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With my team, Barnsley, having been picked for Sky game last nite (and who didn’t want to see Doncaster Rovers versus Barnsley in League 1?) I had a free weekend, so was able to pootle down to my local team, Dulwich Hamlet. In their first season at National League (south) level, they were comfortably holding their own and today faced Truro City in an effort to cement next season’s place at this level.
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| The teams line up. |
On a windy day, Hamlet registered their first sub-2000 crowd since returning to Champion Hill, 1,960 turning out. This was a shame, since the game was a relative classic. Hamlet took the lead half an hour or so in, with a tap-in on the backpost. So far, so ordinary. But the game spun on an injury-time sending off for the Truro midfielder Herve. Tintin would not have been proud. Twice he arrived late and thus his second yellow mirrored the first. Perhaps he’s a victim of overestimating his ability/speed. Anyway, I missed the second challenge, as I was in the clubhouse.
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| The view from the clubhouse. Herve's victim lies prostrate. |
So, 1-0 against 10 men, the second half will be a procession, surely. Even more so when, within 3 minutes of the restart, Nathan Ferguson drove a 20 yarder into the bottom corner. Easy, easy! But this is Dulwich Hamlet. This is Division 6. Akinyemi, scorer of the first, but also guilty of a poor miss 1st half, goes clear, rounds the keeper….and sidefoots it wide from 20 yards. This is no ‘from an angle’ – he is the edge of the box, the whole goal to aim at…and misses. You cannot be paid to be a footballer and not score this. (He is paid to be a footballer.)
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| Check out that corner flag in the wind. |
Hamlet pay for that miss. Truro score a 30 yard screamer (did keeper Edwards lose the flight of the ball?) but Akinemi again has the chance to put the game to bed. He breaks clear again, identical chance to his earlier one, but instead of rounding the keeper, he shoots this time, forcing a decent save from the keeper. This lad is simply not up to standard. But just when you think you’ve seen it all, the Truro captain is redcarded for arguing a Dulwich corner with the ref’s assistant. Stupidity. Truro are now down to 9 players.
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| The Rabble behind the goal. |
As if the game isn’t farce enough, the home side miss another couple of easy chances (not Akinyemi this time) before the Hamlet defence getting in on the act. Some slap-stick defending as passes go AWOL, clearances mishit, before a shove in the back leads to a Truro pen. This was all in the same move, but credit Truro for getting men up. And with no clear effort to get the ball, the Dulwich defender is sent off too (harsh on him, considering his are not the earlier mistakes leading to his desperate challenge).
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| Truro about to slam home the penalty. |
The penalty is driven in, 2-2, and there’s still 10 minutes left. Who would bet against Truro nicking it, especially down the sides have been evened-up (though not ‘even’)? Well, it wasn’t to be. Dulwich win it in thrilling circumstances in the 85th minute, as Wanadio brings the ball down on the edge of the box, shrugs off a couple of challenges and drills it into the bottom left. A goal befitting of winning any game and the cherry on top of the icing on top of the cake today. It had it all.
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| More carping to the ref. |
The Damage:
£12 ent
£3 prog
£5 beer x 2 (Camden Pale Ale)
= £25
The Tunes:
Greatest Hits (Goldie Lookin’ Chain)
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| Champion Hill panorama v Truro City. |
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| Match action |
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