Match Report | Dulwich Hamlet 2 Saltdean United 2

The coastal opponents are a tough side who don’t quit, and Sunday’s meeting was no exception. Mid-table Saltdean United are only one point behind Dulwich, and were visibly determined to show them a good time. Although Dulwich threw down the gauntlet early to establish the upper hand, Saltdean clawed their way back and dug in grimly, insisting on sharing the points.

Things looked rosy for the Hamlet in the opening minutes. Recent signing Mia Lockett, who’s been making a name for herself on the frontline in the last month, gave us the lead in the 1st minute, with a neat debut goal for the club slid in from the right. Saltdean immediately got to work trying to find an equaliser, but Dulwich maintained a high press and pushed them back into their own half. The visitors fought back a little too furiously, handing Dulwich a penalty in the 11th minute. Who stepped up? Sophie Manzi, of course, burying it easily and claiming the record of being the first DHFCW player to score in four consecutive games.

Saltdean responded in organised fashion, giving defender Beth Hartigan and stalwart keeper Saskia Reeves-Priestley plenty to do. Chances for Saltdean at 17 and 19 minutes, including a serious threat from skipper Georgia Bridges, who’d trouble the Hamlet later, sent Dulwich hearts racing, but they held the lead. Luna Alves Etienne, another recent Dulwich signing, made herself a problem on the right: fast and shrewd with an eye for cracks in the Saltdean defence. She punished one such opening with a beauty of a shot - Saltdean keeper Blair Hamilton leapt out to meet it but it was wide by a whisker.

The intensity of Saltdean’s play was building up though, and Bridges caught Dulwich by surprise in the 33rd minute to notch a goal for the visitors, firing in a free kick from some 40 yards out. It was the opening they needed; moments later, Molly Hill closed the gap at 37 minutes with a sneaky close range finish - a frustrating goal for Dulwich after failing to clear out a corner effectively. With Saltdean determined to overtake Dulwich, Ceylon Hickman stemmed the flow, clearing the ball out of the box as Saltdean chanced their arm again. New Saltdean signing Lucy Jellett, fresh from racking up goals at Millwall, looked hungry to score, but the Dulwich backline would yield no further.

Halftime gave the pink’n’blue a chance to regroup and re-strategise. As the game resumed, they focused on controlling the pace more. Saltdean pressured them with reaches into the box and a long-range free kick but Reeves-Priestley kept the goal under lock and key. Her heroism came at a cost, needing treatment after using her forehead as a brick wall, but happily for Dulwich, she was able to play on.

Lockett offered a shot into the side netting. Her versatility proved to be an ongoing issue for Saltdean, tracking back and causing them hassle in midfield, forcing them to make mistakes and give up free kicks. At 65 minutes she barrelled a stonker of a shot into the Saltdean box, scraped clear by Hamilton’s fingertips. Dulwich had Saltdean under pressure - keeping their keeper busy, whilst Chana Hinds controlled the play at the halfway line and won footraces down the flanks, drawing multiple players to deal with her. With Saltdean looking less sure of themselves, it looked like Dulwich might wrest back the lead. Both teams fielded subs to try and tip the balance of play - Chloe Nye on for Saltdean, and the trusty Minnie Cruttwell on for Dulwich. A final burst of energy from Saltdean, and a couple of leaky moments in the Dulwich defence, threatened to be the decider, with a Saltdean attacker outrunning Hickman in the box and forcing a block from Reeves-Priestley. Would indecisive clearing be Dulwich’s undoing? Not today. The Hamlet still had ideas in the tank, Manzi chesting a possibility towards Lockett - which Hamilton, off her line, was ready to shut down - and Rosie Stone fielding a free kick. Chana wrestled to create something with it but two Saltdean defenders doggedly stopped her, closing the afternoon at 2-2.

[b]What worked:[/b]
[b][i]Lots of ideas from the frontline[/i][/b]
Whether in the lead or fighting to keep the scales level, Dulwich had no shortage of firepower. Manzi and Lockett, after their early success, kept the chances coming and pressured Saltdean to the last.

