Kentish Football 
I think it's a bit silly to suggest this is the title decider, says Stones boss Jay Saunders
MAIDSTONE UNITED manager Jay Saunders says the Ryman League Division One South title will not be decided at Dulwich Hamlet tomorrow afternoon.
The Stones leapfrogged over the south Londoners to return to the summit following their 2-0 win over Burgess Hill Town in midweek, courtesy of two goals from former Tonbridge Angels striker Ade Olorunda.
The south London club have appealed to their supporters to get themselves to Champion Hill Stadium at eight o’clock in the morning to ensure the eye-catching top-of-the-table clash goes ahead and beats the big freeze.
Both sides lock horns locked on 48 points from 23 games, although Dulwich Hamlet have won 15 league games, one more than the Stones.
But Saunders insists tomorrow’s clash is not make-or-break in his club’s quest to go on to land the title.
”I think it’s probably getting hyped up too much,” he said, on the eve of the showdown.
“Personally there’s a long way to go still in the season. If we can go there and win and we lose the next game against Folkestone (at home next Tuesday), those three points don’t mean a lot.
”It’s a big game because we’re playing the team at the top with us. It’s not probably as big as everyone is hyping it up.
“I think it’s a bit silly to suggest that (it’s the tile decider) as there’s too many games to go still.
”We’re level on points. Leatherhead are just five points behind. If people put a run together like people do then they’re back in it.
”If we went there tomorrow and won, if the game’s on, if we lose the next two all of a sudden everyone’s back in it, so I think it’s just being hyped up a little bit too much.”
Saunders added: ”Don’t get me wrong, it’s a big game and we’ll go there to win the game.”
When asked what game he is expecting against their exciting and free-flowing footballing rivals, Saunders said: “A tough one! They’re a good side. Dulwich are a very good side going forward and Gavin’s got players who try to get forward in numbers and cause you problems with plenty of pace.
“It will be a tough one, but we’re on a good run. I think we’ve had one defeat in 21 games and we go there confident knowing there’s no reason why we can’t get a win there.”
Maidstone United thrashed Dulwich Hamlet 5-0 at The Gallagher Stadium earlier on in the season and Saunders said: “I think that will make them raise their game. They’ll want to go out and put that right, but I think just in general if they win they’ll go back to the top of the league so they’ll want to win and return the favour.
”We’ll try and not get too involved in the hype and treat it like another game, which we do every game. We treat each game individually. We’ve done our homework on them and hopefully we can get a result.”
”He’s obviously having a good season for them,” said Saunders. “He’s scoring goals and he’s technically a very good player and it’s a shame that by the size he gets judged that way (not being tall enough to play for a Football League club). He’s obviously a good player.
”They’ve got Ellis Green down there, who we know well and on his day he’s a handful. Nyren Clunis, they are players going forward who will cause problems.
”They’ve got plenty of dangerous players, but on the flip side they’ll be wary of players that we’ve got.”
Dulwich Hamlet will receive a massive cash boost if tomorrow’s game does pass the 10:30am pitch inspection.
Saunders said: “I think that’s some of the main reasons Dulwich want to get it on. Obviously they know having it on a Saturday they could be pushing a thousand there – on a Tuesday night they won’t get that many!
“Our players are used to now playing in front of big crowds. It will be good. Hopefully it will be on, but weather permitting. If the way things are looking it will be tough for it to be on, but you never know.
“But we’ll just prepare like it’s on and I’ll be sending out a message to the boys’ tonight that the game is on and what time the coach meet is and they’ll all prepare. We’ve got an honest bunch that will prepare right and we’ll just have to wait and see.
”It is frustrating this time of year because you want the games to be on or you’ll get the Saturday and Tuesday thing but you’ve got to prepare if it’s on and if it’s off we’ll prepare when it happens.”
Saunders has signed today signed midfielder Alex Brown for the rest of the season, following his impressive loan spell from their League Two neighbours.
”We’ve signed Alex Brown today until the end of the season from Gillingham. He was here on a month’s loan and he’s here until the end of the season so that’s a bonus to us.”
Alex Flisher, Michael Phillips, Nick Humphrey and Paul Booth remain on the sidelines through injury.
Dulwich Hamlet manager, Gavin Rose, also gave his thoughts on the eve of the massive game.
The former Beckenham Town manager, who ran the Stones so close during the nail-biting Kent League title race, which was settled on the last day of the season back in 2006, explained why his club want the game to be given the go-ahead tomorrow.
He said: ”Obviously being a big game in terms of crowd and the following that Maidstone can bring down etc, the club are trying their best to see if we can get the game on.”
Rose has also dismissed any idea that this game is the title decider.
When asked what the game means, Rose replied, “Pretty much the same as all the other games. We’ve got so many games left until the end of the season so this won’t take much baring on how the season ends on both teams because there’s so many games to be played with respect of the other teams in the league.
“It will be a big game between the two of us and it won’t have a baring on the end product, where the two teams end up.”
When asked what kind of game he’s expecting, Rose said; “To be honest, a tight game. A little bit physical, because it’s a must-win game, I suppose, for both in terms of physiologically, so you wouldn’t have too much time on the ball and if they do you have to earn the right to get that time on the ball, I would imagine.
”I’m expecting a tight game. It’s not a derby, but it seems like a derby. The two clubs seem to have a decent rivalry between the two of them.
Rose revealed he has received interest for Oztumer from Football League clubs.
”He’s a good, little player,” said Rose.
”We’ve known him a long time, since he’s been fifteen. He had a good spell in Turkey for three years and he’s come back to play over here to try to recharge his football career here in England.
”We’ve had a lot of interest from several League clubs. They’re looking at Erhun and monitoring him and seeing how he does, which is good. It’s no problem for the club or the boy. He’s splaying reasonably well and he can improve, which is good.”
Rose revealed his players will maintain their eye-pleasing passing game tomorrow.
”If it’s playable we’ll always try to play we do and I think Maidstone always play the way they do to suit your team.
”As long as the pitch is playable we’ll always play the way that’s best and I’m sure Jay will play the way he’s players’ play best.”
Rose hopes supporters’ of both clubs wrap up warm and turn out in force.
When asked how many he’s expecting, Rose replied, ”It’s quite hard to say. If there wasn’t any weather permutations and the game did go on you would imagine it was the 2,000 mark, especially with the two teams being so close to each other and the interest.
”The game at Maidstone was around the same and we weren’t doing too well in the league at the time.”
Visit Dulwich Hamlet’s website: www.pitchero.com/clubs/dulwichhamlet
Visit Maidstone United’s website: www.maidstoneunited.co.uk
Dulwich Hamlet v Maidstone United
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 19th January 2013
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Champion Hill Stadium, Dog Kennel Hill, Edgar Kail Way, East Dulwich, London SE22 8BD
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd