Dulwich Hamlet 6-1 Sittingbourne - Abbott insists changes will be made as Sittingbourne crash

Any chance of Sittingbourne qualifying for the promotion play-off’s ended as Dulwich Hamlet recorded a 6-1 mauling to leapfrog over Burgess Hill Town - who travel to Dover Athletic tomorrow - in eighth place.

Sittingbourne needed a win to move within a point of sixth placed side Kingstonian ahead of tomorrow’s matches to maintain any hope of promotion in their last three matches.

But tonight’s humiliation has ended any chances of playing Ryman Premier League football next season.

Dulwich Hamlet, the famous south London club, are up for sale, just like their troubled tenants Fisher Athletic.

And Hamlet announced in their match day programme that they’ve pulled their reserve team out of the Capital League next season.

“For financial reasons we have decided not to run a reserve team next season,” said the statement.

“Apart from the cost of some lengthy journey’s for away matches, we have also found that gate money for reserve team home games has not even covered the expenses of the match officials. We have therefore written to the Capital League, formally submitting our resignation from that League.”

Dulwich Hamlet, meanwhile, gave debuts to loan signings to Alex Martin (Bishop’s Stortford) and Kraig Rochester (Dagenham & Redbridge) and it was Rochester who netted the sixth goal in the last minute as a 12 minute hat-trick from Charlie Taylor, goals from Meshach Nugent (ex Greenwich Borough) and Marc Cumberbatch (Ashford Town) sealed the Brickies fate.

But the Kent side had equalised after 23 minutes through Bradley Spice’s 14^th goal of the season - but it all went wrong after that.

Dulwich Hamlet have the first shot on goal as Benson Paka drilled a right-footed shot wide of the left-post from twenty-yards after Charlie Taylor squared the ball to him from the right-flank.

It took Dulwich Hamlet 18 minutes and 22 seconds to break the deadlock through Nugent’s eleventh goal of the season.

Former Hamlet goalkeeper, Chris Lewington, 19, was, however, at fault for the opening goal as he allowed Nugent’s drilled right-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area on the right from twenty-yards strike him before bouncing up and finding the net.

But Sittingbourne fought back within three minutes as Spice equalised from the penalty spot.

His strike partner Hicham Akhazzan was fouled inside the penalty area after a dazzling run and Maidstone referee Mr Paul Harris pointed to the spot.

Spice drilled the resulting right-footed penalty into the bottom left-hand corner, sending goalkeeper Jamie Lunan the wrong way.

But from then on, things went downhill for the Kent side.

Taylor latched onto a defensive splitting pass through the heart of a sloppy Brickies defence and slot the ball past the advancing Lewington from twenty-yards, only to see the ball bounce agonisingly off the foot of the right post.

Sittingbourne defender Billy Manners then brought Taylor down inside the penalty area and Taylor’s penalty was well saved by Lewington, diving low to his left to save.

However, the match officials ordered the penalty to be re-taken and this time Taylor send the goalkeeper the wrong way as the ball flew past him and Dulwich Hamlet were 2-1 up after 28 and a half minutes.

Sittingbourne defender Ryan Andrews was then booked for protesting over the decision to re-take the penalty.

It was three inside 38 minutes when Alex Martin whipped in a free-kick from just outside the box on the right and Lewington failed to come for the ball and this enabled Taylor to thump his header down and over the stranded goalkeeper.

Goal number four, meanwhile, arrived just 219 seconds later but at least you could say that this had class written all over it.

Taylor completed his 12-minute hat-trick, curling an unstoppable left-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area, which curled past the diving Lewington to find the far corner to take his tally to eight goals in 12 games.

The horror show continued for the vocal travelling contingent as Dulwich Hamlet scored their fifth of the night just 201 seconds into the second half.

A corner from the left wasn’t dealt with by a static defence and Cumberbatch’s bullet header from six-yards flew into the left-corner.

Sittingbourne did muster a couple of chances, including a free-kick from Lee Spiller, which deflected wide and a shot from substitute Colin Richmond which went wide.

It could and should have been more as Hamlet, playing with three quick and strong forwards, tore into a poor Sittingbourne defence.

Chances including an effort that bounced off the crossbar and Lewington made a world-class save to prevent central defender Ryan Barnard from scoring with a bullet header.

But he couldn’t do anything with Rochester drilling home goal number six on his debut with an angled shot that found the bottom far corner in the 90^th minute - a goal on his debut.

Thankfully, Abbott expressed his views despite his players’ letting him - and the north Kent club - down.

“It’s obviously the worst night of my managerial career so far,” he told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

"I hope it don’t get any worse! I think we can pick out a few players’ out there tonight that obviously we know aren’t strong enough.