[b][i]Saskia Reeves-Priestley[/i][/b]
Dulwich’s keeper had her work cut out for her, but despite an unlucky five minutes in the first half, kept her focus. She’s more than a reactive keeper; her quick reflexes and ability to anticipate Saltdean even when they overcame Dulwich’s defence in lightning moments, were the difference today between a draw and a loss.

[b][i]Second-half mentality[/i][/b]
It’s frustrating to hand back an early lead before half-time comes, but Dulwich didn’t let it unbalance them. Playing the long game, they outlasted Saltdean’s burst of confidence. Longtime Hamlet fans know one of this team’s greatest strengths is their psychology - a never-say-die approach and an ability to regroup under pressure. Today’s game was a textbook example.

[b]What didn’t work:[/b]

[b][i]Letting Saltdean breathe[/i][/b]
Saltdean’s intensity was clear from the start - uncowed by Dulwich’s two early goals, they had a ferocious first half. Like Dulwich, they’re a team that seize opportunities in split seconds, and needed to be contained better. Little errors like not clearing out a corner effectively cost Dulwich dearly.

[b]The view from the bench:[/b]
Ryan Dempsey spoke with pride about how his side handled the Saltdean threat in the second half, letting the visitors run themselves down: [i]“We wanted to be more positive and aggressive in & out of possession, which I felt we were in the second half. We looked like the fitter team which was pleasing to see. We felt that we were the only team that wanted to win the game in the second half. We need to improve on our decision-making in the final third to create more clear-cut chances.”[/i]

Dulwich Hamlet Line-up: 1 Saskia Reeves-Priestley, 2 Madi Parsonson, 4 Chana Hinds, 5 Rosie Stone, 9 Sophie Manzi (c), 12 Beth Hartigan, 13 Ceylon Hickman, 15 Erin Corrigan, 17 Luna Alves Etienne (20 Minnie Cruttwell 74'), 19 Mia Lockett, 21 Lily Price

Goalscorers: Mia Lockett 1', Sophie Manzi (pen) 11'

Yellow Card: Madi Parsonson 55'

Saltdean United Line-Up: 1 Blair Hamilton, 2 Lillian Tucker, 3 Evie Nebbitt, 4 Amy Sinden, 5 Sienna Howell, 6 Megan Gates, 7 Ruby Melis (11 Madeline Hotston 74'), 8 Georgia Bridges (c), 9 Molly Hill (15 Faye Williams 80'), 10 Amy Green, 11 Madeline Hotston (14 Lucy Jellett 35' (12 Chloe Nye 68'))

Unused Substitutions: 16 Maya Pritchard, 17 Malak Taher

Goalscorers: Georgia Bridges 33', Molly Hill 37'

Referee: Mark Sullivan
Attendance: 318 (+5 dogs)

Match Report | Dulwich Hamlet 2 Enfield Town 1

The Hamlet earned three points over Enfield Town the hard way on Sunday, scoring twice in the second half to turn the game on its head.

Trailing through Olivia Syson's 15th minute strike, Erin Corrigan levelled just minutes after a stunning goal line clearance from Ceylon Hickman, before Sophie Manzi converted a penalty just three minutes from time. The win meant we had three successive victories in the league for the first time since 2021.

Rosie Stone returned to the midfield after missing the defeat at Dartford, replacing Minnie Cruttwell in the only change to the side. Beth Hartigan returned to the heart of the defence with Madi Parsonson back on the wing. The hosts were welcoming manager Jodie Whitford-Stark to the dugout for the first time, and made seven changes from a side which lost 10-0 at Dorking Wanderers a fortnight previously.

It was a fairly tame start to the game as the Hamlet struggled to adapt to a highly bobbly surface on the QEII pitch, Mia Lockett firing one early chance high and wide, whilst both Manzi and Lily Price hit shots on target from outside the box at Cristina Blundell as we probed a defence that had shipped 22 goals in its last four outings.

However, it would be the hostesses who went ahead through Syson's tenth goal of the campaign. Rosie Stone lost possession cheaply to Samantha Malyon in midfield, and she played a ball up to Syson in attack. The number 9 played a one-two with Malyon again before bursting into the area. Hitting a rising shot, Syson watched as Saskia Reeves-Priestley got two hands to the ball, but could not prevent it from hitting the back of the net.

