Dulwich Hamlet Youth 3 Cobham FC Youth 1
Southern Youth League Cup - 1st Round
Wednesday 2nd December 1998
Ultimate victory was achieved by the Hamlet, mainly due to a late double strike in the final quarter from Steve Shevel, but this was a slightly unsatisfactory result as Dulwich never really moved out of first gear in disposing of a team who had recently occupied top spot in the West Section. How they managed to remain in the game until the final exchanges is a credit to their determination against the odds.
One gentleman in the crowd, later discovered to be one of their players, was of a differing opinion to the majority of the crowd, constantly exhorting Cobham with derisory diatribes directed at the Hamlet. Imagine Richard Watts on speed for the full ninety minutes and you might get close. What was particularly entertaining was the perplexing fact that his observations bore little or no resemblance to the realities on the pitch. More of this gentleman later, but on to the game.
A whitewash looked on the cards when Dulwich scored the opener inside the first minute. Supporters had barely reached their seats when the Hamlet were awarded a free-kick in a central position just outside the box. Rob Hughes and MICHAEL AZZOPARDI shaped behind the ball, perfectly positioned for a strike on target. We were not to be disappointed. Rob ran over the ball and Azza, following through, curled the ball sweetly over the wall and into the top corner, out of the despairing clutches of the visiting custodian.
This early strike should have inspired the Hamlet to run riot, but despite dominating the opening exchanges they could not find a way through to increase their lead. Nana Asante sneaked in front of his marker to fire a shot straight at the keeper and in the ensuring scramble the ball was skewed wide of the target. Michael Babatunde’s powerful were unnerving the opposition and they often felt the need to resort to strong arm tactics to halt the waves of Dulwich attacks.
11 minutes in and another free kick in a dangerous position as a mazy run from Rob Hughes was ended by a crude challenge. Rob took the free-kick himself and it deflected off the wall, forcing the keeper into a full length save to turn the ball past the post.
Dulwich frequently relied on the ‘Relegation Corner’, short one-two’s between Rob and Azza. One such effort save a whipped in cross, which fell tantalisingly wide of the far post.
Nana Asante was having difficulty reacting to the Cobham offside trap and frequently found himself its victim. When he did get away, there was an expectation that he might add to his tally, but good keeping and stout defending denied him.
In the twentieth minute, hesitancy at the back cost Hamlet the lead. Michael Ebanks gave away a free-kick on the edge of the box as he clipped the heels of the Cobham 10. With Dulwich in temporary disarray as they prepared to defend the kick, the ball was laid back to Cobham No 8 who smacked in a low shot, which Billy Waite got his hands to but could not keep out.
A temporary aberration, but one which seemed to dent the confidence of the Hamlet and let Cobham off the hook. One sensed that they might sneak something from this, especially remembering that the game was to be decided on the night, with extra-time and penalties if necessary. Marcus Dussard’s vision from the back is certainly paying dividends and a delightful ball released Michael Azzopardi down the right. His low cross was met by Steve Shevel whose first time effort was blocked for a corner, from which Omari Coleman looped a header over the bar.
There are times when Nana reminds you of Thommo, not for the obvious reasons, but for his determination to battle through defences, often against the odds and possessive of that streak of ‘selfishness’ necessary for a goalscorer, but sometimes frustrating for the spectator. On one occasion he danced through the defence, only to be denied the combined weight of the Cobham rearguard.
With ½ an hour on the clock, a slip at the back let in Cobham. The ball was hoofed forward, where it was heading back into the path of the No 8. His initial shot was marvellously blocked by Billy Waite, only for the No 9 to slot the rebound in the back of the net. The gentleman mentioned earlier was ecstatic at this. Running all the way along the front of the main stand proclaiming his joy, all the time oblivious to the lino’s raised flag and the taunts of other fans. When he returned to his place on the fence, he revealed the reason for the disallowal to the crowd, “you’ve given the linesman 5 of your cigars”. Most entertaining.
In the stoppage time at the end of the half, Steve Shevel nipped in behind the defence to clip the ball just past the post, but it took a well timed saving tackle from Omari to ensure the scores were still level.
The Cobham custodian must have been shaking in his boots when his defence conceded a needless free-kick in Azzopardi territory ten minutes into the second half but this time the ball was too close to him and he held on to it under the bar. Nana swept the ball out to Steve Shevel running into the right-hand pocket and he picked out Nik Wrightson at the back post with a looping cross. Unfortunately Nik could not direct his effort on target. Moments later, he skipped through a series of tackles as he bore down on the box, only to be blocked in the act of shooting.
As the game became more frenetic, challenges became a little more reckless and a number of players incurred the wrath of the referee. One pearl in this period was a sweeping move out of defence that saw Nana laying a sweet ball into the feet of Steve Shevel, whose cross was slightly wayward, falling behind the inrushing Nik Wrightson. He managed to get a touch to it, stretching back, but could only hook it skywards where the keeper claimed. Omari Coleman swept into the box as the back four parted like the Red Sea. Visions of Bromley ensued, but the ball ran from him and the keeper bravely claimed at his feet.
Dulwich seemed to be gaining the upper hand, but a moment of weakness could prove costly. That moment nearly arrived late on. The Cobham No 8 collapsed like a sack of potatoes under a challenge from Michael Ebanks, about a foot shorter and several pounds lighter. With the referee indicating that the ball was to played out so that Larry might receive attention, Dan Mulligan, until now a rock, dithered and the 10 nicked the ball off his feet. Bill blocked the initial effort, but 9 finished off. Guess the result.? Yes, offside again.
Extra time and penalties were beckoning but still Dulwich pushed for a normal time winner. Very considerate these players - they know one must get to the bar before Paul rings the bell. Azza somehow contrived to spoon a shot out of the ground when well place. In hindsight it would have been easier to hit the target. This must have been playing on his mind for a few seconds later a poor pass let in Cobham No 9, but his shot was wild and wide and Dulwich breathed again.
At 9-24, with 6 minutes left came the moment that would break the visitors' hearts and ensure that the Hamlet Cup filleth over with unrestrained joy. A free-kick lifted into a crowd of players in the six-yard box. One head rose above the rest, who's I cannot tell you, to power the ball towards goal. The custodian stopped the effort, but dropped the ball as if it were a hot potato, right at the feet of STEVE SHEVEL He had the simplest of tasks to slot the ball into the back of the net. Led by substitute Derek Pabi, the players all rushed to inform our friend in paragraph two of the score. They were back within the minute.
A classic end-to-end goal. A Cobham corner seemed to be curling inside the far post when Billy Waite clawed out. It was cleared to Derek Pabi, who advanced before sweeping the ball up to Nana in space in the middle of the field. Outside him was STEVE SHEVEL and as the defenders bore down on Nana, he slipped the ball into the path of Steve, who drilled the ball past the keeper.
In the dying minutes of the game, Dulwich had found an extra gear to put paid to the best of the West. Now they must try to do the same for ninety minutes against the K’s. A classic surely awaits.
Team: Billy Waite, Marcus Dussard, Michael Ebanks, Daniel Mulligan, Michael Azzopardi, Omari Coleman, Nik Wrightson (Derek Pabi), Nana Asante, Steve Shevel, Rob Hughes, Michael Babatunde.
Scorers: Michael Azzopardi 1, Steve Shevel 84, 85
Man of the Match: Steve Shevel: A brace and a constant thorn in the side of the opposition
