Weekly round-up time again

All the stories from the Non-League & local printed media over the last few days

Our FA Trophy match last Saturday was one of the main feature reports for the competition, the following day, in the ‘Non League Paper’…ironically with an alcohol-flavoured spin to the headlines, with no drink allowed on the terraces, by order of Football Association regulations. The heading was also lager-baed, although it was in deference to the new pale ale on sale:

Dulwich Hamlet served up a specially brewed beer after a club hero-but it was Guiseley who were enjoying a few cans on the bus home.
The Ryman Premier leaders’ shirt sponsors Late Knights Brewery unveiled the Edgar Kail Pale ale to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the former Hamlet player’s death.
Kail, whose name is still sung on the terraces even though most weren’t born when he made his final appearance in 1933, was the last Non-League player to represent England. He earned three caps in 1929, scoring twice against France.
As it was, the National League Lions, who won the FA Vase in 1991 and reached the Trophy semis in 1994, drove out of Edgar Kail Way-where Dulwich’s Champion Hill stadium sits-one step closer to Wembley Way.
“There’s no game in midweek so we’ll have a good trip back up-it’s always nice doing the long journeys when you’ve got a win,” said Guiseley boss Mark Bower. “We want to go as far as we can. North Ferriby are a team we’ve competed with over the last couple of years and they went all the way last year. That’s the target. Who would turn down the opportunity to play at Wembley in a cup final? So that’s the aim. We’re in the last 16, you get a kind draw, we had a little bit of luck with a deflection for the second goal today and a little bit of luck in the last round against Burscough-little things like that can add up and take you a long way. The lads stuck to their jobs well and it’s another step. Hopefully we can get a home draw. We’ve had four or five away on the trot now so we’re beginning to forget what it looks like!”
This had banana skin written all over it for Guiseley. A long trip to a team top of their league, oozing confidence and backed by a large vocal support.
While the crowd wasn’t a big as last week’s 2,249 record, they made themselves heard in a bright opening for their side only for Guiseley to silence them on 13 minutes.
After a corner, the ball came out to the left-hand side where James Hurst was lurking. His whipped shot started outside the right post and shaped beautifully into the bottom corner.
The second, on 27 minutes, owed more to deflection. Gavin Rothery fed Anthony Dudley on the left-hand side of the box, he cut in on his right and keeper Phil Wilson could only watch a deflection arc the ball over his head.
Bower felt the game would have been over had they converted openings for Adam Boyes and James Lawlor, and it allowed Hamlet back into the game.
Nyren Clunis forced keeper Steven Drench into a brilliant one-handed stop low to his left before Mitchell Nelson beat everyone to Ashley Carew’s corner to cut the lead with his head on 44 minutes.
Appeals for a penalty when Hamlet’s Dean McDonald wriggled into the box before going down fell on deaf ears as Guiseley, who had seen Hurst denied by Wilson and Will Hatfield head wide at the end of a swift counter-attack, soaked up the pressure.
Dulwich will take a lot from their performance against a side from Non-League top tier, though they had to wait until deep into stoppage time for their best chances.
Nelson’s header ricocheted back off the angle and Guiseley desperately scrambled the loose ball away before McDonald flashed wide.
“When they went 2-0 up it looked like the game might end really early because they looked like they might push on,” Dulwich boss Gavin Rose said. “But the boys showed great character, calmed themselves down and grew back into the first half. They played really well and gave the supporters something to be proud of. We can take a lot from this game. Guiseley play against a lot of good teams at their level. For them to come down to us and survive the last minute shows we’re going in the right direction.”
It wasn’t the best day for Dulwich, who lost the Ryman Premier leadership to Hampton, who cruised past Canvey Island 4-0.
They travel to Lewes on Wednesday night looking to return to top spot.
Star Man: Oliver norburn (Guiseley)
Entertainment: *** (Out of 5 possible stars)

On Tuesday, in the midweek ‘South London Press’ it was also the Guiseley game reported on:

Dulwich Hamlet did themselves proud in pushing National League side Guiseley extremely close as they exited the FA Trophy on Saturday.
Gavin Rose’s side were beaten 2-1 by their opponents from two levels above in the second round, but were more than a match and deserved to take the game to a replay.
The visitors lived up to their favourites billing in the first half-hour –despite a bright start from the hosts in front of another bumper Champion Hill crowd of nearly 2,000. James Hurst fired into the corner on 13 minutes and Anthony Dudley’s shot took a fortuitous defection past Phil Wilson 14 minutes later.
But Hamlet were undeterred and their own pressure was rewarded when Mitchell Nelson headed in for the third match running to halve the deficit just before half-time.
Dulwich had the best chances in the second-half and came within inches of forcing a replay in the dying seconds as Nelson nodded onto the post and Dean McDonald’s follow-up was blocked on the line.
The South Londoners visit Lewes in the Ryman League Premier Division tomorrow.

