Dulwich Hamlet 0 Kingstonian 3

Dulwich Hamlet 0 Kingstonian 3
Ryman Isthmian League Division One South
Friday 5th December 2008

“Ah! Well a-day! What evil looks, had I from old and young! Instead of the cross, the Albatross About my neck was hung.” The curse of the Manager of the Month cast its spell over the Hill as before a Friday night congregation of 400 or more, Craig Edwards Dulwich Hamlet had their long run sans defeat crushed in controversial style by a Kingstonian side who made a man advantage of more than a half tell to their profit, though it took until the dying minutes, as the cloying ground sapped the last dregs of energy from valiant Hamlet, for a brace of goals to put a victorious sheen upon a tenuous lead that Dulwich threatened to erase for large chucks of a pounding second half.
Four hundred plus at the Hill, the credit crunch forgotten for a night, the promotion crunch the topic for conversation as a judder of electric excitement crackled through the chill air of East Dulwich. Newly crowned Manager of the Month Craig Edwards ranged against the XI of Alan Dowson and his table topping K’s, the former keen to extend his charges’ stampede into the promotion places, the latter anxious to end a winless spell that had seen the chasing pack snap ever closer of the heels of his team. Edwards called upon the same starting eleven that had frustrated and fustigated Fleet Saturday last, Dowson shuffled his pack bringing in erstwhile Hamlet hero Jason Turley to stiffen a rearguard that had proved so porous lately, experience too added at the back with the promotion of old hand Wayne Finnie from the bench.
The pessimistic might have feared a nervous, tentative opening from trepidatious teams eager not to lose points to fellow promotion protagonists. the naysayers slunk back to their darkened dungeons of despondency as the game sprung into animated action ‘ere the first frozen peep from referee Mr Smith had drifted up into the dank dark skies of South London, the game a pulsating amalgam of bulldozer and Ferrari. Dulwich had the better of the early openings, best of the chances from the booming boot of Jamie Lunan as his free kick dropped into the Kingstonian area, flicked on to Shayne Mangodza, the defender nodding the ball goalwards over K’s ‘keeper Luke Garrard but left to watch in agony as the header loping a fraction over the crossbar.
The K’s rejoindered as Carl Wilson-Denis, a flash of summer lightning in a brief Hamlet career before larger purses beckoned, motored past Billy Chattaway at left back, cutting inside and laying a ball sweetly upon the toes of Simon Huckle, the K’s midfielder wasting the opening with shot ballooned over the crossbar.
What might have been a calamitous clearance from Garrard proved the precursor for the evening opening goal 12 minutes in. K’s claiming the sliced hoof in the middle of the park, the ball spread out to the wing and Liam Collins with the turbocharger at full chat. A delivery to Tommy Williams, all peroxide tonsure and bohemian beard, the veteran midfield stroking a sweet strike that deserved to find the back of the net as Lunan was left spellbound. A brief relief as the ball cannoned back from angle of post and bar but all too brief as Wilson-Dennis snuck ahead of the last defenders and tucked the rebound home as he lurked on the edge of the six yard box.
Were it not for Lunan, the deficit might have been rapidly doubled as the diminutive Jamie Byatt switched on the afterburners once more, penetrating Hamlet defences on the left wing after dragging down a steepling crossfield ball. Beating a brace of defenders, Lunan remained his last obstacle but one he could not beat, the Dulwich custodian blocking a close range attempt.
A riposte from the Hamlet as despite slipping on the treacherous turf, Junior Kaffo kept a steady leg to poke the ball into the path of Laurent Hamici, the forward’s bazooka blast rippling the side netting as Garrard flung himself across goal. Moments later and the K’s defence was breached once more, a booming delivery from the right and Benson Paka picking out Daryl Plummer ghosting in behind a heavy-footed Turley. Plummer skipped back Garrard as the ‘keeper prostrated himself before him, but the angle to goal had contracted almost to nothing. Still Plummer got away a shot on target, the ball beating the covering defender but bouncing back into play from the base of the upright before being propelled stratospherically to safety.
Science blended with pugilism on muddied fields, antagonists all as the sides traded chances, K’s the clearer of them with Bobby Traynor, usually a deadly assassin in front of goal, sending Collins rightwing delivery spiralling over the bar after he had stretched out a foot ahead of a diving Lunan. Seconds later and the leprechaun of the left was playing his tricks upon the Hamlet defence but Lunan was once more his nemesis out to block.
A loud plaint from the Hamlet as Lunan’s free kick caused consternation in the visitors’ penalty area, Marc Cumberbatch shoved to the floor as he went in pursuit of a loose ball. A rapid breakout from the men in hoops and a last ditch attempt at a tackle on the edge of the area, the man in black cautioning offender Plummer but Williams’ free kick hardly worthy of the name as the wall absorbed the first attempt and the rebound larruped well wide. Left in a wilderness of midfield, Byatt set sights on goal but a weak effort proved little danger to Lunan.
