Dulwich Hamlet 3 Ashford Town 3

Ryman Isthmian League Division One South

Saturday 21^st April 2007

The last home game of the season, and with the last blast of the whistle came confirmation that the Hamlet had failed in their quest for the consolation of a place in the play-offs. Two stunning late strikes from Daniel Morris had rescued a point for Dulwich, an equally stunning save from Ashford's sprightly custodian Jake Whincup denying substitute Shawn Beveney a winner out of the blue deep into stoppage time had prevented them taking all three and keeping the dream alive until the final day of the season. However this was a game that was a microcosm in reverse of all Hamlet's woes this season, ineffectual in the opening, deadly at the death. Cray await in 7 days time, but thoughts will surely turn now to next term and the ameliorations to a fine footballing side that needs a thread of steel through the elegant silk.

Manager Wayne Burnett made a number of changes to his starting line-up in the wake of the Walton reverse a week hence, recalling Jason Turley at full back in place of Nicolas Plumain, heavily weighting his attack with Leigh Bremner, Daniel Morris, Serge Musungu all making a reappearance. His opposite number John Cumberbatch, freed from the threat of relegation, was able to bring back the much-travelled Steve Sodje in attack, denied him in defeat at Fleet in midweek.

The Nuts'n'Bolts danced to the Hamlet's tune in the early stages but if the build-up was rhapsodic, little passes interwoven across the park, the final note grated, penetration severely lacking from the hosts. Skilful work from Damien Scannell down the right saw a tempting ball hammered across the six yard box but with not a single Pink and Blue shirt in attendance the chance went begging. Bremner burst past a diving Whincup as the ball was slipped to him in the area, the fingertips of the ‘keeper brushing the ball away from the feet of the striker and preventing him driving in a first time effort. Instead he elected for the pull back as yellow shirts swarmed back to cover and again the opening was lost. Best effort for the Kent boys came when Kennickson Jarrett-Elliott let fly with a sweet drive on the run, Hamlet custodian Simon Overland swiftly down to smother before dragging the ball back into his clutches as Sodje waited to Hoover up any spillage.

25 minutes and Morris slid through a perfect pass to the marauding Bremner, once more proving too fast for slovenly defenders, who let rip with a screaming rising drive from a tight angle that drew an exceptional save from Whincup, the shot singing his gloves as he leapt to his left to tip the strike again angle of crossbar and post. Teasing and probing, Scannell's frequent sorties down the flanks had flat-footed defenders pleading in vain for offside each time they were left in his fiery wake. Oh for an old-fashioned centre-forward, cast out of the Willie Lillington or Ronnie Murrock mould, to provide the final flourish to Scannell's artistry!

As Hamlet plugged away to no avail, the Nuts'n'Bolts threatened once more as the half hour ticked by. Nick Wright, on loan from Championship side Birmingham City, snatched the ball from the feet of Turley before motoring down the right to deliver a teasing cross into the heart of the Hamlet area. Jason Stuart managed to get his head to the cross, though the effort was wayward it might well have dropped kindly for Jarrett-Elliott arriving at pace at the far side of the box. Only a vital interception for skipper Jamie Coyle rescued Dulwich, the ball hooked to the safety of a corner. Wright again played the role of provider as he was the lucky recipient of a horrible miskicked shot that found him raiding down the wing, Coyle again the saviour as he hooked the ball away at the last with Sodje hovering. From the corner, the ball reached Asa Hall, another of the Blue Boys from St Andrews and a one-time England Youth International, loitering outside the area, the defender's penetrating run deserving of a reward but a cross cum shot was comfortably plucked out of the air by Overland.

Having played provider without success the rampant Wright took it upon himself to launch a last Ashford attack before half-time beckoned. Snatching the ball from Turley he set his radar on goal, hitting a forceful drive on the march that Overland got down smartly to parry but Sodje was loitering to pick up the scraps and with the Hamlet defence in abeyance, took the opportunity to smash the ball high into the net of the prostrate Overland.

Perhaps the goal provided the focus Hamlet needed for before a minute had elapsed they were back on level terms as the electric Scannell took it upon himself to slice open the defence, his focus in stark contrast to the early tentative play of the Hamlet. Collecting the ball on the right wing, slipped up a gear, cut back inside, drifting past defenders as if they were statues before hammering a low, incisive strike into the bottom near corner of Whincup's net.

Demi-temps, égalitié. Turley did not reappear for the second half, instead the young Frenchman, Plumain, took his stead, coming close to announcing his arrival with a goal within 60 seconds of the restart. A half-hearted clearance was headed back by Plumain towards Morris lingering on the fringes of the area, the forward flicking the ball into the path of the defender who had continued his run. Whincup, alert to the danger, charged from his line to smother the ball bravely at the feet of Plumain.

Three minutes later and Dulwich's rearguard was spectacularly breached, as pushing up, they lost sight of the diminutive Stuart, the Ashford number 9 turning on the gas as he chasing a slide rule pass. Overland came from his line but a cheeky chip from Stuart left him stranded and he could only watch as Stuart motored on to nod the ball in the now unguarded net.