The weekly ‘Southwark News’ hit the shops on Thursday & they also concentrated on the Trophy loss:

Hamlet defender Mitchell Nelson netted for the third consecutive game on Saturday but his goal was not enough to stop Dulwich exiting the FA trophy.
In the end the Pink and Blues lost 2-1 to Vanarama National League side Guiseley AFC but Nelson almost forced a replay in injury time only for his effort to hit the woodwork.
The narrow defeat, thanks to first half goals from Guiseley’s James Hurst and Anthony Dudley, was no disgrace against a team who operate two divisions above the Champion Hill side in the non-league game.
Hamlet have signed Gus Sow from St. Albans City in the last week and the midfielder made his Dulwich debut last weekend when he made a late substitute appearance.
Dulwich were displaced as leaders of the Ryman Premier League whilst in cup action last weekend after title rivals Hampton & Richmond Borough picked up three points away to Canvey Island.
The 4-0 win saw Hampton leapfrog Hamlet to take top spot but Dulwich will take that position back if they won last night when they travelled to bottom side Lewes for their latest league outing.
This Saturday Dulwich are on their travels again as they take on East Thurrock United, a fixture that gets underway at 3pm.

Finally, to yesterdays weekend edition of the ‘South London Press’. It featured an interview with our manager Gavin Rose, in the main non-league centrepiece article:

Dulwich Hamlet boss Gavin Rose believes that seeing his side match National League side Guiseley last Saturday proves that they could cut it at a higher level.
A packed Champion Hill witnessed the SE22 outfit edged out 2-1 in the FA Trophy second round by a team two levels above.
The Yorkshire side went 2-0 up within half an hour – although the second was through a lucky deflection.
But Hamlet gave every bit as good as they got during the game-especially in the second half. Mitchell Nelson halved the deficit when he headed home Ashley Carew’s corner just before the break. Dulwich nearly forced a replay late on when Nelson and Dean McDonald were denied by the woodwork and a lat-ditch block during a goalmouth scramble.
“seeing that sort of performance made me believe we can compete at least a level above,” rose said. “We realised during the game that the gulf wasn’t that big despite the difference in divisions. It gave the lads belief that they belong higher up too. They are more than capable if they can reproduce performances like that. We gave them two daft goals. The first was a good strike but we didn’t clear our lines well enough. That was against the run of play and it helped Guiseley grow into it. The second was a lucky deflection that gave Phil [Wilson] no chance. It was a pretty even second half but when we were in the ascendency we looked like we could nick a draw. We had them watched before we played them and got a bit of info. Our attitude was that it was a one-off game, so why couldn’t we give them a run for their money? The players played like they believed that. I’m very proud of their mentality- they didn’t look at themselves as inferior and stood up to Guiseley man for man.”
A replay would have meant a Tuesday night trip to Yorkshire with three days’ notice. But Rose believes that even his semi-professionals would have been prepared to take time off work to make the trip.
“The boys were fully aware that we may have to go up there if we nicked a draw,” he said. “The fact we were pushing to score at the end shows that such a trip in midweek wasn’t playing on the mind. We were fighting to try and get back in the game. It would have been difficult but the players would have got around it and made the trip because they have a professional mentality.”
Dulwich will have to pick themselves up again for a very important trip to third-placed East Thurrock United in the Ryman League Premier Division tomorrow.
The south Londoners are second after being leapfrogged by Hampton & Richmond Borough last Saturday and have played a game more than Thurrock- but they could go six points clear of them.
“They are one of the form teams and they have one of the top scorers in the league [Sam Higgins with 16].” Rose said. “They carry a threat but they will be respectful of us too. It’s a great chance to pick off another one of the chasing pack. We’ve played a lot of teams around us recently but we haven’t lost a game. It was really important not losing ground and it puts more pressure on our rivals. We know what we have to do between now and the end of the season. We are still in the London Cup, but we might use that to reward players who have been on the bench and deserve minutes or youngsters who have done well in the academy. So we have very few distractions and can concentrate on trying to get promoted.”
Striker Jacob Erskine has continued his comeback from a troublesome hamstring with two recent substitute appearances and Rose hopes to winger Rhys Murrell-Williamson available after six weeks out with a groin problem. Defender Osei Sankofa could also return from a thigh injury.
The only long-term absentee is left-back Jordan Brown (thigh).
“We have missed Rhys and Jacob especially,” Rose said. “We are getting players back and long may that continue. It’s good to be well stocked in the run-in.”
Dulwich’s scheduled clash with Lewes on Wednesday night was postponed.