Dulwich Hamlet 1-1 Thamesmead Town (5-3P) - I thought we was excellent, says proud Keith McMahon

DULWICH HAMLET  1-1 THAMESMEAD TOWN
(Dulwich Hamlet win 5-3 on penalties)
Ryman League Cup Semi-Final
Tuesday 19^th February 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Champion Hill Stadium

DULWICH HAMLET boss Gavin Rose says he’s delighted that his side have scraped through to the Ryman League Cup Final for the second time in three years’ after holding their nerve from the penalty spot.

Dulwich Hamlet will meet Ryman Premier League side Concord Rangers in the showpiece Final after the Essex side defeated Hastings United 3-0 tonight.

Dulwich Hamlet went into this game with an eighteen-match unbeaten run, sitting in second-place in the Ryman League Division One South table with 54 points from 25 games (17 wins, three draws and five defeats) and are two points behind Maidstone United, but with three games in hand.

Thamesmead Town arrived at Champion Hill on an eleven match unbeaten run, sitting third in Ryman League Division One North also with 54 points from 26 games (17 wins, three draws and six defeats).  The Mead are ten points behind leaders Maldon & Tiptree, with a game in hand.

Dulwich Hamlet defeated two of their league rivals, Eastbourne Town and Herne Bay, before knocking out two Premier sides in the shape of Wealdstone and Kingstonian to reach this stage of the competition.

Thamesmead Town, meanwhile, defeated Waltham Abbey and Faversham Town and were successful in the penalty shoot out victories over Aveley and Thurrock – but their luck run out tonight.

Thamesmead Town were the better side throughout the 90 minutes tonight, but they went in at half-time a goal down when Dulwich Hamlet’s lone striker Daniel Carr rifled home his eighteenth-goal of the season five minutes before the break.

Thamesmead Town deservedly equalised with seventeen minutes remaining when Rob Carter nodded home his sixteenth-goal of the season following a corner.

Neither keeper made a save during the penalty shoot-out, which Dulwich Hamlet won 5-3.

Carr, Peter Adeniyi, Erhun Oztumer and Richmond Ayoola all converted their spot kicks for Dulwich Hamlet.

Ashley Probets, Lewis Tozer and Stuart Zanone scored for Thamesmead, but goalkeeper Rob Budd struck the right-hand post with penalty number eight, before Dulwich Hamlet substitute Ayoola found the top left-hand corner to grab a final place for his team.

”We played a good team today,” said Rose afterwards. 

”Thamesmead Town have been on a really good run in their league so we knew it would be a tough game and it proved to be a tough game.

”It could have gone either way, even before the penalties, but really delighted that we’ve gone through to the next round.”

Thamesmead Town boss Keith McMahon said he was proud with the way his team performed – but thought his side should have progressed to their first Ryman League Cup Final.

”I think over the 90 minutes we were the better side,” said McMahon.

”But penalties are one of those things. It’s luck of the draw.

”I thought for the first 35 minutes of the first half we were excellent. We had a couple of chances, the keeper’s made a couple of good saves.  I thought they scored against the run of play.  I think the geezer was well offside on the goal line and then we’ve come out second half and completely dominated the whole of the second half.  I don’t think they had a shot second half.

”They’re a good side and their record and what they do and the way Gavin and (Junior) Kadi set them up, the football they play is great stuff and they’re a young side as well, but we knew we had to come here and really battle hard and make it hard for them.

”I’m so proud of the lads. I thought we was excellent. We deserved to take the game to penalties and at the end we could have gone on and won it.

”The lads’ are frustrated in there but we have to turn our heads to Saturday. We haven’t lost over the 90 minutes, it keeps the run going.

”A lot of people tonight saw what Thamesmead Town is all about and we looked a proper side and we can play and that hopefully a few will start coming in and watching us because we’re not this small club. We’re here for a reason and we’re looking to stay there (a shout for promotion).

