Kingstonian 2 Dulwich Hamlet 5

Ryman Isthmian League Division One South

Saturday 17^th February 2006

Whisper it quietly but it has been more than two long painful months since last the Hamlet won on their travels. Still though Wayne Burnett's prodigious young tyros clung on like Pink and Blue limpets to top spot as mightier, wealthier, more experienced teams battered away at them until defeat dislodged them as Burgess Hill upset the applecart a fortnight previous. Once though the albatross of leadership was lifted from their necks a different Hamlet emerged, unencumbered by naught but the expectation to entertain, a duty fulfilled to the utmost as Kingstonian were swept aside, Dulwich recording their biggest victory on their opponents' turf since three decades and more had passed and the K's were still ensconced in their former Richmond Road home. Since that heady 5-0 victory on former fields when sideburns and flares ruled the fashion world, neither club has fared well though the fall of the Kingston Empire has spectacularly eclipsed that of the Hamlet. Reduced almost to squatters in what was once their own home, victims of rape and pillage habitually destined to return to the scene of that ordeal, the once proud red and white stripes have a faded hue as the faithful offer supplication in another's temple. Former manager Stuart McIntyre, a man universally popular with all but the fans of whoever's stewardship he holds at the time, had been set adrift some weeks early, the rudder passed to Alan Dowson, a doughty Scot with an enviable record against the Hamlet in his former incarnation in Walton & Hersham's hotseat, his firm hand beginning to steady the ship, four games unbeaten easing the memory of half-a-dozen straight defeats.

A brace of changes for the hosts, Wes Goggin and Liam Cockerill replaced in the starting line-up by that redoubtable warhorse Tommy Moorhouse and sprightly young forward Danny Summers. The Hastings implosion might have tempted Burnett into more defensive strategies. Fat chance; the only worry hung over Gavin Dayes but with a knee swarthed in bandages he held his place in an unchanged starting XI.

Sand traps dotted the usually pristine Kingsmeadow sward but the surface did little to assuage the attacking ambitions of the Hamlet. Five minutes in and a looping header from Justyn Roberts as a phalanx of Pink and Blue clad defenders marched up field for a corner. Minutes later and Roberts was back in his own penalty area making a fine saving tackle at the death as K's swept out of defence, the Hamlet having lost possession at a corner. Buoyed, the K's mounted another attack moments later and this time they were rewarded, albeit thanks to a generous interpretation of Lewis Tozer's tackle on Bobby Traynor just inside the Dulwich penalty area. Traynor, whose run of goals had been instrumental in the K's mini-revival, swept the sand and dirt from his hands then coolly swept the ball to the left of Simon Overland diving right.

With their overlords on the bench clearly peeved by this early concession, the Hamlet hoards upped the ante, bearing down on the home goal with increasing ferocity. Against a club that had found his services surplus to requirement, Mazin Ahmad produced the sweetest of curled free kicks into the six yard box, destined for the head of Leigh Bremner until a red and white clad form intervened to nod the ball behind. Corner produced a red and white stampede up field but with 3 attackers against 2 defenders the chance was wasted as a wing to wing pass found Neil Lampton only for his cross to sail high beyond Overland's goal.

High tensions abounded, Jon Coke and Dayes both cautioned after an ugly clash followed a minute later by the fortuitous goal that would bring the contest level. 19 minutes had elapsed when the ball dropped to Shawn Beveney on the edge of the penalty area, the big Guyanese making space for himself before letting fly with a testing shot that took a wicked deflection off a divot, sending the ball looping over the desperate dive of Luke Garrard.

Further misfortune struck the hosts when first Huckle was forced off with an injury to be replaced by Simon Huckle then Dulwich claimed the go-ahead goal a minute later. The whistle blew for a foul, Hamlet reacted fastest the quick free kick finding the K's defence AWOL and when Jamie Coyle provided the pinpoint delivery in from the right wing Chris Dickson was on hand, or head as the case might be, to nod the ball into the goal at the back of the six yard box. Like a page from "Where's Wally?" one struggled to find a red and white striped shirt in attendance.

Some excellent custodianship from Hamlet Number One Overland helped preserve that slender lead, down smartly at his left hand post to smother a snap shot from Martyn Lee. At the other end Roberts flicked a header wide of the back post from an Ahmad delivery, before Bremner failed to capitalise on the sluggish K's defence, escaping the last man but firing a first time effort into the body of Garrard who'd advanced to edge of his area. An incautious challenge from Dayes on the edge of his own area laid open the chance for K's to fashion an equaliser but again Overland was equal to the task as he would pulled off a crucial save to deny Lee as the K's man drilled the free kick low towards the bottom right hand corner of the net.

