Whyteleafe 1 Dulwich Hamlet 0

Whyteleafe 1 Dulwich Hamlet 0
Ryman Isthmian League Division One South
Saturday 19th January 2008

Pastoral Whyteleafe and once more the country cousins held sway over the urban sophisticates of Dulwich Hamlet, maintaining that Indian Sign with which the ‘Leafe have beguiled the Hamlet in recent forays down the valley to Church Road. As if to redouble that curse key performances for the hosts came from players deemed surplus to requirements by ghosts of the Hamlet hot seat now occupied by an incandescent Craig Edwards. For him the December Manager of the Month has become like an albatross around his neck, watching as his charges stumbled through to a fourth game without victory, just as other promotion find their season stalling too. Good news though for the men in green whose victory further concertinaed the play-off pack, thanks to those ex Hamlet men Ali Reeve, at his haughty best in marshalling defence, Rob Tolfrey, donning the gloves that would frustrate the Hamlet and Dewayne Clarke in particular time after and time, and be-dreadlocked centre-forward Joel Greaves, shown the door at Champion Hill by Wayne Burnett, the ghost at the feast with Whyteleafe’s late, late winner just as the fans had readied themselves for a scoreless game.
The hosts started with the XI that had finished on the field at Sittingbourne’s Bourne Park a week previous whilst Dulwich were forced into a number of changes. With Sol-Patterson-Bohner suspended the troublesome right back role was handed to Osman Sesay, recently arrived from Wealdstone. Missing still was Meshach Nugent, biding his time itching to return to striking duties whilst international duties robbed Dulwich of leading scorer Shawn Beveney, swapping sodden Church Road for the sunnier climes of Antigua!
Though squelchy, the rains had spared the sod and upon a sometimes slick, sometimes boggy surface, both sides burst into action earlier in a contest so archetypal of the blunderbuss football that has driven these town and country clashes in short but explosive history. Five minutes gone and Clarke chested down the left wing delivery of Scott Edgar into the path of Stanley Muguo loitering on the fringes of the penalty area, only to lash at his shot and sent the ball spiralling harmlessly wide of the target. A moment later and a pumped delivery found Greaves, back to goal and shepherded by Marc Cumberbatch, but still away to swing around and unleash a shot but always rising too, too high. The inimitable Greaves was again causing consternation in the Hamlet penalty area, the chance hustled away though Ricky Dobson almost found himself mugged by Danny Platel but kept his cool to hack the ball off his oppressor and behind for a goal kick.
Furious football as Dulwich flowed forward once more. A chance for Muguo he couldn’t connect, the ball ran across to Benson Paka, trying to find space to shoot but unable to shake off Platel. In winged a free kick, Tolfrey spring-heeled as he punched the ball away from the threatening men in pink and blue. Ping! Pong! At one end Greaves was sent scampering after a long ball, disposed though by the pugnacious presence of Shayne Mangodza. Quick release and Clarke was galloping off in pursuit of the ball, Whyteleafe’s defence trooping forward in phalanx to no avail but rescued by the quick wits of Tolfrey, scurrying from his line to clear the ball to touch.
No let up. The pace of Steve May did for Adam Broomhead, a crude challenge earning him a rare yellow card, before the versatile May, returning from his stateside hiatus, cantering through the green barricades, unable though to shake off Moses Spencer, cutting outside then back in only for the gargantuan defender to block his effort. Feeding off the scraps Edgar lunged at the loose ball, an awkward effort but surely one that might challenge Tolfrey until Spencer’s inadvertent deflection sent the ball spinning wide for a corner. Corner after corner Dulwich forced but to no avail.
The ‘Leafe rose again. A deep lofted cross from Sam Clayton attacking down the left wing seemed to be going too far beyond the box to trouble Sheikh Ceesay but Platel had other ideas larruping the ball across the face of goal with a first time volley that Sean Rivers flung himself towards at back of the box only to slide wide of the back stick. A rare slip from Tolfrey as his miskicked clearance skewed into the path of Schoburgh, the wizard of the wing advancing unchallenged before letting rip 30 yards from goal with a stinging drive but one that rose and rose until it cleared both crossbar and stand.
