DULWICH HAMLET 0 DARTFORD 2 Vanarama National League South Saturday 28 August 2021

Hamlet were narrowly beaten at Champion Hill by a strong Dartford team, under
the charge of one time Hamlet youth team manager Steve King, who led by a
single goal from Josh Hill for 83 minutes before Hamlet old boy Tyrique Hyde
added a second just as the indicator board went up to signal five minutes of
added time.

The visitors looked confident and convincing right from the start, buoyed by 3-1
and 3-0 wins from their opening two games, while Hamlet were still looking for a
first win after drawing their only previous match a fortnight ago. It took the Darts
less than 7 minutes to open their account when big defender Josh Hill won a
header from a free kick launched into the box, peeled away into space to receive
a return pass, then fired hard and low past Charlie Grainger in the Hamlet goal.
Hamlet were close to a quick equalizer after great work by Chike Kandi stretched
the Darts defence but James Dayton sprayed his shot wide of the goal after
receiving the ball near the penalty spot. Grainger had to be alert to touch a fierce
rising shot over the bar before Kandi spurned another chance to equalize, heading
over the crossbar at the far post after a teasing cross from the right had eluded
players in the centre and bounced up invitingly.

Hamlet enjoyed more of the play during the second half, as Dartford seemed
content to drop deeper and rely on occasional counter attacking opportunities,
but were often hampered by a poor final pass while any further attempts on goal
failed to ask anything of Darts Keeper Dan Wilks. Substitute AJ Harris-Sealy
blazed a shot well over the target after cutting inside onto his favoured left foot.
and the home team’s best effort came right near the end when Darren McQueen
accelerated into the penalty area and flashed a shot inches wide at the near post.
Within a minute Dartford had forced a corner at the other end, enabling
substitute Tyrique Hyde to put the game to bed with a tidy finish after the ball
had dropped at his feet.

Team (4-2-3-1): Grainger - Barnum-Bobb, Holland(c), Sterling, Blackman -
McGregor, Timlin - Moore, Dayton, McQueen - Kandi. Substitutes: Green (for
Dayton), Harris-Sealy (for Moore), Mills (for McGregor).
Attendance: 1,959

Written by Richard Watts
Photo by Mark Locke