There was lots of pre-match publicity from unexpected sources.

As we reported on last week with the coverage from 'The Ball Is Round' football blog, we also had a feature on the'Two Hundred Per Cent' blog. Here's what they posted:

The Hamlet & The Stones: The Ryman League Warms Up For One Of Its Matches Of The Season

They’ll be working very in South-East London today to try and get tomorrow’s big match on in the Ryman League Division One South, between Dulwich Hamlet and Maidstone United. Here’s Damon Threadgold from The Real FA Cup with a look at Hamlet’s season so far.

For the last couple of years, South London’s most nostalgic, if not most successful, non league side have been enjoying a purple patch. Ultimately, that has only resulted in a familiarisation with the Cardiff City oeuvre of play off defeats and a lost cup final. But, under the guidance of Gavin Rose and assistant Junior Kadi, Dulwich Hamlet are now attaining a justified reputation for melding an aesthetes outlook with a degree of end product.In 2011 the pink and blue got to the play offs with a late surge and lost in the final to Leatherhead. Last season, having been top of the Ryman Division One (South) for a good chunk of it, they slipped away in the last few weeks, missed out on automatic promotion and then lost narrowly to Bognor Regis Town in the play off final. It’s worth noting that the two clubs that snatched promotion last year are currently first and fourth in the league above.

This season, with ex-league club Maidstone back in their home town, at a large bespoke ground and with the locals throwing themselves back through the turnstiles, it was assumed Hamlet would again, at best, be the bridesmaids. After some early season jitters, that assumption gained legitimacy with Maidstone’s brutal form throughout September and October. The two sides were among three or four others jostling for the top spot when they met in Kent in the middle of October. Hamlet were summarily dispatched back to South London with no points and a goal difference of five fewer. A preponderance of Cup games for the Stones meant Hamlet, and the others, kept in touch only by virtue of having played several more league games. A draw and a loss at home to two other Kent sides, Faversham and Hythe Town, at the end of October seemed to end any hope Hamlet had for the season. With that second Dulwich result and dropped points from others Maidstone went top and the hackneyed and proverbial phoenix seemed invincibly climbing back to the seventh tier of English football.

However, since those October setbacks, Hamlet have staged a cliche-inducing fightback that would cause that mythical chap from the Gospel of John to blanch. Since November Dulwich have won nine and drawn two of their 11 league games and won another four cup games. Maidstone, by contrast, have inexplicably dropped a lot of points, to the extent that their notional lead has evaporated, their games in hand are a dim recollection and the two go into this weekend’s big clash level on points at the top. Hamlet’s success has been an unswerving idea that football should, primarily be played on the ground and include lots of passing that makes the opposition wear themselves out a bit. This is allied with three attacking midfielders possessing very quick feet, pace and a good level of skill – but more importantly at this level, consistency. Let’s not over-egg the quiche, though – Hamlet can be direct when pinned back, can frustrate with the inaccuracy of their final ball or finish and shoot themselves in the foot with a defensive lapse. But they do have ingredients higher-league rivals covet and a growing consistency that may yet see them overcome a side that should run away with this league.

Those three attacking midfielders. Ellis Green (formerly of Maidstone) and Nyren Clunis are the wide men, ostensibly Ellis left and Nyren right but they do switch. The more central attacking midfielder is Erhun Oztumer, a tiny gift of a player with feet so quick it’s often difficult to see them move. He also has a lethal penalty (there was shock and disbelief when he missed one last week) and an eye for a pass that, earlier in the season was simply not read by his teammates. To the untrained eye this lack of telepathy made Erhun look an erratic genius but you only had to catch the action at the right moment and from a sufficiently expansive vantage point to see that nine times out of ten he made the right decision but his team mate simply didn’t react quickly enough, predict what he might do or believe that he could do it. For good reason was he a Charlton youth and in the Turkish top flight with Manisaspor. And he’s still only 21. And just five foot three.

While the increased understanding between team and Oztumer has played a big part in the last three months, another is the emergence of eighteen year old striker Danny Carr. Arriving via Reading’s academy and Eastbourne Borough, Danny has slotted into the formation better than any admittedly decent striker before him. His promotion from the youth team has produced 14 goals in 15 games. His debut was as a late substitute in Hamlet’s last defeat. He came off the bench in the following game and scored and has been a starter ever since. He’s busy enough to fulfill what is in effect a lone striker’s role when Dulwich are on the back foot, makes good forward and diagonal runs that suit Hamlet’s wide men and is a sufficient physical presence to be a target man or foil when the wingers go wide. This all round game is topped off with a belter of a left foot, even if his right leaves a little to be desired. It is, of course, unfair to single out these four players because the whole team has performed superbly and consistently in the last two and a half months. Lewis Gonsalvez at centre back and Ryan James at fullback are much improved while Junior Kadi and Luke Hickey sit effectively in midfield keeping everything ticking over.

