HENDON FC 2 DULWICH HAMLET 1

HENDON FC 2 DULWICH HAMLET 1
The FA Cup Sponsored by E.On – Second Qualifying Round Replay

(at Earlsmead, Harrow Borough)
Wednesday 1st October 2008

The dream has died and Dulwich are out, ninety minutes of full-pelt football but over 180 minutes of play not enough to see off the Wandering Dons. The Wembley Arch o'erlowered the journey to Earlsmead, hosts to itinerant Hendon for this rematch of the sleeping giants, taut reminder of what might be, what might be should some oligarch come rapping upon the door. But then to Earlsmead where bright lights burn out the suburban slumber, casting shadows around a ramshackle ground that so often had been the graveyard of Hamlet hopes. Would tonight be different? The first twenty minutes said nay. Daryl Plummer cross from the wing in the very first attack squirmed from the hands of Berkeley Lawrencin. Over the line? The eagle-eyed Hamlet ramble said yay, the assistant referee demurred. On seven minutes the Greens had the lead as Dulwich’s reshuffled defence, still without Ryan Bernard and missing Steve May, trapped by London Transport, succumbed to penetrative thrusting from their “hosts”. Glenn Garner fed the electric Harry Hunt, the young striker hitting the gas to escape the clutches of Billy Chattaway, driving to the by-line and pulling a low ball across the face of the six yard box. Not a touch from defender nor attacker until at the back of the box Dave Diedhiou changed in to smack the ball home at the back stick despite Jamie Lunan’s desperate dive.
Dulwich threatened when a long through ball had Laurent Hamici, still suffering the twinges of injury but fast enough to outpace a trio of defenders, in pursuit but Lawrencin was aware enough to rush from his line and snatch the ball from the toes of the Hamlet hitman. Soon after a corner was one, skipper Marc Cumberbatch in the ascendancy as he rose to meet it but on guar at the back stick Lubomir Guentchev nodded the ball away.
Having rarely threatened since grabbing that advantage, Hendon spotted a chink in Hamlet’s rearguard and exploited it ruthlessly. Regular right back May had been severely delayed by transport trouble (oh for Pericles Johnson and his Athenian vision of London to be born in flesh; each man his own chariot and steed!) and Fasineh Koroma, drafted into that position in his stead had looked uncomfortable in an unfamiliar role. Guentchev flowed past him like a fine Bulgarian wine, Koroma struggling his opponent nipped past and rolled the ball back to the lurking Hunt. No second invitation for the predatory youngster who larruped the ball high past the hands of Lunan and into the roof of the old onion bag.
The ease with depleted Dulwich had been fleeced on the flanks had older supporters calling for the smelling salts as nightmares of a 10-1 mauling by Hendon back in their sixties golden age cam flooding back. However the Hamlet lads, unhampered by ancient memories, girded the loins and came back snarling back at the Dons. From 25 yards out Hamici spun of a brace off green-shirted markers sending a rifled drive a foot over the crossbar. From a corner Lawrencin spilled the ball under pink pressure, amid the melee Junior Kaffo’s stabbed effort deflected wide. The tricky Gray Noel produced a three point turn on the corner of the penalty area that left his markers prostrate upon their posteriors, an angled cross to the back stick nodded back across goal by Plummer but plucked from the head of Kaffo by the alert Lawrencin. A moment later Scott Simpson drove in a bobbling strike from distance that had the Hendon custodian scrambling across his goal as the ball bounced wide of the far upright.
Injury forced Hendon into a change at the break as Rakatahr Hudson was pulled off, James Burgess replacing him. Others might have wished it were them as Dulwich rampaged at them from the off, infused with stirring words from management. “Forward, the Light Brigade! Charge for the guns' he said: Into the valley of Death rode the six hundred.” Six hundred might only have been eleven but to the started Dons, rabbits in the headlines of the chundering Hamlet juggernaut. “'Forward, the Light Brigade!' Was there a man dismay’d? Not tho' the soldier knew some one had blunder'd: Theirs not to make reply, theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do & die.”
Three minutes in and a great chance for Mo Coly but from 10 yards he stabbed the ball into the body of the cowering ‘keeper. The pink and blue wave crashed down again and again until at last the defence buckled. On the hour mark the defenders stuttered, chances to clear went begging and the ball ran to Noel wide on the right of the area. With eyes only for goal, the tyro striker unleashed a ferocious rising drive for the smallest of targets, Lawrencin powerless as the ferocious strike zipped past him into the top corner of the net.
Hendon might have hit back with immediate effect when Garner was allowed a free run to the by-line, pulling the ball back for Guentchev but from close range he found only the side netting. Like a Polar Bears in Marrakech, that chance sat alone. Dulwich roared into attack, Chattaway’s impetus taking him through tackle after tackle before he was felled ten yards from the area. Hamici swept up the loose ball, rattled a shot goalwards that deflected off a defender, cannoned off Noel and looking to be heading for the bottom corner until Lawrencin pounced upon it. Route one for the Hamlet as Lunan bombed a free kick into the penalty area, Coly turning to try and hook the ball home only to find Lawrencin there to block his path.
The Hamlet brought Tom Bolarinwa for Hamici, also pushed Junior Kaffo into a more advanced role as they strove for that elusive equaliser.
Hendon’s Polar Bear found a friend when a lunging tackle saw the Dons awarded a free kick mere yards from the brink of the box, Hamici booked for his protests. However timid execution of the dead ball saw the ball knocked to Guentchev, who found the whole Dulwich army upon him before he let off a shot of note. A Dulwich corner nodded back across goal by the towering Cumberbatch snatched away from Bolarinwa, and then with the tie ebbing from them came glorious opportunity. Simpson was released in an acre of space on the left flank, delivering the most tempting of cross towards Kaffo, dissecting the Hendon centre halves. From five yards out the script had been written for that glory moment but, to the horror of the Hamlet horde, he somehow scooped his header over the crossbar. Like a punctuated balloon, the oxygen drained from the Hamlet. Hendon played keep ball, frustrating Chattaway who was booked after an altercation with an opponent. More frustrating though that Dulwich had succumbed after all their second half endeavours.

Teams:
HFC: Berkley Lawrencin; Kevin Maclaren; Craig Vargas; Marc Leach; Mark Kirby; James Bent; Lubomir Guentchev; Dave Diedhiou (Frank Wilson 90); Harry Hunt; Rakatahr Hudson (James Burgess HT); Glenn Garner (Charlie Mapes 71)
Substitutes not used: Festus Mansaray; Richard Wilmot (GK); Danny Dyer; Kayan Kalipha

DHFC: Jamie Lunan; Fasineh Koroma; Billy Chattaway; Mohamed Coly; Junior Kaffo; Marc Cumberbatch; Daryl Plummer; Charlie Howard; Laurent Hamici (Tom Bolarinwa 76); Gary Noel; Scott Simpson
Substitutes not used: Kyle Graham; Peter Martin; Tyran James; Nicholas Ogbanufee; Steve May; Sheikh Ceesay

Goalscoring:
1-0 HFC Dave Diedhiou 8th minute
2-0 HFC Harry Hunt 22nd minute
2-1 DHFC Gary Noel 60th minute

Officials:
Referee: Mr Richard Kendall
Assistant Referees: Mr Liam Walshe & Mr Boris Zbirka

Attendance: 139