Worthing 2 Dulwich Hamlet 1

Worthing 2 Dulwich Hamlet 1
Ryman Isthmian League Division One South
Friday 21st March 2008

Good Friday. Buttered Hot Cross Buns on the pantry table, hot cross Craig Edwards on the Dulwich bench as defeat left Hamlet’s play-off pretensions hanging by the slenderest of gossamer threads. But for the hosting Rebels, burdened by the portentous, pre-season prognostications of their dapper dug-out despot, Alan Pook, who “could virtually guarantee promotion from the division below...” An albatross around his neck, as the Rebels struggled with injuries and upstart teams who failed to bow down before them, a late season run of victories, now 6 from seven and marred only by a mystifying defeat away to fellow challengers Kingstonian, leaves them in pole position amongst the dogfight for that priceless final play-off position. However for Dulwich, minds must be gradually turning towards 2008-2009, five points a gap not insurmountable but others hold better hands, the Hamlet as much reliant now on the kindness of strangers as for their own endeavours upon the field of play.
“He who dares wins, Rodders. He who dares wins”. Dulwich dared to change. After the young custodian’s nervy performance against Leatherhead, Sheikh Ceesay sat out his first league match since wresting the gloves from the veteran, and inveterate, Chuck Martini. In his stead between the sticks came Jamie Lunan, from North of the Thames, once of Grays, Redbridge, Leyton inter alia. Meanwhile the hosting Rebels welcomed back from injury the versatile Andy Alexander, signed as a striker, but proving a solid rock in defence since switched there in early-season emergencies, whilst Lloyd Skinner and Ben Johnson swapped placed on bench and pitch respectively.
Bright sunshine dappled Woodside Road as the contest began in earnest, never sterile, ever edgy, defeat not an option. Wind at their backs, Worthing flowed forwards on the breath of Zephyrus, Lunan’s goal besieged but unbreached despite spirited assaults from the red-clad Rebels. Nippy and nimble, midfielder Jerahl Hughes almost punished early uncertainty twixt defender and neophyte ‘keeper, finding a spurt of gas in an attempt to intercept an underhit back pass.
The busy Rebels kept coming, Alexander coming closed to capping a dream return from his injury woes with a cracking volley that kept Lunan on his toes with a smothering save. Soon after in came a free kick and skipper Ben Andrews came close to turning the ball home, Lunan shadowing the ball past his back stick. But then the perfidious Anemoi would conspire to deal a deadly blow to Hamlet thoughts of victory. A puff of wind gathered a long pass from midfielder, the ball floating beyond stranded defenders to the feet of Andrews, wide on the right of the Dulwich area. Providence or prodigy, only the Rebels skipper knew for sure as a chip, meant for a colleague charging into the far post perchance but, carried by the wind, left powerless Lunan leaden-footed as it drifted over his head and plopped into the net behind him.
Fired-up Hamlet launched a quick salvage operation but as he ball dropped to Charlie Taylor in the six yard box from Ryan Bernard’s header, the whistle blew for a foul perhaps, the striker’s frustrations manifest and a yellow card brandished.
Amidst the hustle and bustle, the chances were far from clear-cut though the balance of opportunity weighted heaviest on the Worthing scales. But for a piece of inspired improvisation from Lunan, Jamie Brotherton might have doubled the Worthing lead. Alexander’s clumsy pass fooled all but the lively Hughes who nipped past his marker as he collected the ball, getting off a shot, going wide until Brotherton’s interception diverted the ball towards the bottom right hand corner of Lunan’s net and cheered on its way home by the homesters until Lunan stuck out a foot to turn the ball away at the base of his upright.
How Dulwich did not draw level come the 38th minute will remain a mystery to all. Bernard’s precision pass released Benson Paka beyond the defence to gallop into the right pocket. A low driven ball was helped on by the most delicate of touches from Taylor to help the ball on its way to Stanley Muguo thundering in to the back post to connect with venom, but from an English ell the ball slammed against the hoardings, rather than rippling the net. “Flippin’ ell”, chorused the travelling troubadours of Champion Hill.
