Lewes calling, London answering as Dulwich Hamlet head south this Saturday

The Dripping Pan beckons on Saturday when Dulwich Hamlet face a tough preseason test away to a revamped Lewes.

It’s not a proper season without a trip down to the Dripping Pan to do battle with the Rooks. Unfortunately, with Lewes relegated from the Ryman Premier Division at the end of the last campaign competitive encounters are off the agenda for a year at least but fear not Gavin Rose’s troops will be heading to the Dripping Pan to renew acquaintances this Saturday.

It may well be just a preseason challenge match but expect a tough encounter with a Rooks team already girding their loins for an assault on the Ryman South title. Manager Darren Freeman moved quickly to secure the signatures of a number of key players within his squad with Stacey Freeman, monitored by the likes of Crawley Town and Fleetwood Town last season, taking parental advice to stay at the Dripping Pan despite a rumoured big offer from a Ryman Premier. Others to commit themselves to the Rooks Revolution included experienced ‘keeper Chris Winterton, Lewes legend fullback Steve Brinkhurst and midfield anchor-man Lloyd Cotton However it’s not just about experience down at the Pan with a number of promising youngsters committing themselves to the Lewes cause, including teenage hotshot Charlie Coppola who remains on the radar of a number of Premier League clubs such as Leicester City and Manchester United.

Big Bermudan striker Jonté Smith’s goals kept Lewes’s hopes of escape from the hangman’s noose alive much longer into the campaign that many fans had expected. However, Smith’s services were lost during the summer when the Welling wallet opened to tempt him away to Park View Road. Having lost his talismanic striker, Freeman was swift to seek out youthful alternatives such as Lloyd Dawes, 29 goals last season for promoted Worthing, Dean Bown and Burgess Hill Town’s Dan Perry. With Alex Laing, a graduate of the Lewes Development Squad, and the aforementioned Coppola in the running for the striking roles, local fans should be ready for an exciting season ahead.

Indeed, the first match of the preseason preamble seemed to prove that after Lewes fought back from 3-1 down to hold Ryman South playoff victors Worthing to a three-all draw in an intense local derby. In heavy rain Kane Will gave the Rebels a somewhat fortunate lead after his shot slipped through the fingers of Chris Winterton only for Alex Laing to level six minutes later. A corker of a finish from Ben Pope followed by a successful penalty, won and converted by Will Hendon looked to have put Worthing in the driving seat before the break. However, a crisp finish from Josh Jones narrowed the gap to a goal at halftime. The second half proved just as entertaining and competitive, only without the surge of goals, the sole strike to find the net coming after Rikki Banks let slip a corner and James Hammond found the net with a cross-shot to ensure the contest finished honours even.

This weekend’s game kicks off Saturday at 3.00 pm. Venue: The Dripping Pan, Mountfield Road, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2XA Tel: 01273 470820. For directions click here.

Dogs: Please note that for Health & Safety purposes Lewes Football Club operates a strict policy of not allowing dogs (apart from guide dogs) or other pets into the ground on match days.