Dulwich Hamlet 0 Corinthian Casuals 0

Dulwich Hamlet 0 Corinthian Casuals 0
Ryman Isthmian League Division One South
Tuesday 5th February 2008

For the 111th time of asking in the Isthmian League, Dulwich Hamlet crossed swords with the Casuals, who eschewed the Chocolate and Pink motley of Corinthians in favour of a plain unadorned strip reminiscent of that historic club who, in former, better times, swapped the white of the Casuals for the white of England. Not since the grey days of early seventies, when strikes and power cuts blighted the land and the only flare came from one’s trousers, had these teams, who had bestrode amateur football like colossi in the sepia tinted days of yore, failed to produce at least a goal in their clashes. However the curse of that fateful number, 111, Nelson seemed to hand over benighted Champion Hill like a pall. Early Corinthian assaults, testing Sheikh Ceesay to the utmost, gave way to Trojan defending from the visitors albeit aiding and abetted by a Dulwich side, blunted in its own attacking ambitions since the curtains came up on 2008.
Dewayne Clarke, the only change for Hamlet from the side that had stilled the tide of Dover for so long on Saturday; his weekend replacement, the electric eel of the wing, Sebastian Schoburgh retaining the place in which he had finished that encounter. For his part Casuals supremo Brian Adamson, the icy presence of relegation hovering at his shoulder, shuffled his pack like a drunken gambler hoping to bring an end to a ten game winless streak, the last five with nary a point. Former hero of the Hamlet, the acrobatic Tyrone Myton whose travels had taken him to suburban Tolworth via Scandinavian fields, started.
By the far the lively in the opening exchanges were the visitors. Hamlet seemed almost stunned that such lowly visitors had the audacity to rise up like neophyte Christians, loath to be devoured by Hamlet lions, the main course ready to smite the diners upon the nose. In a rambunctious opening passage it was the Casuals who would come closest to an early opener, the quicksilver Myton lashing an angled drive fiercely across the goal matching by a flying save from the sprightly Ceesay, turning the ball around his far post with an elastic dive.
Half the half had gone before Dulwich could muster a response as skipper Shawn Beveney muscled and squirmed his way through a wall of white on the edge of the box, only to be robbed of the chance of a shot as the gallant goalkeeper, Paul Smith, flung himself at the striker’s feet to smother the ball. But a moment’s respite for the Hamlet as Casuals’ rapier-like incision won them a corner, taken short to catch Dulwich short. An impudent effort from Matt Smith as he curled in a cross cum shot from wide had Ceesay stretched as if on the rack but the ball crept over the Hamlet custodian’s crossbar.
Stung Hamlet hit back with a corner of their own as Scott Hassell’s timely headed inception cut out Billy Chattaway’s leftwing cross bound for the head of Schoburgh. The delivery found the head of Shayne Mangodza, rising unchallenged but though met with aplomb his effort just failed to find the top corner of the net.
Chances swapped as Matt Smith’s low drive from outside the box after an incisive run fund only Ceesay before the action switched and Paul Smith reacted well to shovel a creeping angled strike from Beveney around the base of his left hand upright. Once more the Hamlet were in the ascendancy as the corner swung across but Beveney could only flick his header agonisingly across the face of goal. However best opportunity of the first 45 would fall to Myton as a cruel bounce deceived Ricky Dobson, letting the Casuals attacker in on goal. A crashing drive on the volley threatened a goal but the ever-alert Ceesay had sprung from his line to narrow the angle and batter down Myton’s shot.
Strangled by his markers, Meshach Nugent at last escaped their clutch on 38 minutes pirouetting on the ball to let loose a strike from 25 yard out. Paul Smith though was its equal as he smothered the shot in textbook style. Allowed to run too far by hesitant Hamlet, Ayokule Olusesi carved a hole through the middle before slipping the ball wide to Byron Brown but he failed to crown the chance with a drive, though on target, too close to Ceesay. Yet Dulwich still found the time to time back once more, another corner fast, Mangodza looping a header on to the roof of the net, but not before the long-travelled referee had spotted an infringement elsewhere.
The break saw a change for Dulwich as Daryl Plummer took over the wing wizard mantle from Schoburgh, almost instantly announcing himself as a rival for that position with some lunging thrusts at the Casuals flank. A trio of corner saw early siege laid at the gates of Casuals’ goal, Nugent twice denied as headers were flicked away upon the very threshold of the goal line. A powerful punch denied Beveney as Paul Smith beat him to the most tempting of crosses. Beveney’s run then set up Chattaway but from 15 yards out he scooped a drive over the bar, having held of a marker twice his bulk. Hamlet had the Casuals under a blanket of Pink and Blue, but on the hour mark a free kick could, nay should, have given them the vital fillip of a goal as Brown ran into the heart of the penalty area, free as a bird, to connect with a chipped in free kick, only to flick his header away from goal, almost as if in agoraphobic fear at the space granted him.
Sweet switchback as Dulwich sculpted an opening with crafted football, Chattaway the ultimate beneficiary as he burst into the box only to stumble under the challenge of Hassell. A brief wail of “penalty” rose from the knot of chilled fans, unsated by their annual spot kick award of the weekend, but unmoved; Mr Burton was in parsimonious mood.
A change was in order and Benson Paka, unrecognisable in form, out of sorts, made way for striker Charlie Taylor. His fellow replacement, Plummer, though was soon earning more plaudits as he won the chase for a long cross field ball, zipping past Richard Price, before clouting the ball goalwards from an unexpected angle, Paul Smith powerless as the ball singed the topside of his crossbar. Not long to wait for Taylor to have an impact, his instinctive run on goal creating the opening for Beveney but upon the tricky surface he drove his effort in the body of the Casuals’ custodian.
All power to the engines as Junior Baker became the final Hamlet substitution with less than a dozen minutes of football ahead. More corners forced, more hardy resistance and no white flag from the men in white, though skipper Chris Horwood might have found himself drowned in ignominy had his wild clearance inside his own six yard not cleared the bar. Gamesmanship that might have riled the spectres of the past gazing down from the Elysian football fields now took hold but it served its purpose as the match dragged into stoppage time, five minutes in all but even that was not enough to throw Hamlet a lifeline, as Chattaway was set up by Beveney, himself the beneficiary of Steve May’s industry in the corner, but the shot dug out rose over the bar.