”With that performance, if we carry on like that until the end of the year, I think we’ll do what we want to do.”

Dulwich Hamlet created the game’s first chance with only 30 seconds on the clock but Carr’s speculative right-footed half-volley on the angle from 30-yards dropped just wide of the far post.

But Thamesmead Town were quickly on the front foot and an excellent diving save from Phil Wilson denied Stuart Zanone his 31^st goal of the season.

Zanone, who scored 20 of them for Kent League side Rochester United before his move to Bayliss Avenue, unleashed a powerful drive from 30-yards which forced Wilson into making a fine save to his right to push the ball behind for a corner.

A poor clearance from Thamesmead keeper Budd fell to Nyren Clunis, whose lay off found highly-rated Turkish midfielder Oztumer, whose progress was halted by a foul by Chris Edwards.

Ellis Green’s driven free-kick from 20-yards was blocked by the wall and Oztumer swept his first time left-footed hooked volley bouncing comfortably wide.

Oztumer, who is arguably the most gifted footballer at this level, wasn’t allowed time on the ball to dazzle the opposition, the men in green cutting off the supply line for Dulwich Hamlet’s talented attacking players.

”He’s had a great year,” McMahon said of 22-goal midfield talent.

”I think Welling United have spoken about him and he is a good player and they all are.  They’re all technically good on the ball.

”Gavin always gets his sides trying to play football. We knew if we sat back that they would pass us off the pitch like (beating us 5-0 in) pre-season. 

”But our league’s all about getting in their faces and working hard and I very much doubt there’s a team in their league that’s done what we’ve done tonight to them.

"We've got some great youngsters here. Chris Edwards tonight was outstanding. He's come up from Kent Invicta League football to play against a top side and a top winger in Ellis Green and I thought he was absolutely outstanding tonight."

Rose added: “I think they shut us down from the back and in midfield as well but our boys’ didn’t recognise that they left space in behind and we sort of played into their hands a little bit, but fair play to them, they came with a game plan and it nearly paid off.”

Thamesmead Town right-back, Chris Edwards, plucked from Kent Invicta League leaders Phoenix Sports, was denied in the 23^rd minute.

Edwards’ right-footed free-kick from 30-yards was destined for the near corner, but Wilson dived full-length to his right to push the shot away.

Zanone was almost rewarded for grafting when he stole the ball off Dulwich Hamlet central defender Lewis Gonsalves, twisted and turned inside the penalty area but a combination of Wilson and Gonsalves ensured the striker’s low shot was blocked.

Dulwich Hamlet midfielder Kevin James, who was later forced off through injury, sprayed the ball out wide to advanced right-back Kershaney Samuels, who played the ball back inside to James, who stroked a left-footed drive from 30-yards straight into Budd’s body.

A clearance from the Thamesmead keeper was volleyed upfield by Dulwich Hamlet defender Adeniyi, which put Carr though on goal, but his header was comfortably gathered by the keeper.

But Dulwich Hamlet grabbed the lead, against the run of play, in the 40^th minute.

Adeniyi fed the ball to Samuels, who cut inside and slipped a diagonal pass to put Carr though on goal (after Edwards’ failed to cut out the pass).

Carr rounded the advancing Budd but lost his composure and Thamesmead were allowed to get bodies back to initially cut out any danger.

However, Samuels picked up a loose ball on the right and drove his cross across the face of goal towards the far post and an unmarked Carr rifled his left-footed shot into the roof of the net from three yards.

McMahon said: “I thought he was offside.  If he don’t touch it on the goal line, not a problem, but he’s standing on the goal line with no one around him and I thought the lino switched off.

”A team, especially of their quality, is going to have a 5-10 minute spell and we knew that. We dominated the first 35 and when they did pop it about they’re a handful and you just have to get back behind the ball, keep your shape and discipline and if you don’t keep your shape against them they’ll rip you to shreads.

