Time for our round-up from the local papers, from the last two weeks

Apologies for the delay, hence a fortnight of coverage, as I wasn't around last week, spending a few days away, up in the north-east.

So the round-up begins back on Tuesday 22nd October, with the midweek edition of the 'South London Press' covering our victory in the last round of the FA Trophy, at home to Harrow Borough:

Late stunner gives Dulwich progress

Dulwich Hamlet progressed to the second qualifying round of the FA Trophy after stunning Harrow Borough in injury time to win 2-1.
The winning goal came from an unlikely source-Kershaney Samuels, who let fly from 25 yards to seal victory at Champion Hill. Gavin Rose's side had earlier taken the lead in the first half before Gary Jones equalised for the visitors in an all-Ryman Premier Division clash. Hamlet are back in action on Saturday when they host Billericay Town in the league.

Two days later, on the 24th, the weekly 'Southwark News' led their non-league page with coverage of the Harrow Borough game too:

Last gasp strike nicks it for Hamlet

A stunning injury time strike from substitute Kershaney Samuels saw Hamlet dump Harrow Borough out of the FA Trophy last Saturday.
The effort ensured Hamlet picked up a deserved win at the weekend although they were almost punished for not turning dominance into goals.
From the outset the visitors were keen to sit deep and let Hamlet play in front of them and the Pink and Blues were happy to play keep-ball for as long as they wanted.
Although on top clear-cut chances were at a premium for Dulwich but the deadlock was broken by Hamlet in the 23 minute when a fine Erhun Oztumer free kick was headed home by silky striker Ian Daly.
The match continued with the familiar pattern of large chunks of Dulwich possession after that, but at least in the second period more clear cut chances came the home sides way.
Daly was denied at point blank range early in the second period but minutes later he should have scored the killer goal after he created a yard of space in the box, only for his shot to be blocked when one-on-one with Borough keeper Daniel Lincoln.
Just after the hour mark the visitors finally got a foothold in the game and that was rewarded when Gary Jones let loose with a 25 yard shot that flew past Phil Wilson.
But that effort was more than matched by Samuels who took a neat pass in his stride on the edge of the box before lashing home the winner with the referees final whistle pending.

The 'Southwark News' also an article on the FA Trophy draw:

Old foes in Hamlet Trophy draw

Dulwich have been drawn at home against Leatherhead in the second qualifying round of the FA Trophy, bringing back memories of one of last seasons most controversial fixtures.
A game between the pair, at Leatherhead in January was abandoned with twelve minutes remaining, and with Hamlet 2-0 up, when a small wall collpased after fans celebrated with players.
No players or fans were seriously hurt, and Hamlet fans helped clear debris, but the referee deemed the game could not proceed.
The rearranged fixture was played in the crucial run-in to Hamlet's title push which they then lost 1-0, although they still went on to secure top spot in the league.
Hamlet fans clearly haven't forgoteen the incident and several made their thoughts on the draw known on twitter.
@TheGearing tweeted: "At least no perimeter walls will topple whilst a certain team is on top this time! #dhfc"
Whilst a more forthright opinion was expressed by @BrixtonHatter: "Juicy tie vs scum!"
A Leatherhead fan, @thelipfc, simply responded: "Glad we've moved on..."
The tie will be played on November 2 at Champion Hill, with a replay the following Tuesday or wednesday should the game be drawn.

The final article in the 'Southwark News' on The Hamlet features Gavin Rose and his thoughts on our up and coming youngsters:

Rose urges younger players to seize senior opportunities

Hamlet boss Gavin Rose is ready to blood more of his academy players at a senior level and he is asking them to make a first team spot their own.
A groin injury picked up by the influential Kevin James on Saturday saw teenager Kershaney Samuels thrust into a central midfield role in the second-half against Harrow, although the youngster is usually a full back when turning out for the first team.
But Samuels rewarded his manager with a late winner and Rose revealed he had no hesitation playing the sub in the pivotal role.
Rose said: "Kershaney was captain of the youth team the season before last and he regularly played in centre midfield for them. When he has had first team chances they have been at full-back but we knew he had it in him to play in midfield too. He can tackle and won't let people run over him. The good thing at this level is that teams play a bit more football so it is often about what you can do with the ball."
Meanwhile Kevin James will go for a scan this week to assess how serious his injury is, but Rose wants younger players at the club to step in should an opportunity come their way.
He added: "He [James] has a groin injury, we are going to let the swelling go down and then get him checked out. We left him on the pitch on Saturday, which maybe we shouldn't have, but we wanted to keep control of the game. But we have got strength in dpeth in that area and whilst Kevin is important to us at some point these younger players have to take that chance that comes their way and make the first team shirt their own."
Wingers Dean Lodge and Ellis Green are a week or two away from first team action, which means first team competition at Champion Hill will soon be intense.
But Rose stated he will be happy to throw in more talented academy players, as those that have come into the first team in recent times have normally impressed. "When players come to the academy we make it clear that they need to be ready to step into the first team," Rose said. "The academy team often train with the first team and first team players often train with them, so they know they are not a million miles away. The ones that come through are often the ones who believe in themselves and not neccessarily the one's with the most ability."

