Wednesday, September 19, 2007

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

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Dulwich Hamlet 2 Deal Town 2

Dulwich Hamlet 2 Deal Town 2
FA Cup – First Qualifying Round
Saturday 15th September 2007

Despite playing in fits and starts, Dulwich contrived to miss a hatful of chances to put this game to bed against a well-organised, determined Deal side with already the scalp of Hamlet's Division One South rivals Corinthian-Casuals tucked in their belt. As a result the two teams must rejoin in battle this coming Tuesday in White Cliff country for the right to progress to the next round of this venerable competition. Starting brightly Dulwich soon lost their way and Deal took a well earned lead when Dave Bathgate took advantage of tentative tackling in the Hamlet penalty to let fly with a rasping shot from the edge of the box that flew past Chuck Martini between the sticks for Dulwich. It could, nay should, have 2-0 to the Kent Leaguers five minutes later when Danny Smith exploited acres of space on the left to hammer a low cross into the heart of the six yard box, but, marshalled by Craig Braham, Mark Pollard could only slide his effort wide of the back stick. With 10 minutes to the break Hamlet at last flickered into life, Henry Darko scampering away to pick up Stuart Booth's through ball but hammering his shot against the legs of 'keeper Gary Phipps. A surreptitious hand was missed as Anton Innocent found himself punished for a challenge on Paul Lamb as the two competed for a long ball out of defence but Innocent would have his vengeance 2 minutes later as Deal's right flank was exposed once more, the Hamlet striker letting loose with a shot from the tightest of angles when all in defence awaited a cross, Phipps in goal powerless as the shot cannoned off his diving body and into the back of the net. Hamlet took heart and on the stroke of half-time took the lead though fortune played dealt the visitors a dodgy hand. Benson Kpaka rose as if lifted on unseen hands to meet Innocent's deep cross to the back of the box, climbing high above his marker to turn a header goalwards. Would it have beaten Phipps? One wonders but the job was finished by unfortunate defender Josh Davidson who threw himself acrobatically at the ball in an attempt to clear, but only diverting the ball away from the hands of his stunned custodian and into the top corner of the net.
Half-time brought a change for the Hamlet as Ricky Dobson was withdrawn, the side reshuffled as Phil Williams joined the attack. The momentum of that late first rally still remained with the Hamlet but two key moments within seconds of each other would sing the pendulum back in favour of the visitors. Electric pace from Darko saw him slash through the centre of the Deal defence. Phipps committed but rounded by a determined Darko to the leave the goal gapping before him, a defender on the line but with all the goal at his mercy. Perhaps taking too long to consider, a mighty wallop on goal might at least have forced that last defender into some desperate measure to keep the ball out, but inside he chose to attempt a curling shot into the top corner, missing not by a country mile but by enough to instil hope in the Dealers. Shell-shocked Hamlet crumbled under the next Deal attack, defenders in limbo as the ball reached Lee Jones and he had no qualms with precision as the ball was struck home for an equaliser.
A determined Williams showed too much pace for the defence as Hamlet went goal hunting once more, the substitute haring into the box but a defender’s boot did enough as the shot spun wide of the far post. Unfocused finishing saw Williams loft a shot over five minutes after having been set up by Innocent before Daniel Jones, on for the unfortunate Darko, latched on to Kpaka’s pass but, stumbling as he shot, shovelled the ball over the crossbar. Thick and fast the shot rained in, Dulwich one minute, Deal the next. A searing solo charge out of defence brought Williams to the brink of the box but elected for a drive into the near bottom corner of the net, the ball grazing the wrong side of the upright. Scorer Lee Jones was allowed free rein to run at the Hamlet rearguard moments after, letting loose with a powerful drive as the goal loomed before him but striking his effort straight at Martini, its power rattling the Hamlet number one as pounced on the ball at the second attempt. Pin pong and Hamlet were back up field once more, this time Stanley Muguo skewing a shot wide when well-placed, before being caught on the back foot once more as a ball in from the right wing found Smith unguarded on the left only to strike his effort into the side netting as Booth made to cover. The replacement Daniel Jones came agonisingly close as the bagatelle of chances continued apace; stretching every sinew in his leg to reach a looped ball in from the right but his faint touch could not divert the ball home. The manic minutes rolled on, Bathgate unchecked met a cross with a firm header but straight at Martini, Beveney did likewise but his effort looped over. Neither side wanted a replay but it drew ever closed as the chances subsided but the Hamlet’s higgledy-piggledy play did not. Deal might rue the late chances that feel their way not least when late replacement John Utterson stooped low at the near post to nod a close range corner harmlessly over the bar. Instead it is down to the coast on the charabanc for Dulwich and the second chance saloon.

Teams:
DHFC: Chuck Martini; Craig Braham; Ricky Dobson (Phil Williams HT); Benson Kpaka; Shayne Mangodza; Steve Aris (Capt); Shawn Beveney; Stanley Muguo; Anton Innocent (Claudio De Almeida 82); Henry Darko (Daniel Jones 55); Stuart Booth
Substitutes not used: Rene Regis; Sheikh Ceesay (GK)

DTFC: Gary Phipps; Darren Waring (John Utterson 82); Josh Davidson; Adam Govey; Paul Lamb; Tim Austin; Lee Jones; Dave Bathgate (Capt); Mark Pollard (Lee Grounds 87); Jorden Barnett; David Corey
Substitutes not used: Michael Cassar; Jurgen Wild (GK)

Attendance: 209
Match officials:
Referee: Mr Jonathan Wheeler (Basingstoke, Hampshire)
Mr Andrew Roberts (Basingstoke, Hampshire) & Mr John Balcombe (Basingstoke, Hampshire)
Goalscoring:
0-1 DTFC Dave Bathgate 19th minute
1-1 DHFC Anton Innocent 41st minute
2-1 DHFC Josh Davidson (o.g.) 45th minute
2-2 DTFC Lee Jones 48th minute