”The whole side is full of pace and we knew we couldn’t give them any space.

”We wanted to keep our heads (after the goal). I think we had a bit of a wobble for five minutes until the half.   We had to regroup and they could have nicked another one but we did regroup and we came out second half absolutely superb.”

Rose admitted Carr’s goal came at the right time.

”I thought they were the better team in the first half, definitely,” he said.

”They played a direct game, they shut us down well and we didn’t really adjust to that until later on in the first half.  I think in the last 10 minutes of the first half we actually turned up and started to play a little bit better football but in the first half it was 100% their half.”

Dulwich Hamlet could have gone in two goals down but Green’s deflected shot forced Budd into making a low save to his right to make the block before gathering the loose ball.

McMahon revealed he rallied his troops during the half-time interval after their set-back.

He said: ”That’s football. It happens sometimes and it’s how you react.  If we had come in and felt sorry for ourselves and threw the towel in, we’d probably let in four or five tonight.

”You could see why they do beat sides comfortably and why their mostly favourites for their league now.

”Thamesmead sides this year, as you’ve seen, keep going until the 90^th odd minute and we kept going and going and we almost believed we could score, especially from set-plays.  We’ve scored, I think, in every single game from set plays and it’s no surprise that we scored.”

Thamesmead Town created the first chance in the second half when Probets swung in an excellent free-kick with his left-foot but Lea Dawson glanced his header agonisingly wide of the far post.

A hooked pass from Dawson, and a flick from Enoch Adjei, put Zanone clear just inside the corner of the Dulwich Hamlet box, but he screwed his right-footed volley well wide from sixteen-yards.

The home side created their first second half chance ten minutes in when Carr did well to hold off his marker James Donovan and his flicked pass released winger Clunis charging down the left wing and after cutting in he curled his shot wide of the far post from 20-yards.

Clunis then played the ball across from left to Green out wide of the right, who played the ball inside back to Clunis, whose speculative left-footed chip from a central position ballooned high over Budd’s crossbar from 30-yards.

But a quality delivery from Edwards gave Thamesmead Town a deserved equaliser in the 73^rd minute.

Edwards swung in a right-footed corner from the right towards a crowded near post and Carter rose to glance his header into the top left-hand corner from within a couple of yards.

”In the second half we kept patient and kept going back to what we done in the first 35 minutes and we got our rewards and I thought second half we were even better!

”We score a lot of goals from that.  Lea Dawson has scored two in the last two games exactly the same.

”With Chrissy Edwards and Ashley Probets, we’ve got right and left, the best two deliverers in this level of football. You’re always going to get on the end of it.

”Before the goal Ashley’s put a great free-kick in that Lea Dawson should’ve scored from. It’s just gone wide. He could’ve even ducked, it might have gone in!

”We work on set plays.  We do a lot and we’re dangerous from them. It was a good finish and I thought we were going to win it.”

Rose was disappointed in the manner that Thamesmead scored.
 
”It’s in our six-yard box so you’re not going to be happy with that,” he said.

”They’ve got some really good deliveries today, really dangerous deliveries and law of averages tell if you keep putting those balls in, you’re going to have a chance of scoring and that was the case today.”

There would have been no complaints had Thamesmead Town secured victory when holding midfielder Danny Kerrigan unleashed a right-footed screamer from 30-yards, which produced a brilliant diving save from Wilson, who flew high to his right, stuck out his left arm to push over the bar.

Rose said: “He’s been good all year Phil has.  The amount of games we’ve managed to win this year, it’s not just down to the boys’ scoring goals, it’s down to the back four and it’s down to people like Phil as well.  We’ve played some really good teams this season and everyone’s played their part in terms of trying to do well.”

Dulwich Hamlet are always a treat going forward and Clunis drove wide of the far post from 30-yards, before Thamesmead created a couple of late chances.

