Dulwich Hamlet 3 Sittingbourne 1

Ryman Isthmian League Division One South

Saturday 20^th January 2007

Dulwich may owe a debt of thanks to the Cuba defence for this morale-boosting victory for had Fidel's footballers not kept out the Guyanese strike force Dulwich would surely have been unable to call upon two-goal Shawn Beveney to lead the way as the Brickies were dispatched in the cauldron of Champion Hill. Despite the much-need victory which allowed the Hamlet to keep their noses just in front of the chasing pack, this victory will be overshadowed by a serious injury to centre-half Lewis Tozer, stretchered motionless from the pitch just 7 minutes into the game, and the late double dismissal that saw both Cedric Meeko and Nicolas Plumain shown red cards in stoppage time at the end of the game as Mark Lovell's petulant foul on the rampaging Meeko sparked a furious free-for-all cast a pall over all that had gone before.

Though Beveney had winged his way in from Caribbean climes to add his muscle to the Hamlet promotion push, Dulwich were still without the injured Chris Dickson, whilst the call of the Fishes claimed Justyn Roberts in defence. The Corinthian-Casuals debacle too claimed its victims with both David Moore and Phil Williams dropped from the match day squad. Into the starting line-up from their debuts came the latest Hamlet prodigy, young David Milton, making his full debut alongside the electric Mazin Ahmad, naturally left-footed and a rare spark of invention when last Hamlet eyes were cast upon him adorned in a Kingstonian shirt. Slipping away from the promotion pack the Brickies came to Champion Hill looking to relight the promotion flame, but illness, injury and suspension conspired to rip the heart from their preferred XI. Leading scorer Andy Doerr's broken leg had long since ruled him out, flu claimed, the treatment room the only venue for James Campbell and Jon Neal whilst key defender Steve Searle sat this one out banned.

Hamlet started well, determined to consign the dismal defeat of week early to Corinthian-Casuals to the dustbin of history, but the loss of Tozer and the subsequent reshuffle gave Sittingbourne a glimpse of hope, skipper Paul Ainsworth meeting a throw catapulted into the penalty area, only to see a powerful head strike the crossbar's uppers. 17 minutes in and the returning Shawn Beveney, hot foot from the airport, was flying again as he rose majestically on the edge of the six yard box to bullet Jamie Coyle's pinpoint cross past a static Steve Williams. The keepers were kept busy in an entertaining, if bruising, first half as both Sol Pinnock and debutant left winger Mazin Ahmad both went into referee Mr Lugg's little black book. Cautioned earlier for the visitors Anthony Hogg, felling opposite number Kenny Beaney with an elbow, though that offence now seems to have been down graded to a mere yellow.

The lively young debutant Milton made his mark with some tricky play out on the right and he was seriously unlucky not to mark the occasion with at least a goal. Cutting in from the right wing he unleashed a drive that zipped along the ground as Williams struggled to fling himself across but much to his relief the ball bounced a foot wide of his left hand upright. The ‘Bourne number one was again in the action when Ahmad's astute pass was latched on to by Milton, Williams flinging himself at the youngster's feet and favoured by the bounce, clutching the ball at the second attempt as it bobbled away from Milton. Tozer's misfortune meant an eternity of stoppage time, enlivened first by chances then illuminated by a goal that bought pain and pleasure in the same instant. First Simon Overland produced a fine double save, blocking a fierce strike from the edge of the area by Ainsworth following a corner, before battering down Anthony Hogg's attempt to convert the rebound. Not long after and Kenny Beaney let fly from distance, Williams stretching every sinew to fingertip the ball behind for a corner. Interminable injury time proved fatal for the visitors for in 8^th minute, the Brickies defence was found wanting as a deep Dulwich corner was missed in the middle. Coyle, up against his former employers, rattled the ball across the six yard area to where Gavin Dayes lurked. A swing, a strike, probably goalbound but the nether regions of Sol Pinnock would have the final say as the ball was diverted home at the back of box. Seconds later the whistle ended the half.