With half time fast approaching a Dulwich breakaway might have extended the lead, Dickson finding Beveney storming away on his team-mate's right flank only for Garrard to block his first effort. Beveney managed to chip the ball back into the middle towards the lurking Bremner, the striker shoved away from the approaching cross but referee Mr Rendell saw nothing untoward.

Bremner had the interval to plan his revenge and in fine style he exacted it within three minutes of the restart, making light of the defenders' endeavour to halt his run before turning smartly, leaving the last shadowing defender in limbo and drilling a low shot beyond the dive of Garrard and into the far corner of the net.

To most a two-goal cushion provides a modicum of security, but with the Burnett philosophy in place, Hamlet fans can never rest easy and it too another magnificent Overland save low at the base of his right-hand post, turning away a looped header from the ever-dangerous Traynor. Sacrificed in the cause of victory experienced Julian Sills relinquished the captain's armband as Lee Riddell took his stead in midfield, strong-arm tactics the order of the day. However this stratagem failed to rattle the Hamlet, Summers becoming the fourth booking for the hosts as the hour mark ticked by following through on the battle scared Dayes and fortunate not to see red.

K's Aunt Sally, Garrard, pulled off a fine flying save to deny Dickson almost at point blank range as Tozer's delicate header set up Coyle to find the master marksman. Five minutes later and the hapless home custodian was back in the shooting gallery, only this time it ended the ball being plucked from the net. Ahmad's run to the edge of the box finished smothered by the red and white rearguard. However Beveney was on hand to sweep up the debris turning defenders inside out as he toyed with them on the edge of the area before slamming the ball past the last covering defender with Garrard stranded, drawn from his line.

Bremner came close to making it five when he latched on to Ahmad's slide rule pass, flashing a drive across the face of goal. Then in the early stages of stoppage time, Serge Musungu cemented a magnificent victory as the overworked K's defence was ripped apart, the midfielder haring through to round Garrard and tuck away a fantastic fifth. Two minutes later the Dulwich defence went to sleep allowing Traynor to polish off a last-gasp assault by the hosts, scant consolation but at least it provided one wag with the premise to pronounce, "At least they got a pair of Traynors!"

The victory leaves the title race unbelievably tight with three clubs locked together on 51 points, Dulwich Hamlet, Maidstone United and Hastings United, goal difference the only differentiator. Overnight leaders Dartford, defeated 2-1 at home to now 6^th placed Fleet, slip to 4^th on 50 points, whilst another Kent side, Dover lie 5^th after defeat at Met Police. The two victorious sides now provide the next tests for the Hamlet, the Boys in Blue at Champion Hill this coming Saturday, Fleet sailing into town the following Tuesday.

Teams:

KFC: Luke Garrard; Wayne Finnie; Simon Sobihy; Jon Coke (Simon Huckle 27); Tommy Moorhouse; Julian Sills (Capt.) (Lee Riddell 60); Gary Drewett; Neil Lampton; Bobby Traynor; Danny Summers (Glenn Boosey 82); Martyn Lee

Subs not used: Richard Taylor; Stephen Windegaard

Bookings: Jon Coke; Julian Sills; Tommy Moorhouse; Danny Summers

DHFC: Simon Overland; Jason Turley; Gavin Dayes (Billy Manners 90); Justyn Roberts; Jamie Coyle (Capt); Lewis Tozer; Shawn Beveney; Serge Musungu; Leigh Bremner; Chris Dickson (Matt Dean 87); Mazin Ahmad (Theo Fairweather-Johnson 90)

Subs not used: Phil Williams; Daniel Jones

Bookings: Gavin Dayes

Attendance: 377

Officials:

Referee: Mr Lloyd Rendell

Assistant Referees: Mr Graeme Thorley & Mr Robert Dunn

Goalscoring:

1-0 KFC: Bobby Traynor (Penalty) 11^th minute

1-1 DHFC: Shawn Beveney 19^th minute

1-2 DHFC: Chris Dickson 29^th minute

1-3 DHFC: Leigh Bremner 48^th minute

1-4 DHFC: Shawn Beveney 78^th minute

1-5 DHFC Serge Musungu 90^th minute (2^nd minute of stoppage time)

2-5 KFC Bobby Traynor 90^th minute (4^th minute of stoppage time)