Godalming Town 0 Dulwich Hamlet 0

Godalming Town 0 Dulwich Hamlet 0
Ryman Isthmian League Division One South
Tuesday 14th October 2008

A musty air hung over Wey Court as Dulwich Hamlet were held scoreless by Chuck Martini’s Godalming, a side branded “too nice” by their manager after an FA Trophy humbling by Enfield Town in their last home outing but responding by going from nice to “noughty”! Whether it was good defending or poor finishing must depend to whose standard one nails the colours for Dulwich must have been disappointed not to greater exploit the flanks where the wing twins of Tom Bolarinwa and Daryl Plummer found enough space and time to reseed the potatoes that had earlier been lifted from a uneven pitch, made slick by early evenings showers.
Dulwich started Edwards Martini III (this time it’s managerial!) with the XI that had began the fight back at Sittingbourne, Bolarinwa coming into the starting line-up in the stead of Gary Noel. Likewise the hosts made just a single change from their valiant FA Cup exit at Havant and Waterloovile, prompting a shiver of anticipation amongst the home support, a tremor of trepidation amongst Hamlet’s travelling band, as leading scorer Kenny Ojukwu reclaimed his place in the Godalming vanguard.
First to make his mark was fecund Laurent Hamici, anxious to sign off on a goalscoring note before his season’s indiscretions forced into sojourn for the Hamlet’s forthcoming Trophy tie at the Met Police. Unlocking the offside trap with the dexterity of a seasoned goal burglar, Hamici snuck in to drive a shot across the body of ‘keeper Rodney Chiweshe but beyond the back stick. Early warning not of Godalming threat but of a bizarre display of refereeing from the man in black Mr Robinson came as the Dulwich goal was subjected to intense pressure from a sustained Godalming assault. All the while the assistant referee remained stock-still with flag aloft in indication of a hoist offence. Just as Brahim Eloumani rifled a shot in on goal, the referee waved play on, apparently signalling a Dulwich advantage, Fortunately Jamie Lunan was well-placed behind Stanley’s shot for Mr Robinson might have found himself buried beneath a barrage of protests from every direction.
Eight minutes and Graeme Purdy failed to punish the Hamlet as he missed a most glorious opening, flinging himself to get ahead of Ryan Bernard to Andy Ottley’s rightwing cross and connect with a diving header, only to send the ball wide of the back stick by a country mile.
The fancy feet of Daryl Plummer set up Benson Paka, the midfield maestro swinging the ball wide to Tom Bolarinwa scampering down the right. A deep cross was well met by the head of Scott Simpson, but his header skimmed wide of the upright. Hamici was but a fraction from giving Hamlet the lead after the quarter hour as he stole the ball from the toes of Simpson, his snapshot leaving Chiweshe clawing at the ether, but cracking against the outside of the post.
Ojukwu’s muscular charge into the area setting up Purdy but his shot on goal failed to trouble Lunan. Likewise a Marc Cumberbatch header as the big defender rose highest through the forest of defenders to flick on Lunan’s free kick.
Having traded punches for a breathless if untidy 20 minutes, the combatants took stock, eased off the gas and began to probe rather than punch, looking for that one chance to land a haymaker. Mr Robinson’s whistle began to take centre stage; one half expected the Notting Hill Carnival to parade through the stockbroker belt. Cue angry letters to the Daily Mail!
Having been cancelled out by their hosts, Dulwich gained an upper hand as half time drew closer. A sweeping move, up hill, down dale and along furrow saw the ball wed its way out to Plummer on the left wing. The wingman cut the ball back inside to Hamici, the striker jinking past a flatfooted defender but throwing emulsion upon a meisterwerk when a simple signature was required, the ball blazed harmlessly wide of the far upright. A moment later the chance to atone fell to Bolarinwa, the nippy winger hurling himself headlong ahead of G’s skipper Richard Taylor to connect with a valiant header but the ball brushed the near post.
The balance of opportunity slightly weighted in hosts favours as round two began, but the scales of chance all but bare. Eloumani threatened once more but his shot skewed wide from 15 yards. Plummer’s tempting ball across the box had no takers.
Officialdom gained fewer friends as Godalming believed they had made the breakthrough come the 58th minute. Taylor’s throw towards Carl Hutchings, lurking on the backline, was nodded back into the heart of the six yard box by the one-time Tooting man but as he did so the assistant’s flag went up and the whistle blew. Purdy had a simple task of dispatching the ball past Lunan, but whistle already sounded Dulwich relaxed. Frustrated Godalming protested in vain, believing the ball had not passed out of play before Hutchings had returned it. The Frustration manifested itself in such meaty challenges as yellow cards sprayed about in directions like a host of golden daffodils.
Bombardier Lunan’s free kick rattled the home defence, Godalming struggling to clear after Cumberbatch had flicked the ball on. Bolarinwa inter alia tried but failed and to the relief of the hosts the ball was finally cleared.
Rigid defence denied Godalming few openings, leaden footed offence easy prey for a well-executed offside trap. When the trap did fail, Luna proved adequate cover, denying the ubiquitous Eloumani in a one-on-one after Ojukwu had muscled Peter Martin off the ball and swung the ball in from the flanks. From thee resultant corner Ottley’s drifted delivery found Purdy, a shot rattled off goalwards only to be palmed onto the crossbar by the quick reacting Lunan before being cleared after Stanley shot the rebound into a mass of players. Dulwich tried for a break and might have done so had Purdy’s scything tackle not derailed Martin in flight. A caution followed.
Ojukwu tormented young Martin, spinning off and firing in a strike from the angle but ell high of the target. Glen Stanley also shot wide from an excellent position. Spared Dulwich girded the lions for one last attack as sands slipped through the glass. Two minutes over and Paka’s rifle shot brought a save of pure class from the under tested Chiweshe, his absence from action unapparent as he went full length to batter the shot away. Still time for nervous moments in defence as Taylor’s booming throw into the heart of the penalty area reached substitute Kristian Webb, a dinked head sailing beyond Ojukwu’s forehead and harmlessly beyond the back post.
Come Valentine’s Day 2009, Edwards Martini IV at Champion Hill, tonight’s phoney war will have long faded from memory by then.

Teams:
GFC: Rodney Chiweshe; Andy Ottley (Shaun Elliott 84); Brahim Eloumani; Carl Hutchings; Damien Matthews (Chris Wales 68); Richard Taylor (Capt.); Glen Stanley; Victor Kiri; Graeme Purdy (Kristian Webb 81); James Mariner; Kenny Ojukwu
Substitutes not used: Adam Haddad, Garry Aulsberry (GK)

DHFC: Jamie Lunan; Peter Martin; Billy Chattaway; Benson Paka; Ryan Bernard; Marc Cumberbatch; Daryl Plummer; Cedric Ngakam; Laurent Hamici; Tom Bolarinwa (Fasineh Koroma 78); Scott Simpson
Subs not used: Gary Noel; Junior Kaffo; Mohamed Coly; Sheikh Ceesay

Officials:
Referee: Mr Tim Robinson
Assistant Referees: Mr David Gordon & Mr Tony Foster

Attendance: 108