“Alright, we got smashed 6-1, it could have been ten but to be honest the first fifteen minutes I thought we started off really well. We couldn’t have asked for a better start and then we go and give a soft shot, Chris has let it go through his hands.

“We’re just giving teams goals and we’ve got to stop doing that. It’s not just this game, it’s the last five games, four or five games.

“They’ve scored six tonight but the things that start it off like winning the first header, winning the second one, we haven’t done it!

“All those six goals, I can’t say there was one good goal out of them lot.”

Abbott knew exactly where his side went wrong tonight.

“The two centre halves got beat up again, got to say that and they know they have,” he fumed.

“I don’t know what it is playing against quick, strong forwards - they can’t hack it.”

And Abbott has definitely ruled out the possibility of qualifying for the promotion play-off’s.

He said: “Tonight was do we go on, try and get into the play-off’s or do we get beat and we’re out of it?”

Abbott, however, promises changes for the games against Chatham Town (home), Dover Athletic (away) and Corinthian-Casuals (home).

“There might be a few changes now in the team, I’ve got to say that but we’ll go and enjoy the last three games, try and get nine points and try to finish as high as we can, that’s all we can do now,” said Abbott.

“I think they’ve got to prove to me and (assistant) Richard Brady now in these last three games that they want to be here next year, simple as that.

“We know where we’ve got to rebuild, we know the positions.”

Abbott demands a positive turn-around for the visit of local rivals Chatham Town next Saturday.

“We’ll see what their characters are like,” said Abbott ahead of the Bourne Park clash. “There were a few words said after the game, at half-time as well and at the end of the game, where there’s people who want to row with everyone all the time - and that will not happen next year.

“If I have to get rid of them, I will get rid of them!

“I’m not having players who can’t be told anything on the pitch and off the pitch. I’m not going to have it!

“I’m not going to name anyone, I think they know who they are but we’ll assess it over the summer.

“I want players who are going to fight because they start trying to play.”

Speaking about the twice-taken penalty that gave Dulwich the lead, Abbott was raging.

“That’s out of order!,” he fumed. “The linesman’s not given us nothing all night. The linesman said he (Lewington) jumped three yards. If he had jumped three yards I think we’ll noticed it.

“The linesman said he jumped three yards forward but what’s that all about?

“It’s probably the turning point of the game really I suppose.”

Abbott insists he wants players that are ready to roll up their sleeves instead of allowing a quality side like Dulwich Hamlet, who play a 4-3-3 formation, outclass them.

“There’s players out there that obviously don’t like a battle,” said Abbott. “We’ve got a young side, we knew that, but there’s people out there when it becomes a battle, they don’t want to know.

“When your two centre halves don’t attack balls, what’s that all about?

“Centre halves I’ve played with go out and attack balls, they want to win the ball, they go and attack it, not ours and I think we’ve given them all six goals.”

And Abbott believes there are problem players inside his dressing room.

“I think that’s part of what we’ve got here,” he admitted. “There’s players here that think they’re better than what they are.

“I really think there’s players that think they’re playing really well and they’re not, because they might be buzzing around for five minutes but we know who the players are. I’m not having it!

“I don’t care if they’re the best players, there’s definitely going to be some changes for next season anyway without a doubt!”

Despite excellent vocal support from a group of about 20 Sittingbourne fans down the touchline, Abbott apologised for the shambolic display from the players.

He said: “I’m embarrassed. I think anyone would be if your team plays like that!

“It messes your weekend up. It does mind and I hope it does for the players.”

Abbott revealed the news that both Ryan Johnson and Bradley Spice picked up ankle injuries tonight - just a bad night all round.

Dulwich Hamlet: Jamie Lunan, Steve May, Billy Chattaway, Benson Paka, Ryan Bernard, Marc Cumberbatch, Sebastian Schoburgh (Kraig Rochester 78), Stanley Muguo, Meshach Nugent, Charlie Taylor (Henry Darko 78), Alex Martin (Daryl Plummer 78).
Subs: Ricky Dobson, Shiek Ceesay.

Goals: Meshach Nugent 18, Charlie Taylor 29 (pen), 38, 41, Marc Cumberbatch 49, Kraig Rochester 90

Booked: Charlie Taylor 56

Sittingbourne: Chris Lewington, Ryan Andrews, Joe Dowley, Paul Ainsworth, Billy Manners, Ryan Johnson (Scott Lindsey 52), Dave Milton, Bryan Glover, Bradley Spice (Colin Richmond 73), Hicham Akhazzan, Lee Spiller.
Subs: Richard Brady, Anthony Glover, Tarik Ozresberoglu.

Goal: Bradley Spice 25 (pen)

Booked: Ryan Andrews 29

Attendance:  350
Referee: Mr Paul Harris (Maidstone)
Assistants: Mr Simeon Potter (Sutton, Surrey) & Mr Barrie Gale (Cheam, Surrey)