Ryman Isthmian League Division One South
"There's only one way to get rid of a mole. Blow its bloody head off!" Jasper Carrott (Unrecorded Carrott 1979)
Perhaps disorientated by the unfamiliar surrounding of Champion Hill in daylight, the Hamlet's table-topping heroes found themselves the victims of smash and grab raid by a well-marshalled Molesey team, who arrived in South London seemingly intend on smothering the Hamlet's free flowing, free scoring football. However once Dulwich's Sol Pinnock had drilled the Hamlet into a painstakingly achieved 26th minute lead, the Moles revealed their true colours and with the aid of nightmare home debut for custodian Alan Hughes, registered a ninth win in the last ten games, one that lifted them to the very fringes of the play-off lottery places but failed to dislodge Dulwich from their lofty perch at the head of the pack.
An impeccably observed silence to mark Armistice Day preceded the start of hostilities, but once the minute of remembrance had passed the two sides were going at each other hammer and tongs from the off. The sprightly Hamlet making rare changes to compensate for the loss of their midfielder mastermind, Kenny Beaney, to suspension and in form striker Shawn Beveney to international duty for Guyana, the mass ranks of the light blue Moles unchanged from a battling shutout of fast-improving Godalming. Pinnock, making a rare start ahead of the absent Beveney, took on the free kick duties when a heavy challenge gave Hamlet a free kick within range but the teenage striker's aim was out as his effort, always curling wide, missed its target. Soon after some tried skills from Chris Dickson at the lip of the penalty area created an opening for the striker, the shot dragged wide, before a snapshot from the ever-prolific Phil Ruggles toasted the gloves of Hughes.
A rampaging run from Eniola Oluwa carved a gap on the Moles right flank, sliding the ball across the face of the area to Pinnock who in turn picked out Dickson bursting into the box. Almost a fatal slip from Safe Hands winner Chuck Martini between the sticks as Dickson rattled in a low strike from a tight angle but the veteran custodian spared his own blushes, grasping the ball at the second attempt as it threatened to squirm through his legs. Near embarrassment too for opposite number Hughes as James Rose charged down a dithering clearance. As Rose beat Hughes in the chase for the loose ball, he pulled it back into the centre but Hughes redeemed himself with a fine block to deny Jay Richardson. With Dickson planting a header wide after meeting Cedric Meeko's deep free kick, it seemed as a goal might be long coming but it was not to be as Hamlet broke the deadlock in the 26th minute. Skipper Jamie Coyle, taking on an unfamiliar role in the stead of the suspended Beaney, proved the catalyst with a delicious pass, chipped in over the back line but it was Pinnock who earned the salutes as he strode on to the pass the drive the ball firmly past the advancing Martini.
Four minutes later though, Dulwich proceeded to throw away that hard-won lead as a carelessly conceded goal allowed the Moles to draw level. Richard Brightwell wound himself up to deliver a monstrously long throw in and with the Hamlet defence in the Land of Nod, Richardson proved most awake as he nipped in ahead of Lewis Tozer and met the ball ahead of a hesitant Hughes, who found himself stranded as the ball was headed past him.
Stung the Hamlet retaliated as only they knew how, by attacking. Dickson got himself into a scoring position, swinging away from his marker as a long pass arrived but a fierce low drive destined for the bottom corner drew an equally impressive save out of Martini as he defied his physique with a smart one-handed save low at his near post. Four minutes from the break and Molesey's midfield who had little by little forced their presence in the middle of the park combined to pave the way for the go-ahead goal. Young Steve Brown showed vision and precision with a neat pass that released Ruggles to the back line from whence he pulled the perfect pass into the path of the fast-arriving Rose. As the trigger was pulled, the result was inevitable, Hughes powerless as the ball was cracked home. Again Dulwich might have hit back, Oluwa just shy of connecting with an excellent ball in from the left wing but half-time arrived with the Moles in the ascendancy.
A few home truths for the Hamlet in the interval and the expected response, the Molesey lead hanging by a thread as Dulwich went at them like rabid dogs. Two minutes in and an acrobatic diving header from Tozer at a corner saw the ball drop at the feet of Pinnock, mere feet from goal, the striker swivelling on his favoured left foot but somehow scooping the ball up and off the crossbar. Another corner with minutes; this time Justyn Roberts with the header. Martini at last beaten but Richardson to the rescue as the goal bound effort was cleared from the goal line. But then Dulwich became the architects of their own downfall as the Moles were gifted a third goal, though that should not detract from the predatory instincts of Rose who capitalised on yet another defensive blunder to make it 3-1. There seemed little danger as Roberts shepherded back a hopeful punt to his keeper but Hughes was as punctual as the 18:30 to Basingstoke allowing Rose to stretch a leg beyond Roberts and nick the ball neatly past crestfallen Hughes.
The extra cushion added buoyancy to the Moles challenge and Rose might easier have inflicted further punishment had he capped the approach work of Chris Wales and Billy Rowley with a goal, the header though wide of the mark.
Dulwich rang the changes; the steel of David Moore replaced the pace of Oluwa in an attempt to bolster the midfield. Plumain tried his luck from distance only to the see the fiery drive bounce wide before he too made way for Daniel Jones. Moore chanced his arm with a curling effort from outside the area but he too could not find the target. But when the Hamlet did find their range there was the ample figure of Martini, every time, every place, every where. Dickson was denied as he chased a long ball, a shot stabbed at the keeper. As time trickled away, the veteran shot stopper was there again with a crucial save as he went length to batter out Pinnock's effort though Murphy had to complete the clearance, reacting faster than the Hamlet attack to hoof the ball to safety from the edge of the six yard box. Less to worry about for the big man as he comfortably held a Dickson header from Pinnock's lofted cross but time would prove a greater enemy as the Moles comfortably played out time. Once again Champion Hill has had an attack of troublesome Moles and this time it's not only the groundsman who is none too pleased.
Teams:
DHFC: Alan Hughes; Jason Turley; Cedric Meeko (Jake Daniel 79); Nicolas Plumain (Daniel Jones 67); Lewis Tozer; Justyn Roberts; Eniola Oluwa (David Moore 60); Jamie Coyle (Capt); Sol Pinnock; Chris Dickson; Phil Williams
Substitutes not used: Theo Fairweather-Johnson, Matt Dean
MFC: Chuck Martini; Richard Brightwell; Billy Rowley; Aaron Nowacki (Capt); John Murphy; Chris Wales; Steve Brown; Jay Richardson; James Rose (Achraf Toughieni 90+2); Phil Ruggles; Youssef Metwali
Substitutes not used: Paul Cross; Phil Caughter; Steve Beeks; James Farrow
Attendance: 316
Officials:
Referee: Mr Stuart Butler (Maidstone)
Assistant Referees: Mr Andy Mead (Orpington) & Mr Christopher Clarke (Aylesford)
Goalscoring:
1-0 DHFC Sol Pinnock 26th minute
1-1 MFC Jay Richardson 31st minute
1-2 MFC James Rose 41st minute
1-3 MFC James Rose 57th minute
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