This goal brought panic to the Hamlet defence as the next few minutes saw wayward back passes, rushed clearances and general bedlam as Enfield chased a second, but eventually the movement of Manzi and Rebecca May, combined with Parsonson on the flank, began to push the home side back. Despite this, our best chance of the half would come from a free kick some 35 yards out in the 29th minute. Stone, who has scored two in the New London Lionesses win, looped a high ball towards goal from the right wing, which Blundell did really well to parry away with two hands on her line.

Then came chances for the American duo in the Hamlet side, Corrigan sending a Stone cross off target, before Brit Saylor found herself in acres of space in the penalty area, but was wild with her effort, her yells of frustration heard in all corners of the ground. We would then make an enforced change, as May limped off to be replaced by Luna Alves Etienne, May the victim of a tremendous recovery challenge by Claire Ford as she bore down on the area.

Chana Hinds was also introduced at the break as Ryan Dempsey juggled his formation, scrapping the preferred 5-3-2 for a 5-2-3, with Hinds playing on the right, a move that would bear plenty of fruit in the second half. Luna was showing the confidence of youth by beating Enfield players with stepovers, and her fellow substitute Hinds had the first chance of the second half but fired over.

Then came the biggest moment of the game in the 56th minute. Syson was threaded in down the right, and looked to shoot across Reeves-Priestley. The goalkeeper, unaware that the shot was going off target, got down to parry the ball back into a dangerous area, and Malyon came onto the loose ball first time to send a shot goalwards. Somehow, Hickman managed to charge across the goal line and get her head on the shot to turn over the crossbar in a remarkable piece of defending. It was a moment that would change the course of the afternoon.

Two minutes later, we had levelled the game. A corner from Stone was not dealt with adequately, and the ball dropped to Manzi. Somehow, the striker managed to dig out a shot through a throng of players, seeing the ball strike the base of the post, before the rebound was converted from two yards by Erin Corrigan, her first league goal in pink and blue.

It was the Hamlet who then had the wind in their sails with Enfield dropping deeper and seemingly looking for a point whilst looking to play on the counter, and Lockett couldn't finish off an Alves Etienne cutback. This almost proved costly, but Reeves-Priestley was on hand to make a big save as an Enfield attacker cut into the penalty area and unleashed a thunderous drive, with Saskia getting her body behind the ball. Moments later she was a mere spectator as Katie O'Leary clipped the bar from distance.

Corrigan had so nearly scored again from another Stone set piece but had headed over from close range, before we earned a penalty in fairly controversial manner. It seemed that a low ball into the box from the right was well-dealt with by Danielle Smith under pressure from Lockett, sliding in to clear, only for the referee to blow his whistle and point to the spot, saying that Lockett had been fouled. Cue ecstasy from our bench, and sheer anger in the home dugout.

Manzi stepped up, and squeezed it underneath Blundell to give us a lead for the first time in the game, just going slightly to the goalkeeper's left. Both her and Hinds also passed up moments to extend the lead in injury time as we looked to seal the three points once and for all, but full time soon came, and with it, a very nice victory and performance indeed!

Enfield Town Line-Up: 1 Cristina Blundell, 2 Sheryce Slater (9 Olivia Syson 80'), 4 Brionne Fowle, 5 Samantha Malyon, 6 Danielle Smith, 9 Olivia Syson (15 Keira Stewart 60'), 10 Natasha Cohen (11 Stavroulle Windell 85'), 12 Rebecca Evans (24 Lucy Loomes 71'), 14 Katie O'Leary (12 Rebecca Evans 85'), 20 Leah Littlechild (c), 23 Claire Ford

Unused Substitution: 8 Jodie Whitford-Stark

Goalscorer: Olivia Syson 15'

Yellow Card: Olivia Syson 90+4'

Dulwich Hamlet Line-Up: 1 Saskia Reeves-Priestley, 2 Madi Parsonson, 5 Rosie Stone, 8 Brit Saylor (c), 9 Sophie Manzi, 11 Rebecca May (17 Luna Alves Etienne 45+4'), 12 Bethany Hartigan, 13 Ceylon Hickman, 15 Erin Corrigan, 19 Mia Lockett, 21 Lily Price (4 Chana Hinds 46')

Unused Substitutions: 20 Minnie Cruttwell, 22 Rhea Gall

Goalscorers: Erin Corrigan 58', Sophie Manzi (pen) 87'

Referee: Lanray Alapafujah
Attendance: 60

Match Report | Dartford FC 3 Dulwich Hamlet 1

Sophie Manzi's consolation goal wasn’t enough as the Hamlet crashed out of the League Cup at the quarter-final stage following a 3-1 away defeat at Dartford.

