Hythe Town 1-0 Dulwich Hamlet - If we reach the play-offs we've reached our goal, says Scott Porter

Saturday 16th March 2013

HYTHE TOWN 1-0 DULWICH HAMLET
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 16^th March 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Reachfields Stadium

HYTHE TOWN boss Scott Porter says it will seem like a failure if he doesn’t lead the club in to the Ryman League Division One South play-offs at the end of the season.

Hythe Town extended their unbeaten run to eight games after they completed the double over Dulwich Hamlet, who went into the game in second-place with 63 points from 30 games, seven points ahead of the Kent side.

Goalkeeper Dan Eason, who arrived from league rivals Herne Bay in January, has now gone 561 minutes since conceding a goal and Hythe Town have now won their last four games by scoring the only goal of the game.

Boss Porter was “over the moon” that his side moved to within two points of Faversham Town, but the biggest smile must have been on Jay Saunders’ face after the Maidstone United boss attended a wet and windy Reachfields Stadium after his side’s game at Chipstead was postponed.

Favourites Maidstone United remain in the box seat after Dulwich Hamlet’s eighth league defeat of the season. The south Londoners have eaten up one of their three games in hand and The Stones remain six points clear at the summit.

But Scott Porter said: ”We knew it was going to be tough because I think they’re the best footballing side in the league, going for the title, but that’s what we do. We make it hard for people and we have done that over the last eight games now, which is eight unbeaten, six clean sheets.

”We’re working so hard for each other, the work we put in there, closing down and pushing up and we always get chances, we always do.

”I knew we’d get a chance. We just had to keep patient but credit to the boys. They’ve worked their socks off on a heavy pitch against one of the best sides in the league.

”It was a great ball by Jake (Hobbs). It’s just a perfect end to a good couple of weeks really. We’ve played teams in and around us. There was no pressure on us really today because they’re one of the favourites to win the league, but the boys showed how good we are when we can dig in together and it’s been like that for the last eight games now so I’m over the moon.”

Dulwich Hamlet striker, Daniel Carr, 18, fresh from his trial match at Liverpool, was well marshalled by goalscorer Craig Cloke and Pat Kingwell and Michael Yianni scooped the man-of-the-match award for his disciplined performance to keep midfield magician Erhun Oztumer in his pocket.

”We look at things. We have game plans for each team and Yianni’s discipline today was tremendous,” said boss Porter.

”Like I said to him, you keep him (Oztumer) quiet, you win us the game and he’s done that! He (Oztumer) was limited to chances and limited to the ball. I thought Yianni did a job on him toady and his discipline was fantastic.”

Scott Porter was still without midfield terrier Nick Barnes who needs an operation on his torn cartilage and will miss the rest of the season and striker Ashley Miller has returned to Gillingham following his eight-match loan spell (scoring three goals) and made his Tonbridge Angels debut in their 4-1 defeat away to Welling United last Tuesday.

Rain started falling in this part of the world around mid-day and match referee Graham Kane only gave the go-ahead some 75 minutes before kick-off and went on to produce nine yellow cards. Dulwich Hamlet can expect a fine after picking up six bookings.

Hythe Town created the first chance of the game with only 86 seconds on the clock.

Left-back Darren Winfield clipped a left-footed free-kick into the penalty area and Cloke’s weak header from sixteen-yards was caught by visiting keeper Phil Wilson.

Dulwich Hamlet’s opening chance saw Carr released winger Nyren Clunis down the right and after riding Kingwell’s sliding challenge, his low centre forced Eason into making a low save to his right.

Hythe Town should have scored within seventeen seconds when sloppy defending let in Brendon Cass but he couldn’t score in his fourth successive game as he stroked his shot past the near post when left unmarked inside the penalty area.

Scott Porter said: “With the way we play, if you squeeze up and put pressure on them, they made mistakes and that’s what they did. He was unlucky. He maybe could have squared it but all the strikers in the eighteen-yard box are going to have a shot, the form he’s on at the minute.