Second half brought a more determined Sittingbourne, Simon Overland earning his corn with a brace of fine saves deny both Kieran Marsh and Hicham Akhazzan within five minutes of the restart. First just two minutes into Mark Lovell sprayed a pass into the path of Marsh whose incisive running made space for a fierce strike that the Hamlet custodian turned behind. Soon after and Marsh and Lovell teamed up to lay the foundations for an opportunity for Akhazzan. Once again though Overland was a match for the effort, again stretching to divert the ball past his upright.

Bourne's endeavour deserved some return and they found it on 66 minutes when half-time substitute Lee Spiller produced a venomous shot from distance that Overland could only parry in the path of the skulking Anthony Hogg, his predatory instincts sated as he rattled home the rebound.

The goal should have sparked the Brickies to build on their improved performance. Instead it was the Hamlet who found renewed vigour, taking just eight minutes to restore the two-goal cushion. Before that Beaney had a shot deflected wide after Beveney had powered his way down to the corner flag whilst Ahmad was denied as Lee Hockey swept the ball off his feet as he shaped to shoot. 74 minutes and Shawn Beveney was on hand to profit from a breathtaking piece of football from young Milton, whirlwinds of tempestuous fire, Sittingbourne's rearguard mere spectators as the tyro ripped through them before setting up his team-mate who drove the ball sweetly under the body of the diving Williams. In control Dulwich began to toy with their guests, the Brickies confidence evaporating as Hamlet attacked at will. A smart drive from Pinnock from the edge of the box was smothered by the body of Williams but sweetness would soon be eclipsed by sourness as a red mist descended upon Champion Hill as the game petered out into stoppage time. Cedric Meeko's powerful drive carved through the middle of the park, provoking a petulant foul from Mark Lovell who cynically chopped down his opponent as he swept past. Meeko's reaction was to aim a punch at his aggressor, a moment of madness that sparked an unseemly free-for-all, in the midst of which Akhazzan went to ground as if the recipient of a Mike Tyson haymaker. Nicoals Plumain calls more to mind the great Welsh flyweight Jimmy Wilde, The Ghost with the Hammer in His Hand; that wiry frame concealed a fearsome armoury for his Gallic slap left his victim comatose on the turf for some time. Judge and jury, Mr Lugg brandished red cards at both Meeko and Plumain, though Lovell escaped with the bare caution for his role in the fracas. Reduced to nine men the Hamlet shut up shop as Bourne latched a full scale assault upon the Hamlet goal but the Pink and Blue defence held firm, the points secure.

Teams:

DHFC: Simon Overland; Jason Turley; Nicolas Plumain; Gavin Dayes; Jamie Coyle (Capt.); Lewis Tozer (Cedric Meeko 7); Kenny Beaney; David Milton (Matt Dean 87); Shawn Beveney; Sol Pinnock; Mazin Ahmad (Theo Fairweather-Johnson 82)

Substitutes not used: Daniel Jones, Billy Manners

SFC: Steve Williams; Toby Ashmore (Joe Neilson 75); Joe Dowley; Paul Ainsworth (Capt.); Lee Hockey; Kieran Marsh; Sabeur Trabelsi (Ricky Spiller HT); Anthony Hogg; Mark Lovell; Hicham Akhazzan; Mitchell Sherwood (Tristan Knowles 82)

Substitutes not used: Josh Willis (GK)

Attendance: 305

Officials:

Referee: Mr Nigel Lugg (Chipstead, Surrey)

Assistant Referees: Mr Craig Hicks (Sutton, Surrey) & Mr Ian Kitchen (Woking, Surrey)

Goalscoring:

1-0 DHFC Shawn Beveney 17^th minute

2-0 DHFC Sol Pinnock 45^th minute (8^th minute of stoppage time)

2-1 SFC Anthony Hogg 66^th minute

3-1 DHFC Shawn Beveney 74^th minute