Teams:
DHFC: Sheikh Ceesay; Steve May; Ricky Dobson (Junior Baker 82); Benson Paka (Charlie Taylor 73); Shayne Mangodza; Marc Cumberbatch; Shawn Beveney; Billy Chattaway; Meshach Nugent; Stanley Muguo; Sebastian Schoburgh (Daryl Plummer HT)
Substitutes not used: Dewayne Clarke; Lumumba Amena

CCFC: Paul Smith; Richard Price (Russell Banyard 86); Dale Hennessey; Scott Hassell; Chris Horwood (Capt); Lee Matthews; Matt Smith; Ayokule Olusesi; Daniel Green; Tyrone Myton; Byron Brown
Substitutes not used: Hinga Amara; Carlton Murray-Price; Danny Sacha; Colin Harris (GK)

Attendance: 264

Officials:
Referee: Mr Gary Burton (Reading, Berkshire)
Mr Stephen Earl (Mitcham, Surrey) & Mr Jeff Lengthorn (New Eltham, London)

Dulwich Hamlet 1 Dover Athletic 1

Dulwich Hamlet 1 Dover Athletic 1
Ryman Isthmian League Division One South
Saturday 2nd February 2008

Relieved Dover Athletic left Champion Hill with the much-needed point that enabled them to fend off the challenge of Tooting at the top for another week but disappointed Dulwich will once more look to a late, late goal that snatched away the chance of claiming all three points almost at the death. Though Dover held the upper hand for much of the early exchanges they failed to batter down the band of brothers in Dulwich's defence, one for all and all for one, as the Red tide swept down upon them. Even when those hardy defences were breached poor finishing served to frustrate the Men of Kent. Backed by their legion of travellers the visitors posted intent with an incisive attack within the opening two minutes, the wily Frannie Collin sent scurrying away in the left pocket, hotfooting it past Ricky Dobson to cut a gash across the face of the Hamlet goal with a low drive, one that should have been better crowned than with Craig Cloke’s off-key larrup into the side netting at the back of the six yard box. A long, drifting free kick headed into the arms of Ceesay, a scuffed shot off target when well-placed by the troublesome Cloke. Jon Wallis failing to punish a Hamlet foul as his attempt to bypass the wall with a whorled effort came to naught as the ball flicked off the Pink and Blue wall. Collin again at the gallop, allowed the freedom of the wing, beat Dobson along the back line, a low cross deflected into the path of an half-aware Wallis but stumbling he lifted his strike into the azure sky.
The siege seemed finally lifted as Dulwich created their first attacks of notes as the half approached its midpoint. Chasing a long ball Meshach Nugent seemed to be hauled back as he bustled his way past Wallis but the referee’s eyes were elsewhere and no punishment was meted out. A quick free kick saw the ball reach Nugent 25 yards from goal, a strike unleashed one that defender Matt Bourne seemed to snuff out with his hands, though not in the mind of the referee. Fortunately Stanley Muguo choose not to wait for a whistle shrugging aside Bourne’s desperate attempt to haul him back but stabbing the ball wide of the post as John Whitehouse spread himself in vain.
Despite this rally such was the dominance of the Dovorians that it came as a shock to the travelling multitude when Dulwich went ahead in the 37th minute, though warning had been served ten minutes earlier when Stanley drilled a close range shot under the body of Dover custodian John Whitehouse only to see the ball crash into the side netting. Hamlet’s goal came courtesy of a kick from the penalty mark. Yes that’s correct after 3569 minutes of competitive football Dulwich had been awarded a penalty as Benson Paka was unceremoniously hauled back by James Rogers as he stretched out a leg to Bill Chattaway’s looped in cross. Initially there was no reaction from the man in black, Mr Robinson of Bognor Regis, but his assistant with a clear view from behind was in no doubt as with the thrust of an executioner he drawn his flag across his chest. Long discussion twixt assistant and referee, a card but not of red hue for the recalcitrant Rogers, though the mercy of the man in black was lost on him. Perhaps anxious glances amongst the Hamlet ranks for none had taken a spot kick in match play whilst donning the Pink and Blue motley. Responsibility fell upon the captain, Shawn Beveney returning from his Caribbean sojourn, and though Whitehouse guessed right, Beveney’s kick was neatly rolled beyond the ‘keeper’s reach into the bottom corner of the net. Wallis might have levelled matters soon after but blasted a strike into the midriff of Sheikh Ceesay after Collin had continued his probing at the Hamlet left flank.