”If you put teams under pressure they’ll make mistakes. He snapped at it a little but he’s worked hard as well.”

Turkish talent Oztumer was given only one sniff at goal when his left-footed free-kick from 25-yards was plucked out of the air by Eason inside the opening ten minutes.

Despite the flurry of early chances, the cut up pitch thwarted Dulwich Hamlet into playing their trademark passing game.

But Gavin Rose’s side went close to taking a 23^rd minute lead.

Central midfielder Kevin James swung in a corner from the left towards the near post for left-back Ryan James to flick across goal and the ball was cleared off the line by John Walker, who was playing in front of left-back Winfield.

Visiting keeper Wilson was relieved to see Yianni’s right-footed half-volley sail over from 25-yards after the holding midfielder broke free of his defensive duties.

And visiting keeper Wilson had to be alert when he caught Jake Hobbs' deflected right-footed drive from 25-yards after the winger picked up Ronnie Dolan’s diagonal pass.

Scott Porter added: “Good save! The ball was moving. It was always going to move, obviously with the wind like this!”

Dulwich Hamlet missed an opening on the half-hour mark when right-back Josh Turner advanced towards the edge of the Hythe Town penalty area and after cutting inside Winfield put over a cross towards the far post for Carr to ghost in unmarked to prod the ball wide from a tight angle.

A foul on Hythe Town skipper Dave Cook presented the home side with a decent chance, but Hobbs’ couldn’t keep his right-footed free-kick down from 30-yards.

Visiting keeper Wilson was booked after he fell to his knees and spilt the ball and handled the ball inches outside his box inside the D. Cook drove the resulting free-kick into the wall and moments later Walker hooked his shot wide of the far post from fifteen-yards.

When asked what he told his players during the half-time break, Scott Porter said: “The game will be won on maybe mistakes, be patient, you’ll get a chance, but you must up your work-rate!

”I know it was tough because they’ve worked so hard on a sticky pitch. They’ve listened to everything in the changing room. We got the chance and we could’ve won the game in the end by two or three but I’ll settle for one-nil wins all day long as any manager would. You don’t care. Three points is three points!

”We had chances. We had a lot more chances than them and I think we thoroughly deserved the win.”

The visitiors’ forced Eason into making a smart save within the opening four minutes.

Luke Hickie was left in space to stroke a right-footed angled drive from 25-yards and Eason jumped to palm the shot over high above his head.

Boss Porter said: “Dan Eason has come in. It’s taken him a little bit of time to adjust how we do things down here but it’s paying off and he’s been fantastic!”

Lewis Goncalves had originally came up from the back for Dulwich Hamlet’s fifth corner of the game, but stayed inside the box to glance Kevin James’ second cross harmlessly wide.

Dulwich Hamlet squandered an excellent chance to open the scoring just past the hour-mark when Clunis slammed his right-footed shot just past the near post.

Dulwich Hamlet defender, Peter Adenyi, ventured over the halfway line on many occasions and his diagonal pass found Ellis Green lurking at the far post and the former Maidstone United winger cut inside and his shot was blocked by Yianni at the near post and went out for a corner.

Hythe Town chucked off the shackles for the final fifteen minutes and Cook’s hooked pass released lone striker Cass charging towards goal down the middle but Wilson gathered the loose ball after a poor touch from the 11-goal striker.

Hythe Town linked up well in midfield and Hobbs fed the ball into Cass, who released Cook down the right and his deep cross was put behind by Dulwich Hamlet right-back Turner.

That proved to be a mistake as Hythe Town grabbed the winner with 35:54 on the clock.

Hobbs swung in the resulting corner from the left, which was cleared back to the former Beckenham Town winger. Hobbs’ cross sailed to the far post and Cloke ghosted in with two of his team mates to steer his shot into the bottom right-hand corner from eight-yards.

Boss Porter revealed that he made the right call to keep Hobbs on the pitch after the winger missed the last eight games following a hamstring injury.

