Dulwich Hamlet 3 Corinthian-Casuals 1

Dulwich Hamlet 3 Corinthian-Casuals 1
Ryman Isthmian League Division One South
Tuesday 9th September 2008

With a rat-a-tat-tat and a five minute fusillade of goals, Dulwich came from behind against the incommodious amateurs of Corinthian-Casuals whose obdurate defence of a sixth minute lead given them by Trevor Robinson’s pistol crack strike seemed set to upset the Hamlet on home turf. However a needless push gave Dulwich a lifeline just when it seemed that all their efforts would be in vain, Laurent Hamici’s piston powered penalty levelling matters and becoming the precursor for a blitz of goals that saw that early deficit turned in what was by full time a comfortable victory and a welcome three points.
As full time blew at Folkestone the thunderous look upon the face of Craig Edwards spelt doom for those whose performances were deemed below par and much changed starting XI bore testament to the manager’s desire to ensure such debacles would not be repeated. In a night of long knifes a number of players were given final ultimatums, stay to fight and prove yourselves or find employment elsewhere. A midfield much ravaged by injury and ill-fortune was bolstered as last season Players Player of the Year, Benson Paka, returned to Champion Hill to add his high-octane engine to the Hamlet heart. Alongside him Gillingham prodigy, Charlie Howard, a midfield starlet for the Kent side, out learning his trade in the rough and tumble of the Isthmian League. In attack Junior Kaffo returned to the battering ram centre-forward role he had performed diligently, if without reward, against Broxbourne in the FA Cup whilst there was a first start for former Millwall youngster Gary Noel.
If Dulwich had suffered a lost weekend for the Casuals the previous game, victory over moneybags Ashford Town, had been a welcome relief in a winless season so far as a late fightback won them all three points for the first time this term. Though young Howard’s perceptive cross field ball almost set up Steve May in the third minute, a hurried shot skewed away from goal, the Casuals kept up the Ashford momentum with the evening’s opening goal just three minutes later as from a throw-in Robinson’s deceptive swivel left May sprawled on the turf. Whilst most might have looked for a target in the box, Robinson pulled the trigger and smacked in a drive from the angle, laced with venom and pumped with power, that gave Jamie Lunan not a ghost of a chance, beating the ‘keeper at his near post, leaving the post quivering as it cracked in off the upright.
Age before beauty, Young Hamlet’s spurs and stabs countered by the more worldly-wise Casuals, who created a number of early openings and had Dan Jackson not scuffed a clear chance might have doubled their lead before the half was half done. Dulwich’s ripostes were sharp but infrequent. Kaffo almost got on to the end of skipper Marc Cumberbatch’s header down from a free kick, a defender’s boot to the rescue as ‘keeper Colin Harris hesitated. Were Hamlet over exerting themselves? A blur of legs when they attacked but Harris mainly untroubled as the efforts failed to find the target. The final quarter hour belonged to Dulwich but somehow a goal would not come. Like cobras on steroids Simpson and Hamici badgered the visiting defence. From the edge of the area Noel dragged a shot wide of the ‘keeper’s right hand stick. Next attack and Hamici chanced his arm with a larruped strike on the volley that had Harris flustered as he scrambled to pat-a-cake the ball behind for a corner. With sands running low, Dulwich kept up a move as sinuous and twisting as a Baghdad belly dancer despite copious Casuals attempts to stall it, if only Hamici’s finish had been better.
Having slipped the reins of their minders to play in the park, Dulwich were out for the second half before the Casuals had supped their half-time teas. Svelte ideas, fortified with aggression and adrenalin and the Casuals defence was showed its years as the young pups scythed at them again and again. Simpson’s pinpoint cross in from the left wing was met by Noel, leaping upon winged feet, his header flicking wide of the back stick. Howard smacked one in from distance, fizzing low but wide of the upright.
A caution for Casuals Chris Horwood and a dangerous free kick delivered deep by Hamici, Cumberbatch perhaps unwise to eschew a diving header for a side foot which failed to connect. A flurry of cards followed Dan Jackson’s bone crunching termination of May’s run out of defence rightly punished as was Hamici’s over exuberant leap into a tackle. May’s whipped cross in from the left was met by Simpson at the back of the box but his effort was blocked.
As the wheel of time turned ever on, the hopes of Hamlet never died but it took a moment of madness from Casuals’ substitute Lee Matthews to throw Dulwich the vital lifeline of a spot kick. Howard’s bombed cross from the left seemed to be going too deep and too long for Hamici to reach until Matthews decided to give him a helping hand, the defender’s shove so strong the unfortunate Hamlet man, already in flight, was almost pushed over the crossbar! Unsurprisingly the referee unerringly pointed to the penalty mark. Surprisingly the transgressor went unpunished, though Byron Brown’s protestations earned him the amateurs’ fourth caution of the evening. The imperturbable Hamici exacted his revenge with powerful spot kick hammered home. That was the cockspur for the Hamlet revival. Nerve, sinew, muscle and energy were thrust at the visitors. On 76 minutes the ball swept across the park to Simpson the leftwing marauder. A neat pass back inside to Paka, a low cross beyond the ‘keeper and there was Noel to tie the ribbon as he tucked the ball into the gaping net, a goal capped by an acrobatic flourish for his maiden goal. A double stab to the heart for gallant Casuals as Tyron Myton earned himself a second caution and rather unCorinthian dismissals swiftly became a triple tragedy for the Tolworth team as Dulwich added a third on 79 minutes. Casuals’ Mark Towse dithered too long on the ball in the middle of the park and Hamlet were upon him like wolves upon a wounded deer. A sliderule pass sent May scampering away like a pheasant before the beaters and through Harris tried to narrow the angle it was to no avail as the Hamlet man slipped the ball coolly under his diving body.
Frustration set in for the Casuals and a badge that once waved the flag of fair play as Chronos frowned upon them. Shielding the ball by the corner flag, Hamici was hacked at repeatedly by Matthews as a piece of rump steak upon the slab of some trainee butcher. For a sixth time a yellow card was waved in the face of Corinthian, the ghosts of that great team scowled. All this led for a extended bout of stoppage time but Harris prevented further scoring by the Hamlet as made a smart save, diving to flick away an angled volley from Simpson meeting Noel’s set-up.