Emily Vaughan, Elizabeth Adams and Nicha Dyett did the damage for the home side at Princes Park.

Ryan Dempsey’s side were looking to build on from their 2-0 win against Ebbsfleet United in the previous round, with the team having a good opportunity to potentially advance into the semi-finals of the competition, playing against a side they had beaten in December.

Beth Hartigan returned to the side following illness, whilst Minnie Cruttwell also came into the starting XI from the side that swept aside New London Lionesses a week previously, with Ella Wales-Bonner and Rhea Gall both missing, but there was positive news for Ryan Dempsey, with Chana Hinds back in the squad after missing the previous five games.

The first ten minutes of the game were a chaotic and fiery affair, which would remain a constant throughout the game, but it was the Hamlet that was on the attack first in the match as Rebecca May twice delivered crosses across the face of goal without success within the first two minutes from the right flank.

Dulwich continued to apply pressure on the Dartford defence as Hartigan chested down a ball and volleyed her effort from outside the penalty area wide of the goal in the fifth minute.

However, the hostesses were beginning to grow in the game with the home side finding openings in the Hamlet defence and almost capitalising on set-pieces during the process.

The home side’s persistence paid off in the 17th minute, as Emily Vaughan latched onto a long ball to go through on goal, and put her team in front as she curled her effort into the bottom left corner past goalkeeper Saskia Reeves-Priestley.

Things started to get worse for Dempsey’s side as Dartford were relentless for the rest of the first-half, with Elizabeth Adams on two occasions coming close to adding a second goal in the game.

It would be Adams again two minutes into the second half who would score and make it 2-0 for Dartford as Shauni Griffiths showed great skill on the right flank, before sending in a low cross for Adams to shoot into the far corner across Reeves-Priestley.

Despite the Pepper Army being two goals down and having struggled to impose their presence, they were giving it a good go, but Mia Lockett’s long-ball into the penalty area didn’t come off as well as everybody on the Hamlet bench would have liked.

With the home side failing to capitalise on opportunities to put the game to bed, it could have been costly if their goalkeeper Jade Charlton wasn’t quick to come out of the penalty to clear the ball following a dangerous cross from deep by Brit Saylor.

Erin Corrigan would count herself unlucky not to get herself on the scoresheet in the 71st minute as her header from a corner kick was cleared off the line by a defender.

Any chance of the Hamlet getting back into the game were over in the 75th minute, as the home side added a third goal via Nicha Dyett’s great finish in the penalty area, the striker receiving a through ball from Griffiths before smashing home.

The Hamlet managed to grab a consolation goal in the 88th minute to make it 3-1 as Manzi chested an effort inside the near post following a great free-kick into the box by Madi Parsonson.

Deep in injury time, Lockett squandered a great opportunity to get another goal for the Hamlet, but it wouldn’t be enough in the end as the team crashed out of the League Cup, whilst the Darts advance to play Sport London e Benfica in the semi-final.

Dartford Line-Up: 1 Jade Charlton, 3 Georgie Davis, 7 Elizabeth Adams (c) (12 Adele Pearce 84'), 8 Shauni Griffiths (7 Elizabeth Adams 90+1'), 9 Nicha Dyett, 10 Emily Vaughan, 11 Megan McKeag (5 Rachel Ahern 28'), 12 Adele Pearce (11 Meghan McKeag 76'), 17 Charlie Torry, 19 Amy Reader, 23 Paris Smith

Unused Substitution: 13 Lily Bennett

Goalscorers: Emily Vaughan 17', Elizabeth Adams 47', Nicha Dyett 75'