As with every non-league side, keeping good players on a tiny budget is difficult. Rose’s team have been assisted recently by the Supporters Trust’s ’12th Man’ campaign that has collected funds for the club on the proviso that the money is ONLY spent on players. It has secured the signing of Danny Carr and eased a few imminent worries. Gavin and Junior not only manage the first team but oversee the Aspire Academy that provides the club with young talent from within the community, trained to play football the ‘right way’. Several of these players have gone off to Premier League or Championship clubs in the last two years alone. Commercially, Hamlet are a bit stuffed, like many others. They simply don’t generate the revenue to compete much higher up the pyramid. However, with the team playing well Hamlet’s average attendance is pushing 400, which is up on recent years and is the second best in the league behind Maidstone. It is, though, a long way back in second. Maidstone’s resurgence has seen them average about 1700 this season, the best being 2,200 in the New Year’s Day derby with Sittingbourne, which eclipsed even the attendance for the pre-season official ground-opener against Brighton.

As well as the additional match day revenue Hamlet have spruced up their club bar. It’s long been revered in non league for its enviable vista that overlooks and runs half the length of the pitch. But it has rarely been welcoming or very well stocked. The revamp has made it much warmer with some zeitgeist flock wall paper, a dartboard has been added for entertainment and Shepherd Neame have been brought in to provide Spitfire and a bespoke ‘Hamlets Lager’ (Yes, ‘Hamlets’, not Hamlet, which has produced some local head-shaking. Yes, ‘Lager’, not ale, which has also produced some local head-shaking – it’s actually pretty crisp and fresh, thankfully), which now makes it an increasingly welcoming venue. For their part, Maidstone have recently signed Folkestone Invicta’s Stuart King, the most prolific marksman in the Ryman South over the last eighteen months and have retained the services of last season’s top scorer, Shaun Welford. Stick them together with this season’s top scorer Paul Booth and you realise where Dulwich will need to be good. But the Stones have dropped nine points in the last month with a series of draws and a damaging defeat thanks largely to a leaky defence. So, we’re all looking at a tense goalless draw then?

Being January, it would be too much to say Saturday is a make or break game for either side but it could well be the season’s defining moment. A second Hamlet defeat to Maidstone might be a big psychological blow, especially given Maidstone’s resources. But, if pitches remain playable and a few other teams, like the surging Leatherhead and the erratic Crawley Down Gatwick, can cause Maidstone a few problems, Hamlet are right in it.

Weather permitting, Dulwich Hamlet v Maidstone United will be played at Champion Hill at 3pm on Saturday 19th January. £9. See @dulwichhamletfc on Twitter to make sure the pitch isn’t frozen.

Away from football blogs a local one, covering the Brixton area, called the Brixton Blog, gave football a plug, & our big match in particular:

Meet Dulwich Hamlet, Brixton’s local team, ahead of crunch Maidstone clash

Dulwich Hamlet, Brixton’s local team

Football, not a topic often covered in these pages but, with good reason, this week sees its’ return. Locally, there’s a few big-ish, well known football clubs like Crystal Palace, Millwall and Charlton. Lower down the football pyramid and just the other side of Denmark Hill is a grand old dame of non league football, Dulwich Hamlet. Dreamy.

For the last few years, against the odds, Hamlet have been in or around the top of Ryman Division 1 South, the 8th tier of English football. In 2011 they got to the play offs with a late surge and lost in the final to Leatherhead. Last season, having been top for a good chunk of it, they slipped away in the last few weeks, missed out on automatic promotion and then lost narrowly to Bognor Regis Town in the play off final. This season, with ex-league club Maidstone back at full strength and with a new ground facilitating their regular 1500+ crowds, it was assumed Hamlet would again be the bridesmaids.

That assumption seemed well-founded as the last few windows of advent were opened. With games in hand and a 5-0 thumping of Hamlet back in October, the Kent gentlemen headed towards the Christmas fixtures as league leading favourites. In the last three weeks, however, Dulwich’s unbeaten league run stretched out to 11 games and Maidstone started inexplicably dropping points, to the extent that their games in hand are a dim recollection and the two go into this weekend’s big clash neck and neck on points at the top of the table.

In Ellis Green and Nyren Clunis Hamlet have two quick and tricky wingers, in Erhun Oztumer they have the guile and dead ball skills that can open up stubborn opposition and in Danny Carr they have the clinical left foot to keep the goals racking up. It is, of course, unfair to single these four out because the whole team has performed superbly and consistently in the last two months but word limits, time and the obvious inclination of fans to revere attacking talent means we must draw a line somewhere. At times, the whole team are genuinely exciting to watch, certainly justifying the meagre £9 you pay to get in. In short, they’re actually quite good but don’t say it too loudly else bigger clubs will steal them all.

As a community hub, Hamlet have a plethora of youth teams that promote manager Gavin Rose’s brand of ‘proper’ football. The club bar has long been revered in non league for its vista that overlooks and runs half the length of the pitch. It has rarely been much to shout about beyond that but has recently been revamped with added flock wall paper, dartboard, Shepherd Neame tap and a bespoke ‘Hamlets Lager’, which now makes it an increasingly welcoming venue.

Although this one game will not decide the division, a second Hamlet defeat to Maidstone could put a big dent in their promotion aspirations. Similarly, the ‘Stones resources will mean a loss at the weekend could still easily be overcome. Either way, the Kentish Men (and women) will converge in large numbers on East Dulwich this Saturday looking to reclaim their Spitfire. Us locals will need to come out in force to make ourselves heard. If you can’t be there, follow the #dhfc Twitter hashtag for updates. If you can, wear pink and sing “Gavin Rose’s pink and blue army” – and hope the weather plays ball.