He said: ”This is his first game for a long time. He’s struggled with his hamstring. Clive (Cook, my assistant) said to me ‘should we bring him off?’

”But he will bring you something, quality and he’s proved me right.

”The ball in was fantastic. Three people could’ve scored it. Cookie was there, Cass was there and luckily enough Clokey got on the end of it!

”It was a well-deserved goal and a well-deserved win. Everyone watching the game, like yourself, will say we thoroughly deserved that.”

Cloke was chuffed with his second goal for the club and sprinted over to boss Porter to celebrate.

Boss Porter said: ”It shows you there’s a lot of passion in the squad, a lot of togetherness when someone scores. It is across the board from me down to the kit man basically.

”We stuck together when we went through a bad run, five or six losses on the spin and that’s tough. It just shows what we’ve got there with the players and we’re using it on the pitch as well as off the pitch.”

The goal stunned Dulwich Hamlet. Rose immediately threw on two substitutes but the damage was already done.

Dolan steered a shot just past the foot of the near post after Walker cut the ball back to him from inside the penalty box, before Hythe Town missed an excellent chance to wrap up the victory.

Dolan’s hooked pass put Cass through on goal but his right-footed dink was blocked by the advancing Wilson.

Boss Porter added: ”The goalkeeper has kept the scoreline down to be fair.”

He was pleased that his side are keeping things tight at the back.

“We were giving away sloppy goals at the start of the season. I’ve always said we need to be a hard team to beat.

”I want blood and guts out of my players and I’ve been getting that lately and we are a hard team to beat. We’ve not been giving away silly goals now and everyone’s working for each other now, digging in all over the pitch and it’s paying off.”

Porter revealed his targets for their last nine games, which starts with a trip to third-from-bottom Horsham – who crashed to a 4-0 defeat at Ramsgate today – next Saturday, and includes four Kent derbies against Herne Bay, Faversham Town, Folkestone Invicta and Whitstable Town.

”We just have to keep doing our jobs,” said Porter. “My aim is to get into the play-offs. If we get into the play-offs we’ve reached our goal.

”I try to reach a goal every season. Last year was top ten in the Ryman South; we won the Kent League, reached the FA Cup First Round. This year I want to get into the play-offs. If we do that I’ve achieved our goal. If we don’t, we’re a failure so that’s what I’m concentrating on now.

”We’ve picked up form at the right time and I’m pleased for everyone at the football club.”

When asked whether his side can snatch the league title from Maidstone United who are ten points clear, Porter replied, “We’re just happy to be where we are. We’re concentrating on the play-offs, whether if we come second, third, fourth or fifth. As long as we’re in the play-offs, I don’t care, we’ve reached our goal.”

Hythe Town: Dan Eason, Ashley Porter, Darren Winfield, Pat Kingwell, Craig Cloke, Ronnie Dolan, Dave Cook, John Walker, Jake Hobbs, Brendon Cass (Craig Thompson 88), Michael Yianni.
Subs: Lloyd Blackman, George Savage, Greg Smith, Tom Elliott

Goal: Craig Cloke 81

Booked: Craig Cloke 9, Ashley Porter 36, Brendon Cass 53

Dulwich Hamlet: Phil Wilson, Josh Turner (Xavier Vidal 82), Ryan James, Luke Hickie, Peter Adeniyi, Lewis Goncalves, Nyren Clunis (Connor French 70), Kevin James, Daniel Carr, Erhun Oztumer, Ellis Green (Frankie Sawyer 82).
Subs: Ahmed Deen, Junior Kadi

Booked: Luke Hickie 7, Daniel Carr 9, Ellis Green 25, Lewis Goncalves 33, Phil Wilson 44, Ryan James 68

Attendance: 260
Referee: Mr Graham Kane (Ditchling, Hassocks, East Sussex)
Assistants: Mr Kevin Roberts (Eastbourne, East Sussex) & Mr Gary Hamilton (Brighton, East Sussex)