Catching up with the papers

Here's the new from the printed press over the last few days...

On Sunday we were once again the top feature in the 'Non League Paper' on the Ryman League pages:

NEEDHAM UNDONE BY DIPO THE DESTROYER

Dulwich are hanging on to play-off contention after this vital victory over the high-flying Marketmen in front of another bumper Champion Hill crowd.
Goals from Dipo Akinyemi and substitute Jacob Erskine lifted the FA Trophy quarter-finalists up to seventh and left the visitors six points off top spot.
Jack Simmons went close for Needham in an early attack, but Dulwich were soon dictating the play.
Sanchez Ming forced a diving save from Marketmen keeper Danny Gay and a minute later only a desperate clearance kept out a dangerous Nathan Green cross.
Hamlet opened the scoring in the 13th minute, Gavin Tomlin slipped the ball through to Akinyemi in the inside-right channel and the Stevenage loanee hammered arsing shot past Gay.
Hamlet kept the visiting custodian busy and Gay denied Akinyemi with a fine double save before holding a shot from Tomlin.
Despite playing second fiddle, Needham still had their moments and two minutes before the break Hamlet keeper Preston Edwards made a vital save with his legs to deny Reece Dobson.
Akinyemi was a constant thorn in Needham's side with his strength and power.
And five minutes into the second half he rattled the underside of the Marketmen crossbar from 15 yards.
Dulwich maintained their quest for a second goal and after the visiting defence scrambled clear from Quade Taylor, Matt Drage headed home Ashley Carew's corner only for his effort to be disallowed.
Then, on 70 minutes, Akinyemi netted with a towering header from Tomlin's corner, but again the goal was chalked off.
Moments later, Hamlet might have had a penalty when Carew was clipped in the box.
But with a minute of normal time left, the second goal finally arrived.
Carew played a good ball into the box to Erskine who held off his marker, turned and shot low past Gay, who got a hand to the ball but could not keep it out.
Needham then went close in stoppage time when Luke Ingram forced a fine save from Edwards.
Hamlet boss Gavin Rose was a satisfied man. He told The NLP: "We made life difficult for ourselves at times, giving the ball away cheaply. But our general performance was good and I'll settle for the three points, especially as we have drawn far too many games this season."
STAR MAN: Dipo Akinyemi (Dulwich Hamlet)
ENTERTAINMENT: **** (out of a possible five stars)

Then came Tuesday's midweek 'South London Press', concentrating on our promotion chances:

Hamlet give play-off hopes a boost

Dipo Akinyemi and Jacob Erskine were on target for Dulwich Hamlet as they got a vital boost to their Ryman League Premier Division play-off hopes with a 2-0 win over Needham Market.
The result moves the South Londoners to seventh in the table-but they still have plenty to do to achieve a top-five finish.
Leiston are four points ahead and have played two matches less while Hamlet have a couple of games in hand on Tonbridge Angels but are still ten points behind.
A bumper crowd of 1,960 saw Akinyemi put Dulwich into a 13th-minute lead with his first goal since re-joining on loan from Stevenage.
Akinyemi had another effort saved point-blank by keeper Danny Gay. Hamlet number one Preston Edwards made a vital stop with his feet to deny Reece Dobson just before the break.
Akinyemi had a shot come back off the crossbar soon after the re-start. He headed past Gay in the 70th minute but it was struck off for a foul on Gay.
Erskine made the outcome safe in the 89yh minute, turning his marker from Ashley Carew's pass and driving home.

This was followed, on Thursday, by the 'Southwark News', who concentrated on our London senior Cup win over Barkingside:

Dipo runs amok

Dulwich Hamlet's Dipo Akinyemi scored four goals in thirteen second-half minutes to help destroy Barkingside in the second round of the London senior Cup on Tuesday night.
Akinyemi claimed the match-ball as Hamlet scored six times after the break. Matt Drage and Ibra Sekajja were also on the mark before Jacob Erskine completed the rout in the 88th minute.
On Saturday, Gavin Rose's side defeated Needham Market 2-0 after goals from Akinyemi-his first for the club this season-and Erskine to keep their play-off hopes alive.
Hamlet play Macclesfield Town in the quarter-finals of the Buildbase FA trophy at Champion Hill at 3pm on Saturday, February 25.