A Plumain free kick swept across the six yard box to be met by the head of Coyle at the back of the box but a firm downward failed to trouble Whincup. Mugging the last man Plumain, a man on a mission, chased the ball down only for Whincup to rush out battering Hamlet man to the ground and ball away in the same instant. Still Hamlet should have capitalised for the ball ran to Bremner but a moment's indecision and an off-key strike saw the ball skid across goal as Whincup struggled to regain his line. Morris might have rescued the situation but an acute angle and a defender ahead betwixt ball and goal defeated him.

A series of corners followed but without reward and Hamlet were almost punished as the Nuts'n'Bolts broke swiftly. Only the commitment of Scannell denied Ashford the chance, but as he cut out the run of Sodje he was bundled to the ground, his bravery ending his match, perhaps his season, as the stretcher was called for and Scannell left the field to much deserved accolades with a torn hamstring. On in his place came Shawn Beveney.

Almost an hour had passed. Morris slammed a half-volley into the hoardings from distance. Manager and Supporters' Player of the Season Lewis Tozer made way for Mazin Ahmad as Burnett pushed the all-out attack but in the white-heat of battle, Hamlet showed the brittleness and indecision that has cost them dearly in the promotion chase. A flurry of cards greeted Ashford challenges, referee Mr Hatzidakis a breath of fresh air admonishing players not for the so-called "technical offences", looking at him in a funny way, etc but instead dispensing cautions for foul play! Sodje had already gone in the book two minutes into the half following through to leave Tozer sprawled on the turf and he was joined by Graham Porter who foul granted Kenny Beaney the chance to reprise earlier free kicks but instead proved a comfortable gather for the goalkeeper. Tom Adlington was next to incur the wrath of the man in black as he crudely attempted to cut out Plumain plundering down the left. Plumain was quickly back on defensive duties, his harrying doing enough to ensure Sodje's final strike did little to trouble Overland. However the Dulwich were again in absentia as Wright capped a storming performance pillaging a deserved third goal for the Nuts'n'Bolts after 77 minutes, rattling the ball home after a weak clearance had dropped at his feet.

With 7 minutes remaining Morris went close to reducing the arrears as a deep cross picked him in far reaches of the six yard box, a strike rifled wide of the back upright. Filled to the brim with attacking vigour, Plumain repeated the trick, hammering an angled drive into the side netting three minutes later. If Ashford felt left out, Tom Adlington too was to join the side netting club as time drifted away following a razor-sharp run at the Dulwich right flank.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, the game spun on its head as Morris showed the goalscoring prowess that had been absent since he first pulled on the Pink and Blue. 88 minutes and as a cross in dropped to him he pulled the trigger and hammered an unstoppable strike through the powerless Whincup. Like a young bull after the heifer, Morris was now chasing anything that moved. Ashford were nervous. 90 minutes came, the ball reached Morris and once more the gun was loaded and result was a killer, the ball driven like a bullet into the back of the net with Whincup gasping for the air like beached flounder. Desperate to preserve a point the irate custodian hammered the ball high into the stands in an attempt to delay the restart.

As if by magic, a season that was dead and buried, mere minutes earlier had seen the life support switched back. Two minutes into stoppage and a lifebelt was thrown towards the drowning man as an excellent cross in from the left was met with a stonking volley from Beveney but Whincup snatched it away, acrobatically diving to his left to batter away the goalbound shot. Nurse, the screens please.

DHFC: Simon Overland; Jason Turley (Nicolas Plumain HT); Gavin Dayes ; Justyn Roberts; Jamie Coyle (Capt.); Lewis Tozer (Mazin Ahmad 67); Daniel Morris; Kenny Beaney; Leigh Bremner; Damien Scannell (Shawn Beveney 57); Serge Musungu

Substitutes not used: Phil Williams; Theo Fairweather-Johnson

Cautions: Nicolas Plumain

ATFC: Jake Whincup; Tom Adlington; Simon Glover (Capt); Asa Hall; Graham Porter; Steve Rowles (Marc Cumberbatch 61); Nick Wright; Gary Clarke; Jason Stuart (George Fenwick 70); Steve Sodje; Kennickson Jarrett-Elliott (Ian Ross 90+1)

Substitutes not used: Ryan Andrews; Joe Hitchings

Cautions: Steve Sodje, Graham Porter, Tom Adlington, Marc Cumberbatch

Attendance: 280

Officials:

Referee: Mr Constantine Hatzidakis (Eltham)

Assistant Referees: Mr Chris Phillips (Carshalton Beeches) & Mr Arif Khalfe (Lambeth North)

Goalscoring:

0-1 ATFC: Steve Sodje 44^th minute

1-1 DHFC Damien Scannell 45^th minute

1-2 ATFC: Jason Stuart 49^th minute

1-3 ATFC: Nick Wright 77^th minute

2-3 DHFC: Daniel Morris 88^th minute

3-3 DHFC: Daniel Morris 90^th minute