Dulwich Hamlet 4 Horsham YMCA 1

Ryman Isthmian League Division One South

Saturday 7^th April 2007

With a convincing result but unconvincing performance the boys from Champion Hill at last broke their four draw streak to return to winning ways. Ultimately the game was a comfortable victory over this season's surprise package, Sussex County League Champions Horsham YMCA; though in the early exchanges it seemed as if the Hamlet were already in post-season mode such was the sluggishness of their play. It took a 19th minute goal for the visitors and the introduction of Mazin Ahmad in its aftermath to give Pink and Blues the wake-up call they so badly needed.

Frustrated by Fleet in midweek the encounter saw Leigh Bremner replace Daniel Morris in the vanguard whilst Jason Turley reclaimed the left back spot from Nicolas Plumain. Having put the cat amongst the pigeons with a late, if doomed to be fruitless, charge towards the play-offs, the YMCA were determined not to be overawed though their cause was assisted by a Hamlet side that barely simmered in Easter sunshine. YMCA had already threatened before their early breakthrough, Scott Kirkwood looking in vain for a penalty after colliding with Jamie Coyle, having neatly flicked the ball past him. Soon after the same player failed to take advantage of free kick 2 yards outside the box, lashing a shot always curling wide of the mark in the wake of an over elaborate set piece. No such lack of precision from Steve Davies in the 19th minute, the burly number 9 eluding the Hamlet defence as Matt Russell rolled a pass into his path and from the corner of the six yard box, he planted the ball in the far corner of Simon Overland's net with as much ease as his namesake might pocket the black at The Crucible.

Replacing the out-of-sorts Shawn Beveney with the Mazin Ahmad proved a masterstroke by Hamlet supremo, Wayne Burnett, the tricky winger adding an instant buzz to the Dulwich attack. Three minutes later and the sides were back on level terms. Ahmad whipped in a cross, tempting and teasing. Lewis Tozer, staying up after a corner, threw himself at the ball, his header springing up off the turf to cannon against the crossbar as ‘keeper Dean Ruddy stretched in vain. Following up on the rebound was Justyn Roberts, neatly nodding the ball home past a helpless custodian.

A Phil Williams trademark charge up field promised much but a trio of defenders closed around him and the chance died. YMCA threatened again as the Hamlet defence opened up and Davies slipped a pass across the face of the area to Dan Sackman. Overland stayed alert though, flinging himself at the Horsham striker's feet to block, the rebound off Sackman knocked for a corner.

Williams set off once more on a foray into YMCA territory before being crudely barged off the ball by the lumbering Ellis Hooper. Less lenient officiators might have seen his challenge worthy of dismissal but Mr Daly chose merely to caution the offender. Dulwich would exact more painful punishment from the free kick. Kenny Beaney provided the delivery, the unfortunate Hooper stuck out a lanky limb, leaving Ruddy flat-footed as his defender's intervention diverted the ball against his own upright. Quickest to the rebound was Leigh Bremner, reinforcing his poaching credentials as he slammed the ball under the diving Ruddy to put Dulwich ahead.

Six minutes later a Ruddy clearance was returned with interest and as Damien Scannell chasing the lopping pass, he seemed to be impeded as he took a swing at the ball. The assistant referee was quick to signal an infringement and despite the protestations of the YMCA boys, referee Mr Daly pointed to the penalty spot, booking skipper Tom White for the apparent transgression. The comments continued as Ahmad waited to take the spot kick, defender Dean Carden's critique earning him his side latest caution. Unfazed by al this, Ahmad steeped up to the mark and unleashed a fierce strike to dispatch the ball into the back of the net as Ruddy flung himself the wrong way.

Dulwich might well have further cemented their lead before the break. Williams run ripped through the heart of the YMCA rearguard, his pass releasing Bremner, too fast for the last line of defence but snatching at his chance. The final shot full of venom but always rising over the Ruddy crossbar. Were it a boxer the YMCA woodwork might well have been withdrawn from the fray, so much punishment was it taking. In stoppage time, Roberts rose highest to meet a corner, his header crashing back off the battered crossbar.

The half-time break seemed to dull the Hamlet momentum, YMCA almost punishing them early on with a quickly taken free kick on the edge of the area. Fortunately Overland remained vigilant, smothering a low drive from Nick Levett, using the referee as cover as he sneaked into the box. Even the dismissal of Hooper for a second caution, skittling over Gavin Dayes as the Hamlet man ran on to Beaney pass down the left flank of the YMCA, failed to ignite the fire of the Dulwich attack.

Still Ruddy was kept on his toes, a flying save preventing an own goal from Glen Woodburn as Ahmad's left wing cross cannoned off him. Within a minute he was back in action, saving from Beaney, a curling shot out of the D after Scannell's run from the wing had been smothered on the edge of the area. Scannell himself was denied; his run performing open heart surgery on the beleaguered YMCA defence before a well-struck low drive was parried away by the diving Ruddy at the base of his right-hand post. Cutting in from the wing, Ahmad sent a rising shot just over the crossbar before a low Scannell strike on the run was touched on to his post by Ruddy. Ahmad and Bremner linked up well after the winger had brought inside from the right wing, the forward flicking the ball into the path of Scannell but from 12 yards out he struck his effort into the body of a relived Ruddy. The ubiquitous Scannell found Bremner overlapping on the right. Neatly sidestepping his marker, Bremner lashed a cross into the six yard box towards substitute David Milton, the inopportune intervention of a defender seeing the ball loop over the bar of Ruddy. At last in stoppage time, the tireless Scannell gained reward for his industry, tucking the ball home after an excellently worked move, though it took a fortuitous deflection off a covering defender to deceive Ruddy.

Teams:

DHFC: Simon Overland; Jason Turley; Gavin Dayes (David Milton 68); Justyn Roberts (Nicolas Plumain 56); Jamie Coyle (Capt); Lewis Tozer; Shawn Beveney (Mazin Ahmad 20); Kenny Beaney; Leigh Bremner; Damien Scannell; Phil Williams

Substitutes not used: Daniel Morris; Serge Musungu

YMCA: Dean Ruddy; Dean Carden; Nick Levett; Ellis Hooper; Jamie Lovegrove; Tom White (Capt.); Matt Russell (Dan Taylor 58); Dan Sackman; Steve Davies; Andy Ottley (Richard Greenfield 75); Scott Kirkwood (Pat Massaro 80)

Substitutes not used: None

Cautions: Ellis Hooper; Tom White; Dean Carden

Sent off: Ellis Hooper (2^nd Caution)

Attendance: 237

Officials:

Referee: Mr Stephen Daly (Woolwich)

Assistant Referees: Mr Craig Hicks (Sutton, Surrey) & Mr Andrew Roberts (Kingston-upon-Thames)

Goalscoring:

0-1 YMCA Steve Davies 19^th minute

1-1 DHFC Justyn Roberts 22^nd minute

2-1 DHFC Leigh Bremner 32^nd minute

3-1 DHFC Mazin Ahmad (Penalty) 38^th minute

4-1 DHFC Damien Scannell 90^th minute