PLAYOFF PREVIEW - DULWICH HAMLET VS ENFIELD TOWN (KICK-OFF 7.45 PM)

Tonight Champion Hill presents a Clash of the Titans as Gavin Rose’s men face up to the Towners

Last Saturday’s thrilling finish to the Ryman League Premier Division regular season helped to set up this enthralling encounter between two clubs whose rivalry goes back beyond the formation of Enfield Town, the original supporter-owned club. Once upon a time two mighty giants bestrode the Non League game north and South of the River Thames. Dulwich Hamlet’s golden age may long have passed by the time the original Enfield FC enjoyed its halcyon days in the 1980s winning the FA Trophy twice in that decade as well as being crowned Alliance Premier League Champions in 1982 and 1988, the last of those titles won in the final season of the re-election season when the Football League voted on the fate of clubs wishing to join its ranks. However the 1990s saw a rapid decline along with the sale of its Southbury Road home and at the start of the new millennium Enfield Town was born to keep fans’ dreams alive. Birthed in the Essex Senior League, they entered the Southern League as ESL Champions in 2005 before being switched into the Isthmian League the following season. 2012 finally saw them promoted to the Premier Division at the third time of asking via the playoffs.

Though this season’s clashes between the two clubs have unsurprisingly proved tight affairs, they are perhaps too early in the season to cast much light on tonight’s outcome. It was a Tuesday night in mid August when the Towers came to Champion Hill to open the Hamlet’s home campaign. A harsh penalty award against Nathan Green allowed the travellers to grasp the initiative as Billy Crook coolly slotted his kick past Preston Edwards. However Green made amends back on the break as his delivery in from the flanks was deftly headed home by Nyren Clunis. The game was decided on the hour mark as Gavin Tomlin’s deep cross from the left was nodded back from beyond the far post by Michael Chambers and Danny Carr headed past McDonald.

It was the start of October when an out of sorts Dulwich Hamlet made the return journey north. Arriving at Donkey Lane having just suffered a mortifying 1-4 defeat at home to Harrow Borough, a response was needed, nay demanded, and so it proved in a dingdong battle sharing four goals. The game saw the debut of Ibra Sekajja in Dulwich colours and the return of Quade Taylor from Braintree. Not the best of starts as Harry Ottaway was allowed too much time and space to fire past Preston Edwards inside 2 minutes. Half an hour later, after gradually getting a grip on the game, the Hamlet levelled as Danny Carr headed home. The second half continued in much the same vein until Dulwich had a penalty of their own, Nyren Clunis tripped and Ashley Carew doing the business from 12 yards. However there remained a sting in the tail when Enfield Town were awarded a penalty kick of their own which Billy Crook coolly converted once again.

Of course this season is not the first time that Enfield Town have found themselves in the Ryman Premier Playoffs, though mention of the confused ending to the 2014-205 season still rankles north of the river. Rewind back two years and the Towners finished fifth in the division. However, their hopes of taking part in the semi-finals were curtailed when they discovered shortly after the end of the season that they had been docked three points for fielding an ineligible player, midfielder Aryan Tajbakhsh. Appeals fell on deaf ears and Town found themselves watching from the sidelines as others battled for that final promotion place, Margate the eventual victors. Fast forward to 2017 and there can be no doubt about it that the club presence in the playoffs has been thoroughly earned. With much of the season spent hovering just outside the top five, Bradley Quinton’s saved their spurt for the latter days of the campaign, starting with a 3-1 win away to fellow playoff pretenders Needham Market then clocking up a further six game winning run to set a winner takes all home clash with a Leiston side crying out for a lifesaving victory having been rampant leaders early doors.

The computer at Isthmian HQ could not have set up a more thrilling finish last Saturday with Dulwich Hamlet travelling to Wingate and Finchley, aiming to clinch a win that would guarantee a home semi whilst the hosts also needed results to go their way. At Summers Lane, once Dulwich had quieted the home threat, weathering some nervous moments in a scoreless first half, things were going swimmingly after the break as a brace from Ibra Sekajja allied to one from Panutche Camara had them 3-0 up. However over at the Queen Elizabeth II Stadium a woefully out of form Leiston side held the whip hand leading through Gareth Heath’s header on the half time whistle. Then, amid the ongoing celebrations of the Dulwich faithful, came incongruous cheers from home support, as news filtered through of Devyne intervention across North London, striker Bobby Devyne volleying home from close range to rescue a draw with four minutes left that would ultimately extinguish Leiston’s brief candle of hope and relight one back in Finchley.

The game kicks off at 7.45 pm and takes place at Champion Hill Stadium, Edgar Kail Way, East Dulwich, London SE22 8BD. Turnstiles open just after 6.00 pm and all the usual outlets will be in operation including the outside bar. They’ll be a few surprises on offer in both so keep your eyes on the official Dulwich Hamlet Twitter feed @DulwichHamletFC for details.

A reminder that tonight’s game is NOT all ticket and that Season Tickets are NOT valid tonight. Tickets may be purchased from turnstiles 1-4, cash only no cards, sorry. E-Ticket holders should enter via the Greendale Entrance as per the Macclesfield Town game.

Admission prices:

• £10 for Adults
• £4 for Concessions
• NB: Concessions cover Seniors - 60+, Teenagers (13-19), Unemployed (JSA), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), NHS Staff, Blue Light Services, Serving Members of the Armed Forces and Full Time Students. (Please bring a form of valid ID for your concession as you might not be admitted without that)
• Under 13s FREE accompanied by a paying adult

Programmes: £2