DHFC: Jamie Lunan, Steve May, Billy Chattaway, Benson Paka, Cedric Ngakam (Ryan Bernard HT), Marc Cumberbatch, Gary Noel, Charlie Howard, Laurent Hamici (Daryl Plummer 90), Junior Kaffo, Scott Simpson
Substitutes not used: Peter Martin, Mohamed Coly, Sheikh Ceesay (GK)
Cautions: Laurent Hamici

CCFC: Colin Harris, Carlos Talbot (Lee Matthews 37), Byron Brown, Chris Horwood (Capt), James Rieve, Joe Funicello, Tyrone Myton, Luke Edghill, Dan Jackson , Steve Omonuo (Joe Nwoko 65), Trevor Robinson (Mark Towse 75)
Substitutes not used: Richard Price, Paul Smith (GK)
Cautions: Tyrone Myton, Chris Horwood, Dan Jackson, Byron Brown, Lee Matthews
Dismissal: Tyrone Myton 75 (Second Caution)

Goalscoring:
1-0 CCFC Trevor Robinson 6th minute
1-1 DHFC Laurent Hamici (pen) 73rd minute
2-1 DHFC Gary Noel 76th minute
3-1 DHFC Steve May 79th minute

Attendance: 192

Officials:
Referee: Mr Michael Webb (Woking, Surrey)
Assistant Referees: Mr Gareth Mays (Epsom, Surrey) & Mr Stefan Malczewski (Ashtead, Surrey)