By Wilf MacDonnell at Champion Hill
For the first time since 2009, Dulwich Hamlet players took to the pitch without Gavin Rose in the dugout. Rose departed in the week with his name firmly in the Dulwich history books and legendary status secured after his thirteen-year stint at the club.
The Hamlet faced Hemel Hempstead on a showery Tuesday evening at Champion Hill. Both teams were languishing at the wrong end of the table, with neither side winning since the first day of the season.
Hemel took a cautious approach with a compact 5-3-2 formation which happened to be the same formation the home side were using. The similar styles brought about early deadlock, the first chance coming around on the fifteen-minute mark when Charlton loanee Charlie Barker headed just over for the away team.
Club veteran striker Danny Mills and skipper Jack Holland took charge for this game. Dulwich have since appointed Paul Barnes as interim head coach.
Dulwich’s two temporary player-managers would have been gutted with the way their side conceded in the 33rd minute.
Frankie Raymond received a throw-in he didn’t want in midfield but still gave it away cheaply to the onrushing Hemel attackers. Josh Castiglione and Nahum Melvin-Lambert played a neat one-two before Castiglione squeezed his shot through goalkeeper Joe Osaghae, who might feel he should have kept it out.
The sides did nearly go into the break on level terms. George Porter slammed a volley against the post after Ronnie Vint had flicked on a Raymond free-kick.
Dulwich came out full of urgency and passion after the break. Joe Felix continually found space on the right flank but his dangerous crosses weren’t being met.
But the pressure eventually told. Andre Blackman stepped forward from left wing-back and crossed waist-high to the penalty spot, where Ibby Akani controlled wonderfully, set the ball out of his feet and slid a cool finish into the bottom corner. It was his first goal in pink and blue.
With the game level the Hamlet looked the more likely to take all three points. Felix’s drive from distance was well held by Craig King battling against the slippery surface. Quade Taylor looped a header over the bar from a trademark pinpoint Raymond delivery.
But a composed Hemel Hempstead side got a foothold back in the game, Dominic Morgan-Griffiths keeping things ticking both on and off the ball. Then 82 minutes in, a long clearance turned the Hamlet defence and substitute Ogo Obi beat Vint in a duel, cutting in on goal and finishing confidently on the angle.
At 2-1 down, the home side had to throw everything forward in search of an equaliser. So it seemed somewhat inevitable when, in the sixth minute of stoppage-time, Ogo Obi latched onto a long goal-kick beating Will Wood in the process and then calmly slotted the ball into the near post to make 3-1.
A difficult night for Dulwich Hamlet as they look to life after Rose. They will aim to bounce back on Saturday when they take on Margate at Champion Hill in the FA cup second qualifying round.
Barnes – who has held coaching and managerial roles at Welling United, Margate, Ashford United, Greenwich Borough, Staines Town, Guildford City and most recently Redhill – will be in charge for the first time for that game. He told the club’s official website: “This is an amazing opportunity to be involved at Dulwich Hamlet who have a great pedigree and history. I introduced myself to the players during Tuesday’s game with Hemel Hempstead, and am looking forward to working with them, including some that I have had the pleasure of working with before, and hopefully help this club move into a new chapter.
“I love the ethos of the club, and its unbelievable atmosphere generated on match-days, the support at Champion Hill is incredible, and is easily one of the best fan bases at any tier in non-league football. It has been a busy 24 hours sorting things but I am looking forward to starting.”
Kick-off this Saturday is at 3pm.