Dartford 1-1 Dulwich Hamlet - We dropped two points, admits Burman

DARTFORD 1-1 DULWICH HAMLET
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 31^st March 2007
Stephen McCartney reports from Princes Park

Dartford manager Tony Burman admitted his side dropped two points after another enthralling match at Princes Park.

A crowd of 1,409 were given excellent value for money as two classy sides produced an entertaining encounter.
 
The only thing that was missing was a bag-full of goals. Both sides had scored a total number of 149 league goals between them this season but had to settle for a goal apiece on a nice sunny but blustery day.
 
And Dulwich Hamlet dropped one place to fifth in the Ryman League Division One South table as Dover Athletic leapfrogged over them following their emphatic 5-0 win over Chatham Town.
 
Chatham get dragged back into the relegation dog-fight despite winning at league leaders Maidstone United in midweek.
 
But the Stones bounced back with a 1-0 win over Burgess Hill Town to remain two points clear of Hastings United.
 
Dartford are six points behind the Arrows with five games remaining – and travel to 1066 country on 14^th April.
 
Dartford made just one change from the side that defeated basement boys Corinthian-Casuals in a flattering 4-0 win seven days ago.
 
Skipper Tommy Osborne had recovered from his back injury to relegate Brad Potter back to the substitutes bench.
 
And striker Jay May’s 23^rd goal of the season gave the Darts the lead after just seven minutes.
 
Midfield play-maker Eddie McClements burst past two Dulwich Hamlet defenders to get inside the penalty area and his low shot was parried by Simon Overland, the former Ashford Town goalkeeper.
 
But McClements poked the ball square to May who rolled the ball into the net from ten yards.
 
Hamlet winger Mazin Ahmad, formerly of Kingstonian, impressed during the 68 minutes that he was on the pitch, and he almost levelled when his left-footed free-kick from thirty yards screamed just over Tony Kessell’s crossbar.
 
Kessell, whose wife is expecting their first baby at any moment, made the first of his two crucial first half saves after 21 minutes, blocking Ahmad’s shot from six-yards.
 
The tricky winger played a short corner to Shawn Beveney, who cut the ball back to midfielder Kenny Beaney and he played the ball to the unmarked Ahmad but the former Folkestone Invicta goalkeeper was on hand to make a smart save at his near post.
 
Dartford winger Ryan Hayes turned provider when the Kent side should have scored their 100^th competitive goal of the season.
 
The former Slade Green winger cut inside before whipping the ball towards the far post and Brendon Cass’ looping header dropped agonisingly past the foot of the far post from six-yards out.
 
Dulwich Hamlet striker, Damien Scannell, whose on loan from Fisher Athletic until the end of the season, was a constant threat throughout the game, especially with his runs from deep.
 
And the 21-year-old was thwarted by the advancing Kessell on the left hand side when the goalkeeper stuck out a leg to prevent Scannell scoring from a one-on-one situaution on the half-hour mark.
 
Kessell was called into action again when he thwarted Beveney after the winger cut into the penalty area after eating a Dartford sandwich on the right hand side.
 
But Mark Green squandered an excellent chance to kill off the game just before the break.
 
The Dartford left-sided midfielder started the move that involved May and Cass, who in turn sprayed the ball low to Hayes on the right.
 
Hayes reached the by-line, crossed towards the far post with his trusted left-foot but Green’s shot from six-yards was deflected over.
 
Scannell was given the freedom of Princes Park inside the first two minutes of the second half before rolling a right-footed shot agonisingly past the foot of the far post.

May and Scannell were both off target before Overland denied Cass and McClements.
 
Dartford created another excellent chance to double their lead with fourteen minutes remaining.
 
Osborne’s cross from the right was chested down by May and as the ball dropped he scuffed his left-footed shot, which rolled into Overland’s grateful arms.
 
May then stroked the ball to Green and after riding a sliding challenge from former Sittingbourne defender Jamie Coyle, Green cut into the penalty area.
 
But Green’s cross was wasted by May as he skied his half-volley from eight-yards.
 
Dartford were punished for squandering good chances as Hamlet deservedly drew level with seven minutes left.
 
Substitute Potter gave possession away cheaply to Coyle outside the penalty area and the ball found it’s way to Hamlet substitute Phil Williams.
 
And the fast Jamaican born striker, 22, cracked a volley from an acute angle that flew across Kessell to find the top far corner of the net.
 
McClements was inches away from grabbing the winner at the death.
 
May flicked the ball over Lewis Tozer’s head before finding McClements at the far post and despite stretching, the 23-year-old’s shot flashed agonisingly past the foot of the post and the Darts had to settle for a point.
 
“When I struck it, I thought I struck it well and though it was goal-bound,” McClements told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.
 
“It would have been the right time to score really, in the last five minutes.”
 
His manager, Tony Burman, said: “I think it was an entertaining game.
 
“I think they’re one of the best sides we’ve played this season, them along with Tooting.
 
“They play some excellent football and I think we created enough chances.
 
“We needed to get the second goal and to be fair I felt our chances were better than theirs and we didn’t finish them off.”
 
Burman was quick to praise Williams for his excellent equalising strike.
 
He said: “The lad has taken their goal tremendously well from an acute angle.
 
“I felt we came back as well just after they equalised and we’ve missed a chance with a couple of minutes to go.”
 
Burman admitted his side dropped two points against their promotion/play-off rivals.
 
He said: “It’s got to be two points lost because we’re at home.  But we’ve played a good side.
 
“It was an entertaining game, they’ve got an abundance of pace and they’re brought up the right way but having said that I still feel we played a bit of football ourselves and we had the better chances.
 
“If we got the second goal, didn’t matter how early it was going to be, we would have won the game.”
 
Credit must also go to referee Mr Ashvin Degnarain, who allowed these two sides to play their attractive football.
 
Dartford:  Tony Kessell, Tommy Osborne, Steve Norman, John Guest, Richard Avery, Lew Watts (Brad Potter 57), Mark Green, Jay May, Brendon Cass, Eddie McClements, Ryan Hayes (Steve Hafner 74).
Subs: Carl Bruce, Ryan Briggs, James Tedder.
 
Goal: Jay May 7
 
Dulwich Hamlet:  Simon Overland, Jason Turley, Gavin Dayes (Phil Williams 74), Justyn Roberts, Jamie Coyle, Lewis Tozer, Shawn Beveney, Kenny Beaney, Leigh Bremner (Daniel Morris 63), Damien Scannell, Mazin Ahmad (Serge Musungo 68).
Subs: Nicolas Plumain, David Milton.

Booked: Lewis Tozer 56
 
Goal: Phil Williams 83
 
Attendance: 1,409
Referee: Mr Ashvin Degnarain
Assistants: Mr Ross Wooding & Mr Arif Khalfe