Yellow Card: Georgie Davis 36'

Dulwich Hamlet Line-Up: 1 Saskia Reeves-Priestley, 2 Madi Parsonson, 8 Brit Saylor (c), 9 Sophie Manzi, 11 Rebecca May, 12 Beth Hartigan (18 Ana de Pellegrin 80'), 13 Ceylon Hickman, 15 Erin Corrigan, 19 Mia Lockett, 20 Minnie Cruttwell (4 Chana Hinds 46'), 21 Lily Price

Unused Substitution: 14 Lucy Monkman

Goalscorer: Sophie Manzi 88'

Referee: Tony Woods

Match Report | Dulwich Hamlet 6 New London Lionesses 1

Following their League Cup win last week, Dulwich Hamlet returned to league play with a resounding defeat of New London Lionesses. It’s reasonable to assume the beleaguered side arrived at Champion Hill with some trepidation. While the Hamlet had notched up four league wins and three draws so far this season, New London Lionesses languish in the relegation zone, suffering a painful ten losses. Sunday’s game continued the trend, as the hosts punished the visitors for ninety minutes straight.

The writing was on the wall from the start. Sophie Manzi battered in a decisive goal in the 5th minute, before the Lionesses could get their legs under them. As they were reeling from that, Ella Wales-Bonner snuck a 9th minute follow-up in at close range. The Lionesses looked to collect themselves, but only ten minutes in, Dulwich had set up shop in the visitor’s half and were selling lemonade and raffle tickets. Long balls from skipper Brit Saylor set up the front line to pressure the Lionesses’ defence, while new arrival and Wimbledon dual-registrant Mia Lockett made her presence felt early and threatened the Lionesses netting. It seemed NLL keeper Avril Clark was struggling with an injury, as a defender took her goal kicks, and by the 20th minute she had been subbed off. The Hamlet thwarted the visitors’ attempts to gain ground - their footsteps into the Dulwich half were rare and brief, and swiftly corrected by the Dulwich backline. Rebecca May returned the favour, leading NLL on a merry dance through the 18 yard box before being hauled down by a desperate defender. Madi Parsonson made a welcome return on the wing, leaving NLL’s Imogen Dawe with nowhere to go.

At the 27th minute, Lockett launched a rocket at the box. Sub keeper Sarah Jackett repelled it unconvincingly, and Manzi scented blood, tapping it home to take the Hamlet to 3-0. It was now or never for the Lionesses, who needed to find a foothold or plummet. Defender Ania Koscielska, who impressed throughout, saved her team from a 4-0 disaster with a whip-sharp header in the box. Encouraged, NLL caught Dulwich by surprise in the next minute, as Jade Slater, another standout player for her team, landed a cross at the feet of Eleonor Premfors, who finished from the penalty area. The audacious goal would be the only one scored by the Lionesses, as Dulwich rounded furiously and countered with a stinging attack. Parsonson dominated the top corner, using it as a vantage point to send pot-shots into the box, and Saylor, enjoying playing further up the field than usual, returned a hopeful NLL ball to Wales-Bonner, who whistled a dangerous shot just wide of the post with a light touch from Jackett.

The other side of the half, Dulwich maintained their pressure, while the Lionesses fought to keep them at bay. Only a swift intercept from Dani Dunkley stopped the pink’n’blue from notching a fourth goal in the 46th minute. Rebecca May and Wales-Bonner peppered the box with shots, though their efforts cleared the bar, while Saylor’s chance landed in the arms of the keeper. But with this much pressure on the visitors, and how little room they had to return fire, it seemed inevitable that the Hamlet numbers would climb. It was nearly a hat-trick for Manzi, with only the flag thwarting her efforts. Time to ban the offside rule? We think so.

It would fall to two subs to double the Hamlet score; first, Rosie Stone, booting in a stonker of a goal off a free kick in the 74th minute. Olgá Ocran, who made her Hamlet debut last week, netted the fifth with a very neat volley at 77 minutes. With the clock ticking down, could the Lionesses make it to the end without further horrors? Not on Stone’s watch. Why settle for one goal off a free kick when you can claim two? As the 81st minute ticked over, she launched a missile from way back on the left flank, slamming it into the back of the net: Stone by name, stone cold by nature.