Last Friday, the 25th October, the weekend copy of the 'South London Press' headlined with Gavin Rose publically saying he wanted more than consolidation:

ROSE AIMING HIGHER
Dulwich Hamlet boss Gavin Rose has admitted that his side's priorities have escalated from survival to a top six or seven finish.
His side are third in the Ryman League Premier Division just one point behind joint leaders Maidstone and AFC Hornchurch. Rose is often reluctant to discuss Dulwich's prospects, but he has revealed that Hamlet's early season form has prompted a rethink. "We're doing really well and we are now trying to establish ourselves as a top six or seven team this season," he said. "Our priorities have changed-we realise we should be aiming hugher because of how well we have started the season. Our first goal was to stay up but with the results we have had, our targets are set higher now."
Dulwich host eighth-place Billericay Town in the league tomorrow. The Blues have won their last five matches and had shot up the table after emerging victorious in nine of their previous 11 encounters.
Their manager is Craig Edwards-the man who preceeded Rose at Champion Hill. Rose thinks highly of his predecessor and is expecting a tough test, especially as Ricay were a Conference South outfit last season. "It will be the first time I've faced him since he left,"he said. "When I took the reigns off him here, I realised what a good job he had done. He will get a lot of warmth from our fans. Billericay are a proven club and their recent form had been very impressive. But we have done our homework on them and will prepare in the same way we always do. We are in good form ourselves so hopefully we can knock them off their stride."
Dulwich's only injury worries are Ellis Green, who is expected to start training again next week after a hamstring injury, and Kevin James who has been monitored over the week after coming off with a groin problem in the 2-1 win at home to Harrow Borough in the FA Trophy first qualifying round. Ian Daly and a last-minute-strike from Kershaney Samuels secured passage to the next round and ensured Hamlet got revenge over Borough, who had won the league encounter between the two sides in September. " We don't take any specific defeat personally as we are just out to win every game," Rose said. "I am very happy we got through to the next round though. If we stay in the cups it means we can use our squad to the maximum and give minutes to those who need to boost fitness or give the young boys a chance."
Midfielder Xavier Vidal is still waiting to go out on trial to a Premier League or Championship club. His opportunity has been delayed over recent weeks due to Dulwich's fixture list. "He will get his chance in the next fortnight," Rose said. "We will wish him all the best but we still haven't been able to afford to let him go because we've had some important games. He has no problem with having to wait and has behaved impeccably. He knows the timing has to be right for us and he knows he will get his chance."
Rose also confirmed that one other first-team player was being courted by professional clubs, but did not want to reveal his identity yet.

And so onto the round-up from the current week.

On Tuesday the midweek paper from the 'South London Press' covered the subsequent victory over Billericay Town:

Half-dozen Dulwich

Dulwich Hamlet marched on in the Ryman League Premier division after a 2-1 home victory over Billericay Town- their sixth straight league win- kept them in second place.
Erhun Oztumer gave Dulwich a half-hour lead from the spot at Champion Hill after Dean Lodge was fouled. Ian Daly hit the post before Nyren Clunis doubled Hamlet's lead with around 15 minutes left, a deficit that was halved again thanks to a late penalty from Glenn Poole.

Yesterday, the weekly edition of the 'Southwark News' hit the news stands.The Billericay game was also covered:

No favours for ex-Hamlet gaffer

There were no favours for ex-Hamlet gaffer Craig Edwards, or his Billericay Town aside, on Saturday as Dulwich continued their fine recent form with a 2-1 victory.
That win took the Pink and Blues to second spot in the Ryman Premier League just a point behind leaders Maidstone United.
Hamlet took the lead courtesy of an Erhun Oztumer spot kick on the half hour mark, after Dean Lodge was felled in the area, and the win was secured when Nyren Clunis converted a Joel Legister cross. Town's Glenn Poole got a late goal in response to those efforts.
On Tuesday night Dulwich took on local rivals Tooting & Mitcham in the Robert Dyas League Cup.
Hamlet prevailed 1-0 on the night thanks to a Marcel Henry-Francis goal just before half time. Leatherhead come to Champion Hill this Saturday, a game that kicks off at 3pm, for a second round FA Trophy clash.

