Dulwich Hamlet Youth in Dreamland as Margate hurdle overcome

The Aspire Academy coached Dulwich Hamlet progressed through to the final qualifying round of the FA Youth Cup with a 4-2 victory down in Kent.

To say this was a comfortable victory for the Hamlet youngsters might be to overegg the pudding a trifle but, apart from two minutes of madness just after the break that allowed Margate to wipe out Dulwich’s hard-earned halftime advantage, it was the visitors who created the bulk of the opportunities in free flowing, fast-paced encounter.

Margate were first to threaten with a low shot slashed across the face of goal before Dulwich Hamlet responded as Henry Histon’s delightful chipped effort from outside the area drifted wide of the goalkeeper’s left-hand upright. On ten minutes, it should have been one-nil to the Hamlet as Diallang Jaiyesimi danced his way to the backline before clipping a cross into the six-yard box. Kladji Cani was waiting there, meeting the delivery with a strong header from close range but succeeding only in sending the ball over the crossbar.

Two minutes later Dulwich Hamlet broke the deadline in perhaps fortuitous circumstances. From wide left on the flanks Abdul Lyoubi delivered a booming cross into the six yard. The home ‘keeper came to gather but seemed unnerved by the loitering presence of both Cani and Jaiyesimi attacking the cross and failed to gather, the ball ricocheting off a defender behind him who could do nothing to prevent it being diverted into the empty net.

Proving capable in the tackle Margate kept the Hamlet at bay though they were perhaps fortunate when Richard Soyoye met a corner with a deft header that was turned behind off an unsuspecting defender.

Neat left wing play from Dulwich allowed Cani on the edge of the area to set up an Ade Batula outside him but, after nattily cutting inside his marker, he snatched at the shot to see it screw wide of the target. Soon after Hamlet would go even closer as Jaiyesimi launched a rocket of a shot from distance, beating the ‘keeper hands down only to the drive to cannon out from off the underside of the crossbar from whence it was cleared by a relieved Margate defence.

Finally stung into action Margate forced Dulwich to defend deep, the Hamlet goal surviving couple of close range scares but goalkeeper Jack Yewlett pulled off a magnificent save diving low to his right to divert a point blank shot against his post and away for a corner.

Bang on the break, Dulwich extended their lead as Cani made up for his earlier miss with a textbook header home. Architect of the goal once more Lyoubi with a deep cross from the flanks met by the leaping Cani, towering over his marker to bullet a header back across the goalkeeper and into the near top corner of the net.

Dulwich might have felt they were in the comfort zone but a goal laden start to the second half providing an almighty alarm call as Margate obliterate that advantage in the space of a mere 60 seconds. Dulwich almost scored a third straight from the off but with 48 minutes on the clock the hosts launched a depth charge of a free kick into the heart of the Hamlet defence. Hamlet looked for a foul as Yewlett tangled with an opponent but none was forthcoming, the loose ball running to Sebastian Rowland who hooked the ball home from eight yards out. A minute later and hesitation n the Hamlet rear-guard allowed Mitchell Laine the opportunity to gleefully smash home a second to ignite the contest once more.

The action ebbed and flowed from end to end, the boys in Pink and Blue slightly the upper hand then came the chance to restore the lead. Deft footwork from Jaiyesimi as he weaved his way into the air tempted a defender into a rash challenge and the referee was pointing to the spot. The onus fell up Osman Proni but his attempt to place the ball away from the ‘keeper and into the top corner was awry.

As the game grew fractious, Margate seemed to appeal for a penalty of their own whenever the ball entered the Hamlet area. None was forthcoming though a well-placed free kick from 20 yards out tested Yewlett as he pulled off another fine stop low at his left-hand post.

Midway through the half Dulwich put themselves back in front with a neatly worked goal as a pass from Batula found Cani in the middle, the centre forward recycling it on to Tarik Ibrahim who finished adroitly with a sweet angled drive under the dive of the Margate custodian.

As the game entered the final quarter hour Dulwich’s dominance was becoming more pronounced with chances coming and going before Batula capped the night with a sparkling goal. Collecting a pass on the edge of the area, he left his marker in heap dexterously side stepping him and drilling an unstoppable stop inside the near post of the frozen goalkeeper. A cool finish followed by cool, nonchalant saunter with nary a hint of over-celebration.

In the closing stages, Margate did threaten to close the gap once more but then again the Hamlet had the chances to extend their lead further but, on a night when some might have sneaked a glimpse of the Northern Lights, a seaside evening was lit by future stars in Pink and Blue.

Team: Jack Yewlett; Kiki Oshilaja; Abdul Lyoubi; Osman Proni; De Nairo Queua; Ricardo Soyoye; Ade Batula; Henry Histon; Kladji Cani; Diallang Jaiyesimi; Tarik Ibrahim
Subs: Alfie Powell (for Henry Histon); Adrian Brown (for Abdul Lyoubi); Mohammed Ouedraogo; Alton Leeward; Connor Hamilton (for Tarik Ibrahim)