Finally, yesterday morning, in the weekend copy of the 'South London Press', Club captain Kenny Beaney took centre stage:

WE'RE UP FOR THIS ONE SAYS SKIPPER
Hamlet relish Trophy chance

Kenny Beaney admits that there will not need to be much of a captain’s pep-talk for Dulwich Hamlet’s players on Saturday afternoon as they bid to reach the FA Trophy last four.

Champion Hill could be packed to 3,000 capacity for the visit of Vanarama National outfit Macclesfield Town.

And there will be no pre-match huddle from skipper Beaney. He said: “We did that at the start of the season but we lost. I’m a bit superstitious, so we don’t do it now. We tend to have that final chat in the dressing room. You are trying to gee each other up, get people’s heads on the game and know what they’ve got to do. Saturday is a massive match for us and the club. Everyone will be up for this one, I don’t think they’ll need too much persuading. This is the furthest I’ve been in my career in the trophy. I’m looking forward to it – we’ve got nothing to lose. All the pressure is on them. We’ve had a little bit of luck on this run but we’ve also got a good squad. We can cause Macclesfield a lot of problems. We can beat them.”

Dulwich are the lowest-ranked side left in the tournament, with the final played at Wembley.

So can they go all the way?

Beaney: “You’ve always got a chance. It might be a slim one, but you’ve got to believe you can do it. There is going to be a big home crowd and they give us that extra 10 per cent that might be the difference in getting us across the line.”

Beaney, a scaffolder in his day job, rejoined Hamlet in March from Grays Athletic.

“When I was there the chairman had just sold the club to the fans,” he explained. “He was not having anything to do with it. I knew it was time for me to go – that it wasn’t going to be pretty. I’d played for Gavin Rose before in the youth team. I knew he was a good manager and came back here.”

Dulwich’s progression to the trophy quarter-finals is at least a tonic for not tearing up the Ryman League Premier Division.

Hamlet lost in the play-off final last season but have work to do to even climb into the top five.

But they are on an eight-game unbeaten run in all competitions. It is just one defeat since December 17.

“We didn’t start the season great but we’ve hit a rich vein of form in the last two months,” said Beaney. “The main aim is getting in those play-offs.

“It doesn’t matter where we end up if we manage that. No team is going to want to play us. If we do get in there then I think we’ll win them.”

Boss Rose says that the fact Dulwich normally attract big attendances will avoid any stage fright for his players. There were 1,960 at Saturday’s 2-0 win over Needham Market. Large turnouts of 2,217 and 2,031 turned out for Bognor Regis and Worthing respectively.

“It seems pretty normal for us to have a decent gate,” said Rose. “We’ve sold out a few times, like when Maidstone were trying to win the league. Non-league Day have been pretty much sold out as well. We don’t take it for granted but are accustomed to it. It’s a great feeling playing in front of a big crowd. Macclesfield are too. There is no chance of us freezing. The best team will win. We’ll be going out there to do that. Things change as you go on – we might need to stay in it or get a replay – but at this stage we’ll look to end it on the day because we might never get a better opportunity again.”

Rose has had Macclesfield scouted and says their opponents were at Dulwich’s fixture on Saturday. “They’ll have seen we have some strengths. I didn’t think we were great in the first half, we need to be a bit more assertive around the ball and with the ball, which is usually where we are strong. But as the match wore on we looked to be the only winner and deserved the points.”

Dulwich will be without Dipo Akinyemi. On Saturday the on-loan Stevenage striker got his first goal since making another temporary switch to Hamlet but is cup-tied.

“It is unfortunate – he’s having a bit of a stop-start time for us,” said Rose. “But the good thing is that he’s match-fit and looks like he has got his appetite for goals again. He’ll be vital for us in the run-in. We’ve played three of the top teams in the division in the last three games, apart from Havant, and we should have won all three. I’m quite disappointed we haven’t because it would have put us in a better position.”