A Hamlet free kick charged down and suddenly Dulwich were split. Reeve trundling upfield with Hamlet men in his wake. Only Ceesay remained to block his path but block it he did stifle the first threat. A loose ball as Dulwich struggled to clear their lines, a sweet drop volley from Robbie Smith, angled for the far bottom corner but once more Ceesay would crush ‘Leafe dreams flinging himself as far as nature would allow to turn the ball around the woodwork. Hopes rising ‘Leafe came once more. Anarchy reigned as a free kick dropped in the box. In the mêlée Greaves stabbed the ball past Ceesay. Cheers rose in pastoral throats, snuffed out as Mangodza hacked the ball from the line. Last word of the half belonged though to the Hamlet, a free kick boomed in Edgar rising to nod the ball back across the area for Clarke to nod a looping header goalwards only for a flying Tolfrey to reach skywards and tip the ball over. The obligatory rebuffed penalty claim came a moment later as Muguo burst into the box, Alhajie Jabbie holding him in a clinch usually reserved for the closest of friends but unpunished as Mr O’Brien waved away Dulwich pleas.
A tumultuous start to the second half for Dulwich, unexecuted opportunities in a quarter hour of total pink and blue domination as much to blame as another lost spot-kick. Barely had the whistle blown than Dulwich erupted into action. Edgar sent Clarke scampering through, the defence left in limbo but an uneasy first touch as Tolfrey spread himself before him saw the shot cannon of the outstretched knee of the custodian. Two minutes later and in swung a Schoburgh cross met by the forehead of Clarke a yard in front of goal but misdirected away from goal. A hat-trick of spurned openings saw Tolfrey prove nemesis to Clarke once more as the stand-in striker once more sprung Whyteleafe’s attempt at an offside trap, trying to slide a shot under the prostrate ‘keeper only to look on in frustration as the ball stuck under his bête noir. Clarke continued to plough a furrow towards goal, escaping down the left but after cutting inside Jabbie, his shot brushed the defender’s boot, the ball trickling back to Tolfrey.
Buoyed by the Dulwich’s misfortunes in front of goal and the heroics of their overworked defenders the ‘Leafe attack decided now was the time to contribute something themselves. Replacement Callum MacLean, on for Clayton, injected some urgency into the lacklustre strike force, bringing a fine save out of Ceesay with a rasping free kick. Late on the recalcitrant MacLean bundled his way into the area, hitting the deck amidst a forest of defenders but pleas for punishment saw instead a caution for the aggrieved substitute. It seemed as if for all the afternoon’s labour neither team’s raucous troops would have a goal to cherish. That was until 2 minutes from time, when Jabbie ventured forward from his defensive duties. Contemplating the return to the urban cocoon, your correspondent espied Jabbie galloping into space on the far left whilst Dulwich defence seemingly had not. The cross swung in invitingly to the heart of the six yard box where Greaves outleapt a sluggish Ceesay to turn the ball into the now unguarded. Right Ho, Greaves! Immediately Sesay made way for Junior Baker as Dulwich found themselves chasing a game that should have been put to bed long before. Time though was their enemy. Too little, too late.

DHFC: Sheikh Ceesay; Osman Sesay (Junior Baker 88); Ricky Dobson; Benson Paka; Shayne Mangodza; Marc Cumberbatch; Steve May; Dewayne Clarke; Scott Edgar (Henry Darko 67); Stanley Muguo; Sebastian Schoburgh (Billy Chattaway 85)
Substitutes not used: Lumumba Amena; Tim Roberts (GK)

WFC: Rob Tolfrey; Danny Boxall; Alhajie Jabbie; Ali Reeve; Adam Broomhead; Moses Spencer; Daniel Platel (Michael Riley 61); Robbie Smith; Sean Rivers (Chris O'Flaherty 76); Sam Clayton (Callum MacLean 67); Joel Greaves
Substitutes not used: Steve Causon; Aaron Murphy

Attendance: 197

Officials:
Referee: Mr J O’Brien
Assistant Referees: Mr S Potter & Mr B Gale

Goalscoring:
1-0 WFC: Joel Greaves 88th minute