THIS EVENING’S MATCH PREVIEW – TOOTING AND MITCHAM UNITED (HOME) KO 7.45 PM

A place in the semi-finals of the London Senior Cup awaits the victors as Dulwich Hamlet welcome the Terrors to Champion Hill

Tonight’s clash comes with extra added spice and a side order of cold revenge after a dismal Dulwich display at Imperial Fields in last season’s semi-final of this competition. Then a strong Hamlet squad slipped to an inglorious defeat, their first on Tooting turf since their days at Sandy Lane going down 3-0 to a tenacious Terrors side. The hosts may not have enjoyed the bulk of the possession that night but what they had they made full use of taking the lead after 19 minutes when Ashley Robinson planted a header wide of Preston Edwards after the ball had been given away in midfield. The Hamlet missed good opportunities to level, most notably when Jack Dixon inexplicably lifted a shot over the crossbar from point-blank range. Another error, this time from Osei Sankofa, allowed Serge Makofo to pounce on a weak back pass and steer number two past Preston Edwards with 20 minutes left, the final blow applied with two minutes left. Pushing forwards looking for a way back into the contest, the Hamlet were left exposed at the back and Preston Edwards could do nothing to prevent Chance O’Neill adding a third to take Tooting into their second successive London Senior Cup Final.

There they would face Hendon with the smell of revenge in their nostrils, having gone down 3-2 to the North London side in the previous year’s final. After a slow start, Tooting upped the tempo and once they took the game by the throat it seemed clear they could be only one winner. Hendon’s young ‘keeper Joe Wright worked wonders to keep the black and white tide at bay until just after the hour mark when a swift breakout from defence ended with Jake Baxter finally ended Wright’s resistance as he slotted a shot past the ‘keeper. However, Wright continued to defy the Terrors leaving the result still on a knife-edge until 3 minutes before the end of normal time Tooting found their winner as Matt Price, later to be dismissed for a second caution in stoppage time, was brought down in the box and Baxter stepped up to the mark to convert the spot kick for goal number 31 of the campaign.

Although the regular season had seen Tooting finish well down the ladder in 17th spot, safely clear of relegation but a world away from the promotion places, a new feeling of hope had returned to Imperial Fields after nearly a decade in the doldrums. The return in 2006 of legendary manager Billy Smith, a man held in high esteem both by the Champion Hill faithful and those of Tooting, along with sidekick George Wakeling signalled the start of a new golden age as, in the space of just two days, Tooting lifted both the London and Surrey Senior Cups. Unfortunately the last hurdle, the Ryman South playoff final proved a bridge too far as Hastings United upset the odds to win 2-0 at Imperial Fields. However, after two previous failed attempts to escape the South, the leap upwards was finally achieved 12 months later. Trailing in the wake of Dover Athletic who had powered their way to the title, Tooting finished by dint of a two goal better goal difference than Cray Wanderers. After seeing off 5th place Worthing in the semi-finals thanks to Paul Vines double, the stage was set for the big striker to take centre stage as his goal settled a tight tie with Cray in front of nearly 1000 fans at Imperial Fields. Halcyon days indeed; in 2009/2010 Tooting reached the First-Round Proper of the FA Cup for the first time since the heady days of the late 1970s when a certain Jack Payne held the reins of management at Sandy Lane! Sad to say it would not be a happy afternoon as Tooting’s trip to Stockport ended in a heavy 5-0 crunching. Come the end of the campaign and the fans were rudely awakened from their dreams as budget cuts saw management depart, closely followed by an exodus of players leaving the club down to the bare bones.

The ensuing years saw Tooting in tumult. Big name managers were appointed, former Sheffield United player Mark Beard and ex-West Ham defender Kenny Brown, but they failed to halt the decline and the club was relegated back to Ryman South at the end of the 2011/2012 season. The following year saw three managers, Roberto Forzoni, Jamie Martin and Phil Simpson, but still no improvement. The summer saw former player Craig Tanner slip into the hot seat but away from Imperial Fields came a significant development as some fans, feeling they had lost their club, took matters into their own hands with the formation of Tooting and Mitcham Wanderers, currently plying their trade in the Middlesex County Football League. Tanner’s tenure lasted two years but in April 2013, came the news that he had been sacked despite securing a midtable position for the team and a place in the London Senior Cup final.

By the start of the following season the poisoned chalice had been handed to Frank Wilson, the former reserve team coach taking his first senior appointment. The learning curve may have been great but Wilson responding as his charges lifted Tooting’s first piece of silverware for eight years with the aforementioned London Senior Cup victory over Hendon. In the League it was still a season of struggle as the Terrors closed the campaign in 17th place. Fast forward to the current campaign has seen Tooting spark back into life with the fans tempted back to Imperial Fields by a combination of free-flowing football, goals galore (169 scored in their 42 league games so far!) and positive results. After a wobbly start to the season that also saw an early exit from the FA Cup at the hands Southern Combination Division One side East Preston, the Terrors have been constantly at the head of the pack in the chase for the Ryman South title and, just as importantly, promotion back to the Ryman Premier. Although Horsham recently ended a 14-match winning run for the Terrors to allow Dorking Wanderers to close the gap at the top, Tooting bounced back at the weekend to beat South Park 2-0 in front of a season’s best crowd of 623. There can only be one winner and, as just three points separate Tooting and Dorking Wanderers with four games left, the quest for the championship looks set to go down to the wire. The Ryman League must have been presciently programmed for Wanderers must travel to Imperial Fields on the very last day of the regular season!

Tonight’s game takes place at Champion Hill Stadium, Edgar Kail Way, East Dulwich, SE22 8BD, kicking off at 7.45pm.

Admission Prices:

• £5 for Adults
• £2 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

Please note Season Tickets are NOT valid tonight.