Cray Wanderers 4 Dulwich Hamlet 3

Ryman Isthmian League Division One South

Saturday 28^th April 2007

Season's end and a jamboree atmosphere at Hayes Lane as Dulwich went down by the odd goal in seven in an entertaining if perplexing afternoon. Most of the first team regulars were given the afternoon off bronzing themselves upon the wide open spaces of Hayes Lane's antediluvian terraces whilst watching the bulk of this season's championship winning reserve squad given the chance to strut their stuff in front of the fans, gaining some valuable match practice ahead of their President's Cup semi-final at Northwood this coming Wednesday. Also lacing up his boots was manager Wayne Burnett, hoping to pass on the benefit of his playing days to the youngsters. Dulwich's head honcho might have carried the weight of experience though like almost half the team this was his full league debut in Pink and Blue.

Earthquakes might have rocked Kent in the early hours but there was little earth shattering in the opening exchanges as two sides with pride the only prize, struggled to motivate themselves on a warm afternoon when the weather and the football were more suited to a pre-season knock-up game against some county league village team.

Jamie Cheeseman struck a speculative effort wide from the edge of the area whilst Michael Power muscled his way past a brace of defenders only for his shot to be blocked and, after a nervous bout of Ping-Pong in the box, the ball was unceremoniously hoofed to safety as Ross Lover readied himself to pounce.

22 minutes and Dulwich had the ball in the net as David Milton tucked away the ball from close range, providing the final polish to a storming Phil Williams charge down the left wing but a raised flag from the assistant on the opposite side of the park stifled celebrations, the man in black's eagle eyes spotting that Williams' final pull back had come from behind the dead ball line. That disappointment served only to rally the Hamlet and two minutes later they had latched on to the lead as Theo Fairweather-Johnson ran on to a slipped pass, stretching a leg out to rifle the ball through ‘keeper Grant Hall who managed to get a hand to the stinging drive but could not keep the ball from its intended target.

The reply from the Wands was almost instantaneous, Pink and Blue parted like the Red Sea allowing Michael Power to charge through unhindered and level matters with an adroit finish past the exposed Simon Overland. Stunned Dulwich should have restored their lead just two minutes later when Cheeseman rolled a pass into the path of Williams, taking advantage of a defence oblivious to his run, but the giant figure of Grant Hall spread himself before him, clawing the ball away as Williams attempted to lift the ball over the prostrate custodian.

Half an hour on the clock and the troublesome Power was at it again, tripping past the last covering defenders on the edge of the Hamlet area, but his precise chip, aimed for the top corner of the net, found only the top of crossbar.

Fairweather-Johnson struck a good chance inches too high after neat footwork had left his marker flat-footed before Lewis Wood wasted a glorious opportunity to put his side in command. Left unguarded he was the grateful recipient of a well-placed cross field pass but his attempt to lob Overland with a first time volley proved fruitless as the ball cleared the net with something to spare though fellow striker Junior Baker seemed fooled stopping in his tracks as he trotted over to celebrate.

Tyro winger Milton threatened again when he collected the ball wide on the right wing, setting a course for goal as he zipped across the face of the area before letting fly from the D but to Grant Hall's relief the strike fizzed just over the crossbar.

Stoppage time at the end of the half, two minutes of it elapsed, and David Hall gave Cray the lead, dancing in from the right before hammering a low drive into the bottom corner of the net leaving Overland rotted to the spot.

Matters would swiftly deteriorate as Cray took control of the game in the early stages of the second half. A languid offside trap allowed Baker a clear run on goal and it took a marvellous tackle from Nicolas Plumain haring back to disrupt the striker's shot the eventual effort insubstantial. Hamlet failed to learn their lesson and when Baker tangled with Plumain in the area less than 60 seconds later, referee Mr Butler was left with no opinion but to point to the spot. Having come on for his sibling Lewis at the break, the mantle of penalty taker rested on Jamie Wood, the loyal servant of the Wands dispatching a textbook effort driven low and hard into the bottom corner of the net.

Launching a mass breakout from a failed Cray corner, a Dulwich attack, spearheaded by a rampaging Williams, promised much but after the midfielder had slid a pass wide to Cheeseman on his right, the return pass into the six yard box was too far ahead of Williams. Soon after Dulwich's defence went AWOL as an attempt to play the offside trap failed spectacularly. Baker timed his run down the left to perfection, drawing Overland as the keeper came to meet him, before unselfishly rolling the ball across to Power who had left the last of the Hamlet defence in his wake. Nary an easier goal for Cray's returning hero as the ball was slammed into the untended net.