Zanone’s left-footed scuffed shot on the turn was comfortably saved by Wilson low to his left, before Carter rolled his left-footed shot on the turn wide, before the game was settled by a penalty shoot-out.
The only penalty that Budd had a chance of saving was Dulwich’s third from Oztumer and Rose hailed the quality of his five spot kicks.

The Dulwich Hamlet boss said: ”We want our most confident lads going up to take penalties. It doesn’t even matter if they’re the most technically gifted, I think they just have to be confident on the night that they want to take a penalty. That’s the five that put their names up and it worked out for us.”

McMahon refused to blame Budd for denying the club a place in the Final.

”Listen, Rob’s won us the last two (shoot-outs). It’s a shame it goes to penalties. We practice penalties as I’ve told you before and we’ve kept the same line up even through I made a substitution in the last minute because Arlie (Desanges) took one in the last round.

”Robbie’s stepped up and he’s hit the post. What more could you do? He nearly got his hand to one of theirs and he’s slipped under the sand.

”He doesn’t feel he’s let anyone down. I just think he’s just gutted he’s hit the post. He’s a goalkeeper and goalkeeper’s strike a ball really well. The goalie’s getting nowhere near it.

”It’s one of them things. It’s football. Rob might have scored and the next fella misses it. That’s penalties. It’s a lottery.

”They had a big crowd here tonight. They’re all behind the goal, they’re all screaming at us. Most of the lads’ held their nerve so I’m proud of him taking a penalty. I’ve got no problem whatsoever.

”I’m over the moon with the team’s performance. As much as gutted I am for not getting in the final, we’ve got a chance of another one (Kent Senior Cup) but our main priority is the league – as theirs is.

”Anyone who watched us tonight and didn’t know much about us would come away and say we’re a good side.

”A club of our size to get to the semi-finals of the League Cup is massive and where we are in the league as well. It would have been a dream for the club (to have reached the final). But had it gone to extra-time, the old saying, we might have gone on and won it but that’s not what this Cup’s about.  We knew that (it would go straight to penalties), we’re not making any excuses. We gave our best. They’re a decent side.

”I think maybe a few people thought we’d come here tonight and we’d get turned over but I don’t think they expected to see what just happened and I’m proud of that and we just need to take that on to Saturday now.”

Looking ahead to Dulwich Hamlet’s Final against third-placed Concord Rangers, Rose added: “We’ve played two teams, two good teams, in the Ryman Premier and done well.

”We won’t think about the final yet because we’ve got our league form to care about. We’ll start thinking about Concord closer to the time.

”This season is going to have many twists as it always does every year. There’s not going to be no guarantee wins. We have to earn the right if we want to get promoted.”

McMahon added: ”As much as I’m gutted for our lads, I’m pleased for Gavin and Kadi. They’re two lovely men. They do their football right. They do things in the right way and I wish them all the best in the final now.”

Dulwich Hamlet: Phil Wilson, Kershaney Samuels, Ahmed Deen (Richmond Ayoola 82), Luke Hickie, Peter Adeniyi, Lewis Gonsalves, Nyren Clunis, Kevin James (Calaum Martin 33), Daniel Carr, Erhun Oztumer, Ellis Green.
Subs: Junior James, Tyler Myers, Junior Kadi

Goal:  Daniel Carr 40

Thamesmead Town: Rob Budd, Chris Edwards, Ashley Probets, Danny Kerrigan, Lewis Tozer, James Donovan, Sean Roberts, Lea Dawson, Stuart Zanone, Rob Carter, Enoch Adjei (Arlie Desanges 90).
Subs: Richard Butler, Aleem Sesay, Richard Stevens, Jack Hopkins

Goal:  Rob Carter 73

Booked:  Chris Edwards 67

Attendance: 147
Referee: Mr Wes Linden (Northwood, Middlesex)
Assistants: Mr Mark Tweed (Kilburn, London NW6) & Mr Dele Sotimirin (Brixton, London SW9)