Dulwich good, an extra burst of impetus from the switch, for three minutes later the barriers to goal were at last thrown down and from an unlikely source, defender Hinds. As Pink and Blue shirts packed into the Bourne box, a Hamlet corner was swung in. The battering rams failed to make the initial breakthrough but as the red and black rearguard peeled back as the ball dropped the foot of Hinds a ballista, as a golden drive scattered the last remnants of defence, the merest of deflections sending the ball scudding under the desperate dive of Riley.
Last chance saloon for the Brickies as every last card was played in a vain attempt to grab an equaliser, a trio of subs on in the wake of the goal, one of whose number, James Gregory, caused a frisson amongst the Hamlet support as he whipped a ball into the box from wide left. However Dulwich were not going to surrender that hard-won lead easily and rugged defending gave little succour to the Sittingbourne attackers. Having drunk from the cup of success, Dulwich wanted further sustenance; both Beveney and Nugent testing Riley, at last earning his corn. The best was saved to last, port and cigars to end a meal that satisfying more than sustaining and served up by the recidivist Schoburgh, determined to end the game with a flourish. A strong run took the fleet-footed Schoburgh to the brink of the box but faced with a wall of Brickies’ defenders, the call went out to head for the corner flag to waste away the final few seconds. For a second this seemed the plan but then in a flash of Pink and Blue, Schoburgh spun away from the shackles of his markers, darted into the box then sprung his arrow with a shot rifled across the face of a bemused Riley and into the far top corner of the net.

SFC: Jamie Riley; Tristan Knowles; Joe Dowley (Capt); Paul Ainsworth; James Campbell; Kieran Marsh; Steve Hafner (Hicham Akhazzan 83); Anthony Hogg; Bradley Spice (Dave Norris ?); Charlie Glyde (James Gregory 83); Mitchell Sherwood; Substitutes not used: Toby Ashmore; Bradley Ashmore

DHFC: Sheikh Ceesay; Jermaine Hinds; Ricky Dobson; Benson Paka; Shayne Mangodza; Steve May; Shawn Beveney (Capt); Phil Williams (Sebastian Schoburgh 68); Scott Edgar (Meshach Nugent 79); Sol Patterson-Bohner (Michael Smith 79); Billy Chattaway
Substitutes not used: Stanley Muguo; Nej Hussein (GK)

Attendance: 158

Match Officials:
Referee: Mr Frank Meilack (Ticehurst)
Assistant Referees: Mr J Gooding (Ashford) & Mr S Harding (Waderslade)

Goalscoring:
1-0 DHFC Jermaine Hinds 81st minute
2-0 DHFC Sebastian Schoburgh 90th minute (+3)