Ocran took a knock minutes later and was helped off the field, and with minutes left to salvage something from the game, the redoubtable Koscielska pushed deep into the Dulwich half trying to create a last chance for her crew. Polina Avramova carried it forward but Saskia Reeves-Priestley sent her packing. She closed the game in extra time with a final touch a third of the way up the field: an appropriate tableau given how little the Lionesses saw of the Dulwich half, thanks to a committed and ferocious performance from the Hamlet.

[b]What worked: [/b]
[b][i]Launching into the game like Usain Bolt[/i][/b]
Slicing the scoreboard with two early goals is a ruthless and effective way to kneecap your opponents. Dulwich put the Lionesses on the back foot from the very start, and kept the pressure on.

[b][i]Constant pressure at the front[/i][/b]
When your whole team have to target their energy at defence and damage control, it’s a nightmare to try and get control of the game. Dulwich kept the game so high up the field that breakaway attackers found themselves isolated and unable to pose a threat, making it easy for Dulwich to shut them down, while two braces in one game speak to a confident attacking strategy across the team.

[b][i]Impressive efforts from new players[/i][/b]
Olgá Ocran got limited minutes last week, but made her mark this week with an opportunistic, deft goal, and Mia Lockett proved herself a serious force upfront, while late sub Luna Alves Etienne put in a shift on the left wing.

[b]What didn’t work: [/b]
[b][i]A minor slow-down in the first half[/i][/b]
There was little to criticise in the Hamlet’s performance, but they did give the Lionesses room to score near the break. Still, they kept the opponents locked in their own half, and even when the Lionesses forced through an answering goal, Dulwich kept their cool, maintained pressure and systematically dismantled their guests.

[b][i]The view from the bench:[/i][/b]
Manager Ryan Dempsey was pleased with his squad’s performance, but ever the ambitious leader, he saw room for improvement: [i]“We started off well which we wanted to do and put pressure on NLL from kick-off. After scoring two quickly, we stopped doing the aspects of the game we needed to do – move the ball quickly, be proactive in transition – and started to be sloppy in our decisions.”[/i]

He also talked about how Dulwich progressed their strategy after the early lead: [i]“We tried to change the midfield and get Brit and Ella higher up the pitch to help us progress the ball into better positions to receive and play forward.”[/i]

[b]Dulwich Hamlet are away to Dartford on 12 February, and return to Champion Hill against Saltdean United on 26 February.[/b]

Dulwich Hamlet Line-Up: 1 Saskia Reeves-Priestley, 2 Madi Parsonson (20 Minnie Cruttwell 62'), 8 Brit Saylor (c) (5 Rosie Stone 69') 9 Sophie Manzi, 11 Rebecca May, 13 Ceylon Hickman, 15 Erin Corrigan, 16 Ella Wales-Bonner (6 Olgá Ocran 62' (8 Brit Saylor 88')), 19 Mia Lockett (17 Luna Alves Etienne 69'), 21 Lily Price, 22 Rhea Gall

Unused Substitutions: 14 Lucy Monkman

Goalscorers: Sophie Manzi 5', 27', Ella Wales-Bonner 9', Rosie Stone 74', 82', Olgá Ocran 77'

New London Lionesses: 1 Avril Clark (1 Sarah Jackett 20'), 2 Dani Dunkley, 4 Polina Avramova; 5 Lauren Worthy (12 Elisia Moreno 34' (10 Natalia Davila 57')), 6 Becca Neil, 7 Eleonor Premfors (5 Lauren Worthy 57' (8 Helene Rognas 85')), 8 Helene Rognas (10 Natalia Davila 18' (8 Helene Rognas 44' (7 Eleonor Premfors 69'))), 9 Jade Slater (11 Imogen Dawe 85'), 11 Imogen Dawe (25 Amanda O'Neill 75'), 23 Ania Koscielska (c), 25 Amanda O’Neill (12 Elisia Moreno 69')

Goalscorer: Eleonor Premfors 31'

Referee: Lucy Clark
Attendance:416 (+6 dogs)