Here’s hoping for clear skies ahead as Sussex by the sea beckons and the wonderfully appointed Dripping Pan, home of Lewes Football Club.

There have been some iconic meetings down the years when the Rooks and the Hamlet have come face to face and if past encounters with the Rooks are anything to go by, for this afternoon’s game to pass without incident will be something of a surprise. Three times the two clubs have met in the FA Cup, the first two pairings going to a replay, the second of which finished with Dulwich winning a late night shoot out at the Dripping Pan following by a Pink and Blue stampede for the station and the last train back to London. Meanwhile a quarterfinal of the League Cup (then sponsored by Bryco) in February 2003 saw both Gavin Rose and Peter Adeniyi on the score sheet as Dulwich ran out 4-1 victors at Champion Hill. Adeniyi had switched allegiances to the Rooks by the time the clubs met again the following season. Travelling to Lewes on a Tuesday night in October Dulwich were held up on their journey and did not arrive until 45 minutes after the allotted kick-off time. Remarkably, the game still went ahead commencing at the ungodly hour of nine o’clock. An early chance for Eben Allen went begging and from then on it was Lewes with the whip hand, Junior Kadi opening the scoring, Jay Lovett added number two, Lee Newman a third before Adeniyi polished things off with the final goal of a four nil rout. Along with Adeniyi, Lovett looks set to take the stage this afternoon, the cultured centre half still going strong some 17 years after making his debut in a Rooks’ shirt despite a few extra grey hairs.

The return fixture, again midweek, was similarly blighted by transport problems as the Lewes coach croaked on the M23 before its replacement managed to get lost in the wilds of Crystal Palace. By the end of the 90 minutes, the visitors’ charabanc was not the only thing close to a breakdown as a rampant Hamlet feasted on roasted Rook, master Martin Eede teaching pupil Steve King a few salient lessons about the oft times cruel mistress that is the game of football. Craig Dundas had the ball in the net early on only for a perverse referring decision to go against before Scott Ward dropped a Kadi free kick at the feet of Newman who made no mistake. However, it was just what was needed to inspire the Hamlet as Dundas headed the Hamlet level before David Moore added a second with minutes. The belligerent Dundas made it 3-1 in the second half before Charley Side polished things off for a rampant Dulwich who had denied Lewes the chance of claiming top spot from now defunct Windsor and Eton. However come the season’s end it was to Lewes laughing last as they bounded into the playoffs whilst Dulwich would suffer the agony of penalties in playoff defeat to Wealdstone keeping them in the South for almost another decade.

It was more of the same when the two teams went mano-a-mano at Champion Hill back in early October. Lewes arrived at Champion Hill unbeaten in all competitions, Dulwich were on the rebound after back-to-back defeats at home to AFC Hornchurch and on the road at Harrow were consigned to the dustbin of history by five straight victories. The contest turned out to be the proverbial game of two halves, Brian, Lewes holding the whip hand in the first 45 minutes, a rejuvenated Dulwich rampant in the final period. Though Dulwich had been somewhat gifted the lead when the unfortunate Steve Brink Hurst turned Jerome Walker’s 13th minute cross past his own goalkeeper, the Rooks rallied and levelled before the break when the ageless Jay Lovett lashed hoe from close range ten minutes before the interval.

However, Dulwich came out all guns blazing after the break and had the ball in the net within 60 seconds of the restart only for ‘scorer’ Nyren Clunis to be flagged offside. However the tricky winger swiftly had his revenge as his left wing cross was expertly head back across goal and in to left ‘keeper Rikki Banks flatfooted at his post. Within ten minutes the lead was doubled as an Dulwich put together a flowing move culminating in Kevin James darting through a couple of challenges and finishing well past Banks. Yet the Rooks were not yet buried and when Jack Dixon rifled home a peach of volley from fully 25 yards the 712 crowd was on tenterhooks once more. 12 minutes after the game was sealed as Marc-Anthony Okoye rose highest to head home from a James corner. With 22 minutes still left it might have been the end of the scoring but it was not the end of the action as Banks was called into action to make a number of telling saves to keep the menacing Hamlet at bay.

This afternoon’s game kicks-off at 3.00 pm at The Dripping Pan, Mountfield Road, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2XA.

ADMISSION PRICES

• £11 for Adults
• £6 for Concessions
• Under 16s FREE