But the main feature on the 'Southwark News' page was all about our goalkeeper Phil Wilson:

Wilson feels love at Dulwich

In everyday life most 31-year-olds are not normally cast in the role of wily veteran but in a team of youngsters goalkeeper Phil Wilson finds himself in that position.
Wilson is one of a handful of older players at Hamlet who provide the base on which Dulwich have thrived in recent seasons, and the stopper admits he is having a ball at Champion Hill.
He told the News: "I love it at the moment. It's a great breather from my work and everything else and I find I need it. The football is my spare time so the satisfaction of being part of a successful team is important and it is a respite from work."
That work is head of sixth form at Harris academy Falconwood in Bexley and the teacher feels he is benfiting from his own extra tutorials this season, in the shape of a goalkeeper coach boss Gavin Rose has seconded to the club.
Wilson said: "I've enjoyed it, I think I had it [goalkeeper coaching] for a year at Sutton but not since, and it highlights some bad habits you may pick up over time. You develop your own style of doing things, and they are not always good, so it's nice to pick up on little things that I think have helped me this year."
His and the teams form has been excellent in the opening thirs of the season, but he stated expectations were high even after last season's successful promotion campaign.
"I think all of us would have been wanting to be pushing for the play-offs and Gavin [Rose] made that quite clear at the start of the year that was his expectations," Wilson said. "Lots of people do want to go up and consolidate but that is not in Gavin's nature."
In his third season at Champion Hill Wilson commented that things have changed rapidly on and off the pitch, and now things are as good as it get at Hamlet. "I've not experienced anything like Dulwich is at the moment. Even last year when I was injured I could still feel part of it because it felt everybody at the club was part of it. I think the 12th man scheme helps as it brings the fans, players and the club together. There feels like a real unity here, and now there is an increase in crowds and the atmosphere at games is brilliant. You don't get that type of atmosphere anywhere else."
The genial stopper admits breaking into the pro ranks is not what football is about for him any more but he does harbour one simple short term ambition.
He said: " I am very happy where I am and enjoyment is the key thing, playing with the players I do and playing under Gavin winning becomes a habit. I just want to continue being successful as long as I can, I jsut want to enjoy it and want to do things well. I would love to get Dulwich up to the next level and then we can have another look at where I am from there."

Finally, to the weekend copy of the 'South London Press', that was published earlier today. They concentrated on some of our players who are being tracked by Football League sides:

WANTED MEN

Dulwich Hamlet star Erhum Oztumer has joined team-mate Xavier Vidal on the Ryman League Premier Division club’s hot property list.
Midfielder Vidal has been the subject of interest from Premier League and Championship clubs and has been on trial with a Championship club this week. Boss Gavin Rose revealed that top-scorer Oztumer is also being sounded out for a trial in English football’s second tier. “Two other clubs are interested in Xavier and Erhun has naturally caught the eye with his form,” Rose said. “He is being looked at extensively by a few clubs. I don’t want to give names but I don’t think there will be much happening in terms of letting either go just yet anyway because of the time of year. We can’t leave ourselves short but as well at it being right for us, we have to think about the best interests of our players. We don’t want them to go just for the sake of it. They have to be at a club where they will get opportunities to play and impress.”
Both players are likely to be back in Hamlet's starting line-up for the visit of Leatherhead tomorrow in the FA Trophy second qualifying round. The two sides met twice in the Ryman League Division One South last year, with the latter game having to be replayed after it was abandoned due to a collapsing wall at the side of the Tanners' Fetcham Road Ground.
"They are a good team," Rose said. "We shared the spoils last year and even though they are a division below I don't expect there to be too much difference between the two sides."
Ellis Green (hamstring) is only injury worry for Dulwich, who fielded a young side in a 1-0 win over local rivals Tooting & Mitcham in the Isthmian League Cup second round on Tuesday. A fine individual goal from Marcel Henry-Franics just before half-time was the difference between the two sides. The Terrors came close to equalising late on as Cecil Jee hit the post, and Dulwich goalkeeper Phil Wilson made some fine stops. "It was a great expereince for the young guys playing in front of a big and noisy crowd," Rose said. "It was an even game. We've been working hard in the academy to bring through a group of boys to compete in the first team, and that is happening now. At least myself and Junior [Kadi-Rose's assistant] don't have to worry about naming ourselves as subs anymore! We'd like to do well in this cup because we have lost twice in the final in the last three years."
Rose admitted the form of his forwards was giving him a headache. "They are all scoring when they are in the team," he said. It makes it harder to pick a main front two, but it's a good problem to have. Whoever I pick, I know they will do the business if we get the build-up right. Marcel took his goal really well. It was a great individual goal with his turn, run and shot. He still has a lot to learn and there is more to come from him, which is exciting."

Further down, in the very minor non-league coverage, the game was also mentioned, from a Tooting perspective:

(Their manager): ... Tanner said "In both games we have played a brilliant style of footballl and we deserved to nick an equaliser against Dulwich. It was another stepping stone. We have to take that form into the rest of the season."...Frankie sawyer will probably miss the game after pulling up in the first half against Dulwich with a hamstring injury. "As an ex-Dulwich player it was a massive game for him as he wanted to prove a point," Tanner said. "He is really disappointed because it is a recurring injury that he has worked really hard to rid himself of and he had just started getting back to fitness. It's a big shame."