Built on their resilient defence, Dulwich came out snapping at their guests from the off. Nugent dragged a low drive wide after Beveney had nodded a long ball into his path before bringing the best out of Whitehouse, a sizzling shot on the run as Matt Bourne trailed in his wake but pawed away at his near post by an airborne number one.
Barely four minutes later and Dulwich had the ball in the back of the net for a second time courtesy of Beveney but Dewayne Clarke had left his pass a fraction late, slipping the ball pass the onrushing Whitehouse for his skipper to slip into the now unguarded net but from an offside position.
A huge let for the Hamlet as a free kick, twice headed on by Kentish heads in the penalty area, dropped to the unmarked Collin skulking at the far corner of the six yard box. Crisply flicking the ball past a diving Ceesay it seemed to the already celebrating travellers that the equalizer had come but a friendly spirit was watching over Hamlet’s goal as the ball cannoned off the far stick, trundled along the length of the goal line before rebounding back out off the other upright. Collin tried once more but this time with a flick of infinite deftness from an angle surely too acute could only lift the ball on to the roof of the net.
Dover kept hunting for parity. A corner met with power and precision by a rising Shaun Welford was battered over the bar by the outstretched finger of Ceesay. Soon after a lashed drive on the volley whizzed wide of the far upright of the Hamlet goal.
As time drifted by, too languidly for the nervous Dulwich faithful, a chance came for the match winner. Substitute Sebastian Schoburgh slipped a perfect pass into the path of his captain, Beveney latching on the pass as he tore down the left wing. The goal beckoned as first one defender then a second were beaten. Whitehouse committed himself, lost in No Man’s Land, but Beveney dallied too long, a red swarm upon him, the shot blocked and the danger smothered. All too painfully that lost opportunity would lead in turn to a Dover equaliser, deserved perhaps but rough justice for the resilient Hamlet. A deep, deep free kick out of the Dover half was flicked on as the visitors won the aerial dogfights, substitute Byron Walker setting up his fellow replacement Welford who delivered an equaliser with a steaming drive on the left peg, inexorably heading for the top corner of the net despite all the efforts of the heroic Ceesay to reach it.
Little time remained but a Dover side, sensing Tooting’s hot breath on the back their necks at the summit of the Division, refused to accept that a point would be all their reward. Next attack brought a corner, one Dulwich struggled to clear and when the ball was redelivered it took a save of pure instinct from, Ceesay to push out a diving header from James Dryden on the fringes of the six yard box. Interminable injury time brought little respite for the Hamlet, a rare slip from Ceesay as he allowed a Wallis free kick to squirm through his hands went punished by the lurking Dryden, the unfortunate Dryden once more denied the hero-worship of lilywhite supplicants as he nodded over a close range header with just nanoseconds remaining.

Teams:
DHFC: Sheikh Ceesay; Steve May; Ricky Dobson; Benson Paka; Shayne Mangodza; Marc Cumberbatch; Shawn Beveney (Henry Darko 90+1); Dewayne Clarke (Sebastian Schoburgh 74); Meshach Nugent; Stanley Muguo; Billy Chattaway
Substitutes not used: Junior Baker; Darryl Plummer; Tim Roberts (GK)

DAFC: John Whitehouse; Matt Fish; James Rogers (Byron Walker 77); Matt Bourne (Shaun Welford 57); Craig Cloke; Graeme Andrews; Jon Wallis (Capt.); Alan Pouton; Lee Browning (James Dryden 57); Frannie Collin; Laurence Ball
Substitutes not used: Andy Hessenthaler, Dean Ruddy (GK)

Attendance: 484

Officials
Referee: Mr Tim Robinson (Bognor Regis)
Assistant Referees: Mr James Garratt (Blackheath) & Mr Jeff Lengthorn (New Eltham)

Goalscoring:
1-0 DHFC Shawn Beveney (Pen) 37th minute
1-1 DAFC Shaun Welford 88th minute