Disquiet from the Hamlet faithful but then a combination of circumstances contrived to throw Dulwich a lifeline. Throwing himself at the feet of Daniel Jones, Cray ‘keeper Grant Hall caught his studs in the parched turf, his agonised writhing indicative that something was badly amiss. Six minutes sustained treatment was not enough and whilst the stricken custodian was borne from the field gloves and jersey passed to Al-James Hannigan. As all this transpired, Dulwich were making a key substitution Williams withdrawn to be replaced by Mazin Ahmad. Within a minute Hamlet had wormed a way back into the game as Jones overlapping down the left, hammered in a stunning finish high into the top near corner of the net.

Try as they might to protect the venerable Hannigan between the sticks Cray's defence was powerless to stem a breathtaking run from Ahmad that cut the deficit to a single goal with still 11 minutes remaining. Taking possession of the ball on the halfway line, Ahmad kicked into a higher gear as he breezed through vain Cray efforts to suffocate his charge through the home rearguard. Slipping deftly past the last defender, his final task was a simple one as he coolly tucked the ball home into the far bottom corner of the net.

With the game on tenterhooks, Ahmad opened up the defence with a ball into fellow substitute Serge Musungu but his attempt to chip Hannigan lacked the distance, the relieved stand-in making a comfortable gather. A minute later the new Number One made a less conventional save as Milton profited from Jones' storm run to the by-line, meeting his colleague's pull back with a fierce low drive towards the near bottom corner, one Hannigan kicked away at the foot of the upright.

The fight back dreams came within a gnat's breath of evaporating with 3 minutes left as the defence let Baker ghost in behind them once more. Overland rushed from his line, a vital block denying the Wanderers' wraith. Power latched on to the rebound, cheers for his hat-trick stillborn in the throats of the Cray acolytes as Billy Manners, covering back, headed the goal bound effort out from under the crossbar. Dulwich defiance had been stilled. Baker nodded a header into the side netting as normal time drifted into stoppage time.

The custodian's curse struck again as Hannigan was struck on the shoulder bravely diving amidst a flurry of feet as the ball was drilled into the six yard box. A brief bout of R&R for Hannigan and some tender treatment from both physiotherapists meant he could resume for the extended added time ahead. Hamlet pressed but an equaliser eluded. Even when they had the ball in the net 8 minutes over the allotted 90, fate favoured the hosts. Burnett was the enraged victim as he believed he had claimed a share of the points arriving at the back stick to power home a header from Ahmad's deep, deep cross from the right wing. Much to his chagrin, the assistant referee ruled that he had done so from an offside position. Under his breath, he might have whispered in the direction of the referee, "I hate you Butler!"

Merely a minute elapsed before the last blast of Mr Butler's whistle signalled game's end and season's end. For both sides promotion hopes had slipped away after leading the table earlier in the season. Envious eyes will be cast at those who claimed their seats at the play-off poker party in the Last Chance Saloon, something that was within the Hamlet's grasp until the latter days of this term. 'Til summer's lease is ended your faithful scribe will hie himself away to some darkened place until once more the boots are dubbined up and thwack of willow upon leather is replaced by that of leather upon leather.

Teams:

CWFC: Grant Hall (Gareth Graham 72); Danny Whelan; Colin Luckett; Julian Curnow; Al-James Hannigan; Dean Morris (Adam Young 63); Ross Lover; David Hall; Junior Baker; Michael Power; Lewis Wood (Jamie Wood HT)

Substitutes not used: Chris Eather; Jimmy Beauchamp

DHFC: Simon Overland; Matt Dean (Jason Turley 79); Daniel Jones; Billy Manners; Nicolas Plumain; Wayne Burnett; Kevin George; Jamie Cheeseman (Serge Musungu 60); Theo Fairweather-Johnson; David Milton; Phil Williams (Mazin Ahmad 72)

Substitutes not used: Stanley Muguo; Daniel Morris

Attendance: 264

Officials:

Referee: Mr Stuart Butler

Assistant Referees: Mr Simon Finnagan & Mr Daniel Wyatt

Goalscoring:

0-1 DHFC: Theo Fairweather-Johnson 23^rd minute

1-1 CWFC: Michael Power 24^th minute

2-1 CWFC: David Hall 45^th minute (+2)

3-1 CWFC: Jamie Wood 54^th minute (Penalty)

4-1 CWFC: Michael Power 62^nd minute

4-2 DHFC: Daniel Jones 73^rd minute

4-3 DHFC: Mazin Ahmad 79^th minute