Last week in the papers

Here's our latest round-up from what's been in print over the last few days

Time to catch up with what the non-league and local press have been saying about our revitalised end-of-season push for the play-offs, from last week.

The weekend before last, the ‘Non League Paper’ carried the report from our long trip up to Suffolk:

JAMES JOLTS LEISTON

Kevin James’ long-range effort salvaged a point for Dulwich and kept Leiston on the fringes of a tight battle for the final promotion play-off space.
Blues striker Christy Finch notched his 20th goal of the season to give the home side an early lead but this was cancelled out by James on the hour mark.
Leiston played into a strong wind in the first half and defended admirably throughout.
But they took only seven minutes to break the deadlock when Gareth Heath’s early low right-wing cross reached Finch who got ahead of his marker and turned the ball home.
Hamlet’s only first-half sniff of goal was a Jack Dixon free kick right in the edge of the area. But his low driven shot was blocked by the substantial Leiston wall.
The wind dropped during the interval and lively half-time sub Damian Scannell galvanised Dulwich as the hosts sat back.
And on the hour, James picked up possession 30 yards from goal and unleashed a low shot past Leiston keeper Ashlee Jones to bring the away side level.
Ronan Michael-Percil was the liveliest Dulwich player in the final quarter.
But he wasn’t able to create any meaningful chances as Leiston’s central defensive pairing of Jefford and Bullard were colossal once again.
STAR MAN: Kelsey Trotter (Leiston)
ENTERTAINMENT: ***** (out of five stars)

Our goalscorer also took the headline in the midweek edition of the ‘South London Press’ last Tuesday:

James’ strike nets point but Gavin Rose’s Dulwich remain outside play-offs

Dulwich Hamlet were left frustrated with the 1-1 draw at close rivals Leiston-with both sides needing wins to keep up their play-off chances.
Christy Finch opened the scoring for the hosts in the seventh minute, sweeping home s cross from the left.
Kevin James hit back on the hour-burying his shot from 20 yards low to the left of the home keeper.
But Preston Edwards had to save a one-on-one to preserve even a point.
New Hamlet signing Laurence Yiga made his debut but did not have the impact Gavin Rose would have hoped.
Rose’s side are now a point behind fifth-placed Enfield Town but with a game in hand-but Kingstonian, also a threat as they are a place and two points below, also drew 0-0 at Brentwood Town.

On Thursday in the ‘Southwark News’ it was, once more, ‘you know who’ grabbing the headlines!

JAMES NETS TO KEEP HAMLET PROMOTION HOPES ALIVE

Dulwich player-coach Kevin James netted a vital second half goal on Saturday that the Champion Hill side hope will prove critical in their attempts to make the promotion play offs.
The Ryman Premier League contest away at Leiston ended 1-1 and other results meant Dulwich dropped out of the play off spots after Saturday’s games, but three wins from their remaining three contests could still see them end up in the end of season promotion lottery.
With in form Dulwich striker Dipo Akinyemi out injured Hamlet got off to a bad start when Christy Finch netted for the home side.
But in sodden conditions Hamlet levelled thanks to James on the hour mark and picked up a point to keep their promotion hopes alive.
On Monday night Kingstonian, one of Hamlet’s main rivals for the play offs, lost 2-1 to Farnborough Town meaning Dulwich’s fate was now back in their own hands.
The following evening Hamlet played away at Brentwood Town, The following evening Hamlet played away at Brentwood Town and they came away with three points thanks to a 2-1 win.
The victory moved Dulwich back into the final play off spot in the table and two wins from their two remaining league fixtures will ensure the Pink and Blues feature in the post season promotion contests.
This weekend Hamlet play their final home league game of the season against already relegated Lewes, a 3pm kick off.
Dulwich will hope to fare better than their last meeting in February where this weekend’s visitors prevailed 3-1.

And to complete our printed media round-up from last week we go to Friday’s midweek copy of the ‘South London Press’. Anticipation was building, as a play-off spot looked firmly in our grasp:

Rose: Hamlet have a great play-off shot
Dulwich Hamlet are back in prime position to claim a Ryman Premier Division play-off spot after their 2-1 win at Brentwood on Tuesday night.
Rivals Kingstonian slipped up at home to struggling Farnborough a day earlier and Hamlet occupy fifth place - the final play-off slot - with just two games to go.
Gavin Rose’s side are two points clear of Enfield Town while the K’s are five behind but have one match in hand.
Hamlet face Lewes, already relegated, on Saturday, before wrapping up the normal campaign at 20th-placed Needham Market.
“Obviously we’ve got every chance,” said Rose. “In the last six or seven games every team we have faced has had something to play for and we have given good accounts of ourselves. We’ve made some good additions - Roman Michael-Percil from Met Police and Dipo Akinyemi on loan from Stevenage. Dipo has sustained a little injury, but we hope he’ll get over that for the weekend. They have done well for us and we’ve had a few people return from injury. The back four has been able to remain the same for the last few games - that makes a big difference. Ethan Pinnock has returned for the last five or six and made a huge difference. Our left-back Jordan Brown has been back for seven or eight weeks and is starting to return to form. Ashley Carew had missed three or four matches. He made two assists on his comeback against Brentwood. Damian Scannell is over his injury. These are all positives.”
The Lewes game is Hamlet’s last at Champion Hill. The play-off semi-finals take place on April 28 - the second and third finishers enjoying home advantage - with the final on April 30.
Dulwich had the ideal start at Brentwood as Martyn Stokes headed a Carew cross past his own keeper.
Hamlet went further ahead on 48 minutes. Carew’s free-kick was pushed out by keeper Ollie Bowles and Pinnock volleyed in.
But Brentwood cut the deficit when Sam Cross’ excellent free-kick beat Preston Edwards.
A bumper crowd is expected for the Lewes game. Rose said: “In the last five or six matches at Champion Hill we’ve had between 1,200 and 1,600. The more the better - it is a great atmosphere for the players.”

(NB: In the event of The Hamlet reaching the final of the play-offs, the date of these would actually be on Bank Holiday Monday 2nd May, NOT 30th April, as in this report)