With Hamlet’s next raid, man mountain Bernard plunged forwards into the penalty, bundled his way past persistent markers but unable to get more than a mild stab on the ball to more than inconvenience Rikki Banks, Worthing’s guardian of the goal. But as if to remind Dulwich who held the whip hand the red tide flowed swiftly back up field with Brotherton again the foil for the raid, a hooked shot to cap the move dropping wide of the woodwork.
A storm would hit Woodside Road at the very start of the second half, its name was Muguo. Barely had 60 seconds ticked by from the restart and, as fans traipsed back into the ground from supping the last of the interval drinks, than the ball dropped to the Dulwich midfielder half a league and more from goal. None expected a shot, least of all ‘keeper Banks, though to be blessed with foresight might have the only saviour of his side, as Muguo smote the ball with a howitzer boot, straight and true into the top corner of the net as Banks clawed in vain at the drive’s steaming vapour trail.
Cue the Hamlet revival, borne on the wind that howled across the field of combat. As if to reinforce Worthing’s worries, the sky blacked. Where once late winter sun had dowsed the arena, now clouds, jet-black, heavy with rain, swept in from the Sussex Downs, dumping their heavy cargo upon Woodside Road and sending the last of the hardy fans scuttling for cover wherever they could find. No such respite though for the players, battling against elements and opponents, as the sheets of rain blocked out the light. Atrocious conditions did not dampen the ardour of the man in black for his book, with both Bernard and Ricky Dobson added to his Dulwich collection in the foul-spotter’s notebook.
Aided by the wind Dulwich yomped through the puddles into Worthing territory. A series of corners threatened but came to naught. From the right, the ball came in to be flicked on by Shayne Mangodza, leaping ahead of Banks but with the ‘keeper lost in Non Man’s Land, Marc Cumberbatch, eight yards out, could not direct a stooping header on target. A cracking header from Nugent, hanging in the air at the back of the six yard box, bounced a foot wide of the back post
Upon a skiddy surface, neither side seemed able to poke its head above the parapet, each afeared that the slightest error might lead to a goal that would condemn them to disastrous defeat. Then a Worthing replacement came within a fraction of breaking the impasse. Johnson, on moments earlier for Skinner, aquaplaned a pass through to Karly Akehurst, darting inside to help on his return cross on to Hughes but the midfielder crowned the cake with a sour cherry as he lamped the ball straight at Lunan. But this was merely a recce, as the teenage midfielder, a local lad on loan from Yeovil, popped up two minutes later to provide the killer blow and drive a stake in Hamlet hearts. Akehurst once more carved open the opportunity, the youngster latching on to the pass, cutting inside on his left foot, tucking the ball close and low beneath the diving Lunan.
Dark clouds parted from Worthing heads, but from the Dulwich bench thunderous rumblings. The brawn of Bernard made way for the pace of Plummer as Darryl rose from the bench. However Worthing, cemented by the returning Alexander, remained impenetrable in defence. Key tackles from the devils in red tormented Dulwich as they searched in vain for an equaliser. Dulwich’s increasing incursions laid bare their defence though further goals might have been harsh on the Hamlet, Brotherton and Akehurst both going close late on before the latter made way for Mark Pulling in the 90th minute. Extended injury time merely prolonged the agony, Dulwich’s season now on life-support whilst Worthing glance up the coast to Hastings as they seek to emulate their surprise success at last season’s post season play-off party.

Teams:
WFC: Rikki Banks; Joe Keehan; Andy Alexander; Stuart Axten; Ben Andrews (Capt.); Dominic Douglas; Jerahl Hughes; Karly Akehurst; Jamie Brotherton (Mark Pulling 88); Scott Kirkwood; Lloyd Skinner (Ben Johnson 66)
Substitutes not used: Enzo Benn; Chris Morrow; James Hancock

DHFC: Jamie Lunan; Steve May; Ricky Dobson; Benson Paka; Shayne Mangodza (Capt.); Marc Cumberbatch; Sebastian Schoburgh; Ryan Bernard (Darryl Plummer 82); Meshach Nugent; Charlie Taylor; Stanley Muguo
Substitutes not used: Billy Chattaway; Henry Darko; Osman Sesay; Sheikh Ceesay (GK)

Attendance: 312
Goalscoring:
1-0 WFC Ben Andrews 14th minute
1-1 DHFC Stanley Muguo 46th minute
2-1 WFC Jerahl Hughes 74th minute

Officials:
Referee: Mr G M Smith
Assistant referee: Mr A Colwell & Mr D Lyons