Dulwich Hamlet 2 Three Bridges 0

Dulwich Hamlet 2 Three Bridges 0
The FA Cup – Preliminary Round
Saturday 1st September 2007

Dulwich made it safely through the preliminary round of the FA Cup, though Three Bridges, riding high in the Sussex County League, made sure it was not an easy passage to a home tie with Deal on the next step to Wembley. Having crossed paths with the Hamlet at the same stage last season, Three Bridges were only too aware of the task that faced them, serenely dispatched a year ago but ambitions are strong in Sussex by the airport and Bridges’ side boasted experience and youth from a higher plane than humble county league football. With angry words from the management still burning their ears following the Bank Holiday weekend’s double defeat, Dulwich were boosted by new arrivals bringing the wisdom of experience in winger Rene Regis and explosive young striker Henry Darko, who would be unleashed to wreak havoc later.
However the first half proved frustrating as Dulwich’s wings became fertile breeding ground for a host of excellent crosses into the box, but the finish rarely matched the delivery as a succession of close range headers went to waste. Anton Innocent, Daniel Morris and Stanley Muguo were all guilty of profligacy in front of goal, each failing to hit the target with headers in and around the six yard box. Earlier Shawn Beveney had rattled the upright after a short corner caught out a dozing defence.
Finishing left much to be desired though the openings were constantly carved out. A turgid opening phrase passed with little incident bar a long stoppage as Innocent was poleaxed by Three Bridges goliath in goal, Stewart Robinson. 16 minutes Beveney struck the post. 24 minutes a strong Craig Braham charge out of defence set up Regis to sweep a cross towards Beveney, a header down to the feet of Innocent but a strike wide of the mark. A powerful run from the industrious Benson Kpaka through the middle of the park allowed him to slip the ball wide right to Regis, a peach of cross plopped on Innocent’s head but the ball was flicked wide. Regis overhit his next cross but Beveney refused to accept the ball as lost, nicking it past his marker swinging the ball into Stanley Muguo but like Innocent before him his header wanted naught but accuracy. Eyes on goal, Braham mesmerising the Amber Army as he cut in from the wings but the strike, though sweet, found only the Colossus of Goal. Regis whipped a free kick mere millimetres over the crossbar after Innocent had been rudely shoved off the ball by an unpunished last defender before Kpaka scythed down the left to deliver a cross for Innocent to meet with his head but weak as Robinson gathered before Morris could stick out a vital leg.
Having dominated by Dulwich almost from the off without finding the net, it might have been painful justice had Three Bridges headed for the dressing rooms a goal to the good but that was almost the case as referee Mr Webb waved play on after a crunching defender’s challenge that put an end to Markel Greenidge’s participation. Running on to the loose ball Jack McNab bolted into the box, letting loose with a smart strike only to be denied by Chuck Martini battering the ball away at his near post.
Six minutes into the second half Martini again had to alert to deny the nippy McNab, ghosting in behind the Hamlet rearguard in pursuit of a long ball over, the Dulwich custodian blocking and crocking the Bridges striker in the same instant. Martini was to turn catalyst soon after as with defenders expecting to bomb a free kick from halfway into the penalty, he switched a pass down to Ricky Dobson scooting down the left. The full back whipped a low cross in the heart of the danger area but nothing would run for the Hamlet as player after player tried to stab the ball away through an impenetrable forest of defenders’ legs, gargantuan ‘keeper Stewart Robinson ending the agony as he whipped the ball off the toes of Morris. Moments later Muguo chested down a long throw, turning to drill a rising shot goalwards but too close to Robinson, the least of stretches needed to turn the strike over, though its power seemed to shake the very foundations of the man mountain number one.
The arrival first of Darko, the pocket rocket on for Morris, then Phil Williams seemed to light the touchpaper for the Hamlet, almost the latter’s first act to drag himself up from the turf as Luke Palmer attempted unorthodox surgery on the flying winger’s legs. Booked early for petulant dissent, Palmer quickly found himself staring a second yellow card brandished by Mr Webb. For the truculent defender the game was over. The ten men of Bridges rallied though and substitute William Pereoux chanced his arm with a strong strike from distance but the ball always curling wide there was little to stir Martini.
Finally, on 75 minutes, the breakthrough came, the electric Darko scampering away from the last defenders as the ball was launched in behind them. Drawing Robinson to him, he calmly, unselfishly rolled the ball across to Beveney who gleefully walloped the ball into the back of the net. It could have been two almost from the restart as Williams showed good control in capturing a clearance out of defence, dancing a merry dance before nipping past his marker and rifling a rising strike that beat Robinson but cannoned back out off the underside of the bar. Darko tried an acrobatic effort to finish the job but the angle was against him. The chance to make amends arrived soon after as one substitute played provider for the other, Williams whipping in a fierce low cross but somehow Darko allowed the ball to slip under his foot as the goal gaped before him. The new boy was none too pleased, more so when he left the Three Bridges regard lagging in his wake but as he tried to jink past Robinson towering in front of him, the ball became entangled in his feet and the ‘keeper was able to make the save.
As the game slipped into stoppage the depleted Bridges came within a whisker of punishing the Hamlet and claiming a replay, as Pereoux’s speculative strike took the cruellest of deflections looping skywards beyond a stranded Martini, who looked on half in horror as the ball dropped on his crossbar. As a gaggle of players made for the loose ball, Craig Braham reacted fastest to hammer the ball out for a corner. Last chance saloon for the visitors, Robinson ambled forwards in that desperate quest for the get out of jail card but the corner was plucked out of the air by Martini. With Robinson marooned up field a quick distribution might have seen a simple goal but no matter a second would come. Deep, deep into the added time a Hamlet saw Beveney’s strike turned on to the crossbar by Robinson but as it spun back down Muguo shadowed the ball home.

Teams:
DHFC: Chuck Martini; Craig Braham; Ricky Dobson; Benson Kpaka; Shayne Mangodza; Steve Aris (Capt); Shawn Beveney; Stanley Muguo; Anton Innocent; Daniel Morris (Henry Darko 59); René Regis (Phil Williams 65)
Substitutes not used: Stuart Booth; Harry Vitalien; Sheikh Ceesay (GK)

TBFC: Stewart Robinson; Luke Palmer; Ashley Dugdale; Liam Aherne (Capt); Mark Zydonik (Ben Fillery 82); Warren Whiteley; Brendon Sebuliba; Hassan Nyang; Markel Greenidge (William Pereoux HT); Jack McNab; Greg Palmer (Sam MacVicar 67)
Substitute not used: Stewart Delvin

Bookings:
DHFC: Craig Braham 72 (Foul Play), Henry Darko 85 (Unsporting Conduct)
TBFC: Luke Palmer 51 (Dissent), Liam Aherne 70 (Unsporting Conduct)

Sent off:
TBFC: Luke Palmer 66 (2nd Bookable Offence – Foul Play)

Goalscoring:
1-0 DHFC Shawn Beveney 75th minute
2-0 DHFC Shawn Beveney 90th minute (+3)

Match Officials:
Referee: Mr Michael Webb
Assistant Referees:
Mr Simeon Potter (Sutton, Surrey) & Mr Chris Cook (Woking, Surrey)

Attendance: TBC

The East Dulwich UFO makes a re-appearance