Eight minutes from the break, the game took a pivotal turn in favour of the hosts. A clash on the half way line say Junior Kaffo sickeningly crumple to the floor, Mr Smith ignoring matters for a moment until drawn to the motionless Kaffo, summoning assistance from the bench. As he was doing so, the furies were unleashed as players rushed from all corners to “discuss” the incident. Turley spat out disparaging words upon the horizontal Kaffo, but it was mild compared to the wrath erupting around him. Amidst the mêlée, harsh words were exchanged, the officials impotent as players played peacemakers amidst the tension. Mr Smith stepped back, summoned his assistants from their distant posts before dispensing long-drawn-out justice. The sentences might not match the time taken to mete out the punishment. Eventually a red card to Stanley Muguo was flourished. K’s Adam Johnstone was summoned top the bench then Laurent Hamici – a yellow card for each. Contrasting reactions from home bench and away, Edwards incandescent, the world against him and his men once more, Dowson a Cheshire Cat grin upon his face as his men escaped the noose. A further caution as 45 minutes rang up, Wilson-Dennis booked as a quickly free kick was blasted against the back of his legs, meant interminable additional time but further chances failed to materialise.
The second half, we mused, might well be the Alamo. K’s were out bouncing around the pitch ahead of the second half long before their hosts, locked in spirited discussion in the dressing room as they planned second half retaliation. Yet it was the K’s who were first to show after the break. Amidst a penalty area mêlée, Simpson’s tackle on Collins draw wails of complaint from red clad warriors but Mr Smith evened his tally of rebuffed appeals, brushing away the pleas.
Missed chances continued to dog the K’s but diminished Dulwich were not prepared to lay down and die. Halftime had seen Chattaway withdrawn with industrious Simpson dropping back to cover that role albeit with an attacking portfolio still to carry. Replacing Chattaway on the field and Simpson in the vanguard was Sol Pinnock, the prodigal son making his return to the Hamlet after errant ways had seen him move from tenants Fisher, down to Kentish Welling and over to suburban Walton & Hersham, but South London’s call could not resisted by the prodigious urban sophisticate, Acacia Avenue switch for Lordship Lane.
The sending off late in the first half proved to much for Dulwich who failed to create any clear cut chances in the second half resorting to long range efforts gaining a few corner kicks at most, which were subsequently wasted. The missing man left gaps, in space if not in heart, and Hamlet pushed ever onwards a bevy of corners forced as the pressure was upped. K’s defence, reinforcements from all over the field called upon when the pink and blue wave drove on, held firm, Dulwich unable to scramble one through, Paka, Hamici and Cumberbatch all trying but failing.
Hamlet spirit could have been bottled in the persona of Kaffo, who strove manfully even when hampered by cramp until replaced by Fas Koroma midway through the half. As the syrupy pitch tugged even harder at tiring limbs, a killer blow came from Byatt with 8 minutes remaining, painfully within moments of a Hamlet attack being thwarted, the pocket-sized wingman with a cudgel blow to Hamlet hopes as he spied a space to shoot and unleashed an unerringly drive low into the bottom corner of the net beyond the fingertips of the plunging Lunan. Byatts’s maiden goal for the K’s saw the winger submerged under a shower of so many kisses one wonder if mistletoe was dangled from the Dulwich bar!
If one hex had not been enough, the moment the Voice of Champion Hill crackled into life to announce Lunan’s merited award as Man of the Match, the Hamlet custodian found himself picking the ball from the back of the net. The game had already moved into stoppage time but K’s with a cushion chose an offensive option for a corner, the ball swung deep across the box to the Simon Huckle, awaiting alone at the back of the box, and taking a single touch to bring the ball upon his spell before letting loose a firecracker strike into the roof of the net.

Teams:
DHFC: Jamie Lunan; Shayne Mangodza; Billy Chattaway (Sol Pinnock HT); Benson Paka; Cedric Ngakam; Marc Cumberbatch; Daryl Plummer; Stanley Muguo; Laurent Hamici; Junior Kaffo (Fasineh Koroma 83); Scott Simpson
Substitutes not used: Dominic Weston; Mamadou Meite-Sissocko; Sheikh Ceesay (GK)

KFC: Luke Garrard; Jason Turley; Jon Coke; Adam Thompson; Wayne Finnie; Simon Huckle; Liam Collins; Tommy Williams; Bobby Traynor; Carl Wilson-Denis (Jon Neal 67);Jamie Byatt
Substitutes not used: Jamie Beer; Neil Lampton; Rob Sheridan; Luke Naughton (GK)

Goalscoring:
1-0 KFC Carl Wilson-Denis 12th minute
2-0 KFC Jamie Byatt 83rd minute
3-0 KFC Simon Huckle 90+1 minutes

Officials:
Referee: Mr Robert Smith (Croydon, Surrey)
Assistant Referees: Mr Stephen Earl (Mitcham, Surrey) & Mr Roger Wells (Coulsdon, Surrey)

Attendance: 413