Dulwich Hamlet 1 Walton and Hersham 1

Dulwich Hamlet 1 Walton and Hersham 1
Ryman Isthmian League Division One South
Saturday 22nd November 2008

What a grey day for the Hamlet. Overcast, sullen skies above and stolid football on field. Walton and Hersham have a plan, one that has stood them in stead as they recovered from the recent stutters that saw an early season lead whittled away as the pack swallowed them up.
Little of note happened in a cagey first half. Walton's Zak Graham headed over from close range when well placed after 13 minutes before a spark of life briefly blazed with visiting custodian Antony Hall magnificently leaping to turn over a screaming 20 yard strike from Laurent Hamici. Not long after a Jamie Lunan free kick was nodded down by Marc Cumberbatch, the ball dropping to Scott Simpson but under pressure he lifted the ball over the crossbar from 12 yards out.
Best effort of the half for the Swans came when Jordan Cheadle chanced his arm with a long range cross shot on the run that had Lunan scrambling down to the base of his left-hand post to shovel away as Phil Cramp lurked, waiting to pick up any scraps. Before a breath could be drawn Dulwich were attacking but the returning Theo Fairweather-Johnson failed to capitalise on a weak header from Dan Nwanze, hooking the ball wide after his opponent had nodded down a cross into his path. Already without regular left back Billy Chattaway due to suspension, Simpson lost to offence as he slotted into cover, Dulwich then lost right back Peter Martin after a hamstring twinge, manager Craig Edwards forced into a reshuffle at the back as Shayne Mangodza cam on in his stead. Not long after a Benson Paka free kick flew tantalisingly across the face of goal, Cedric Ngakam a whisker away from connecting with a header. As the half moved into stoppage time, Daryl Plummer was chopped down on the run by Scott Hassell, the foul earning the Walton man a caution but Dulwich failed to take advantage of a free kick a couple of yards outside the area, Simpson larruping the ball over.
It was a testy start to the second half, Stanley Muguo and Hamici booked in quick succession by Mr Breakspear of Walton-on-Thames, the man in black cautioned Muguo for dissent then, perhaps leniently, putting Hamici's name in the book after the striker had reacted to a lunging tackle from substitute Paul Sears in front of the Walton dugout.
With the hour ticking by a deep cross from the right wing was miscontrolled by Hassell to present Hamici with the sort of half-chance he thrives on, but the Hamlet striker snatched at the gift, a low drive from outside the box dragged wide.
Having negated Hamlet's threats for so long, Walton boss Jimmy Bolton had played the first of his jokers, former Hamlet hitman Sol Pinnock adding a breath of fresh air and attacking ambition to the Swans' offence. Indeed Pinnock might have created a goal against his old employers, capitalising on a slip in defence to drag the ball past Lunan and chip back across goal towards his waiting skipper Nwanze. However Ngakam was there first to nod the ball away from under the crossbar, the big centre half fouled or so Mr Breakspear thought.
On 65 minutes a dropping speculative half-volley from Plummer, standing five yard outside the area, almost caught Hall flatfooted but the ball flopping onto the roof of the net. However six minutes later the stalemate was finally broken with a goal of sublime brilliance from Hamici. Tough tackling robbing Walton of the ball in the middle of the park, a sliderule pass sending Hamici scampering away from the leaden footed last line of defence. Hall made full use of his mighty girth in narrowing the angle, but Hamici was unfazed drilling the ball under the corpulent keeper to give Hamlet the lead.
Walton responded by finally breaking cover, the darting Troy Ferguson off the bench and the perfect foil for Pinnock. At last the contest came alive. Plummer on another day might have scored as he trapped Paka's pass in, turning Hassell first this way then that but lacking the power on his shot to beat the alert Hall. Such is fortune though that Dulwich, the width of a coat of paint from going 2-0 as Hamici smacked a strike against the inside of the upright, found themselves dragged level seconds later. A lightning fast break, Dulwich caught unawares as the ball was swiftly sent upright, a chipped pass in behind defence, twixt Cumberbatch and Lunan and with neither committing was meat and drink for Pinnock, the substitute putting past loyalties behind as he dinked a chip over the fast retreating Lunan and into the net.
If blame could be attached to the 'keeper, he atoned himself in magnificent fashion three minutes later. Midfield fed Pinnock, the ball quickly tapped back to strike partner Ferguson who hit a stunning first time volley from fully 25 yards that looked a goal all the way until Lunan, twisting and stretching somehow found the extra inches to tip the ball away and over from under his own crossbar.
Right at the death one last chance from Dulwich to stretch their winning league run to six on the spin as Plummer whipped in a cross from the leftwing, substitute Junior Kaffo unable to connect as the ball swung across the six yard box and, at the back of the box, Paka unable to turn the ball home as it bounced awkwardly up against him.
Whether this was a point earned or two lost will be a matter to debate over the ales, but Walton will prove tough nuts to crack for more experienced teams than the Hamlet lads.

Teams:
DHFC: Jamie Lunan; Peter Martin (Shayne Mangodza 39); Scott Simpson; Benson Paka; Cedric Ngakam; Marc Cumberbatch; Daryl Plummer; Stanley Muguo; Laurent Hamici; Gary Noel; Theo Fairweather-Johnson (Junior Kaffo 67)
Substitutes not used: Famoud Sonko; Fasineh Koroma; Sheikh Ceesay

W&HFC: Antony Hall; Scott Hassell; Jordan Cheadle; Craig Dunne; Louis Clark; Matt Elverson; Adam Moriarty; Rob Wilkinson (Paul Sears 45); Zak Graham (Troy Ferguson 73); Phil Cramp (Sol Pinnock 54); Dan Nwanze (Capt.)
Substitutes not used: Matt Martin; Sam Butler

Goalscoring:
1-0 DHFC Laurent Hamici 71st minute
1-1 DHFC Sol Pinnock 80th minute

Officials:
Referee: Mr Craig Breakspear (Walton-on-Thames)
Assistant Referees: Mr Dave Sheldrake (West Molesey) & Mr John Ryan (Worcester Park)