Dulwich Hamlet 6 - 0 Denham United

Sunday 5 September 2021

We open season three for the indomitable women of Dulwich Hamlet. The accomplished side made a comfortable home for themselves at the top of the table during their first two seasons with the club; but for some highly dubious skulduggery, they’d be exploring the uncharted waters of the next league up. But the football world is full of dark doings, and so they enter their third season in the familiar London & Southeast, ready to slay all comers.

Bright weather and a familiar foe greeted them as they returned to the Hill on Sunday. Dulwich and Denham United are familiar with each other, but a number of their fixtures last season were postponed due to the pandamnit, so it’s been a while since these two teams met. They circled each other cautiously in the opening minutes, testing each other’s defences, with Hamlet captain Brit Saylor pinging a shot off the post in the 3rd minute, and Mia North clearing a Denham intrusion a few minutes later. Denham forward Millie Congerton looked to be their fiercest weapon, hammering on the gates throughout the first half, but Dulwich came prepared with a solid backline, including new defender Chana Hinds making her debut seasonal outing and covering plenty of ground from the jump.

Dulwich’s strongest weapon proved to be their communication; creating a strong lattice across the field, they were able to defend effectively while dominating possession and giving Denham keeper Zara Butt plenty of work to do. They measured out the first half patiently, spreading the time ahead of them comfortably and wearing down their opponents. There was bad luck for Madi Parsonson, who recently inked a solid spot with the team. Trialling with Dulwich last season, she became a core part of their defence, but a nasty tumble in midfield saw her subbed off in the 21st minute and replaced with defender Sarah Walters. Dulwich took it in their stride, rotating the line-up and cranking up the intensity. Lucy Monkman and Havana McElvaine, the latter returning in great form after some time away from the team last season, both tested Butt with dangerous attempts on goal. The breakthrough came in the 41st minute, with Saylor catching Butt completely off-guard with a gorgeous worldie that nearly punched a hole in the back of the net.

Denham may have entered the second half with every intention of regrouping and reclaiming ground, but Dulwich’s approach seemed to be, ‘get some, go again’. From the outset, the goals started to fly in thick and fast. Sophie Manzi, who started her tenure at the Hamlet with a flurry of goals, showed the same fire this time round, taking advantage of a busy keeper to whisk the ball around her and bury it in the 45th. New signing Asia Harbour Brown wanted a taste of success too, and four minutes later snapped up a chance in the box to crown her debut by making it 3-0.

Harbour Brown was taken down by Denham’s Danni Holland minutes later; though it ended her first game, with Sas Philp subbing in for her, she secured a free kick for Dulwich. By this point it was a numbers game for a confident Dulwich, who went into demolition mode. Denham did their best to shut the home team down, with Congerton probing Dulwich’s defences fiercely, but Dulwich refused to be contained or thwarted. Manzi confirmed a brace in the 59th, spying an opportunity and wellying it to take Dulwich to 4-0. Denham’s desperation started to show, finding a chance to get into the Dulwich box, but Dulwich wrested the wheel back from them and got back on track. Both teams started to tire, showing heavy legs and the odd clumsy foul, including a silly attempt on Monkman. Dulwich kept control of the game, however. Saylor saw another chance to score, followed by Hannah Baptiste, whose attempt was just a little too wide to get the angle she needed, pummelling the side netting instead.

But under this relentless assault, another goal seemed inevitable - and it was Manzi who delivered it, tying the bow on her hat-trick at 83 minutes. Was she done? No. She was not. The 84th minute ticked around and she was back for more. There are a few unofficial names for four goals scored by a single player - a haul, a poker, a super-hat-trick - and they are all rubbish. We are calling a quartet of goals a Manzinger - and it sealed the deal for Dulwich, as they finished the game at a decisive 6-0.

With a challenging pre-season that saw wins, losses and game cancellations, Dulwich knew they needed to rebuild the stamina that carried them through the last season so triumphantly. They deserve credit for managing this game patiently, piling on the pressure when they found Denham’s weak spots, and making an impact in the middle of the game while they still had the legs to control it. Getting their first four goals in while they had the upper hand in precision and pace made it impossible for the visitors to make a comeback, and set Dulwich up with a beautiful win to declare their intentions for the season ahead. If they don’t make promotion in 2022, we riot - assemble at Promotion Roundabout with pitchforks and bar scarves!

Dulwich play Saltdean away on Sunday 12 September.

Attendance: 284

Dulwich Hamlet:
1 Mia North; 2 Madi Parsonson; 3 Havana McElvaine; 4 Chana Hinds; 5 Rosie Stone; 8 Brit Saylor; 9 Sophie Manzi; 14 Lucy Monkman; 16 Ella Wales-Bonner; 18 Asia Harbour Brown; 20 Harriet Crofts

[b]Subs:[/b]
6 Sarah Walters; 7 Sas Philp; 11 Zoe Elmore; 15 Hannah Baptiste; 19 Jordan Williamson

Denham United
1 Zara Butt; 2 Kodi Spencer; 3 Keira O’Leary; 4 Jo Torr; 5 Ella Greenwood; 6 Bianca Cuzuban; 7 Dadrian Kennedy; 8 Kayleigh Currivan; 9 Millie Congerton; 10 Lauren Cox; 11 Annie Hewitt; 12 Danni Holland; 14 Chloe Smith

Referees:
Mark Lachie-Smith
Robert Redman
James McLean

Photo: Liam Asman

Dulwich Hamlet 3 - 3 Eastbourne Town

Sunday 16 May 2021
Spring Round Robin

The Spring Round Robin rolls onward, and this week, Dulwich Hamlet faced old foes Eastbourne Town. Dulwich have prior heat with their coastal rivals; star striker Sophie ‘Banzi’ Manzi picked up her nickname after an exchange with Eastbourne that landed her with a red card and a three match suspension. This weekend’s match kept the intensity ramped to 11, but thankfully a barrage of goals replaced the hostilities of their last meeting.

Eastbourne looked to press from the beginning, seeking chances around the edges of the box, exploring the right wing for vulnerabilities. Dulwich had similar ideas, with Eman Kassem racing into the box in search of an opening in the opening minutes. Denied by Eastbourne, the baton passed to Manzi; her shot from further back was met by keeper Elleah Fenner. Dulwich looked comfortable, until a shock 12th minute goal from Eastbourne caught them completely offguard. Ella Newman darted into a low-key bit of play on the right hand side, redirected the ball and fired it breezily from the corner of the 18 yard box over Mia North’s head.

Dulwich dusted themselves off, started to build some rhythm in the midfield, and Sas Philp saw a gorgeous chance to equalise, with a clear run toward goal – the strike was solid but the keeper was ready and caught it above her head. Kassem and Madi Parsonson went to work carving out options from the right wing, and Steph Addison was nimble around Eastbourne’s defenders, but the visitors’ defensive wall along the edge of the box stopped anything getting through. Upfront, Newman and Shawna Harvey were a constant threat, and Dulwich looked to go into half time on the back foot. Hamlet captain Zoe Elmore tried a different approach, attempting a worldie from far back in midfield. Eastbourne retaliated with a long, low run through the middle, but North was ready and waiting, and collected the ball easily.

Dulwich came back from the break in determined form, with a round of subs providing fresh legs. Jordan Williamson wasted no time, taking a chance on a shot straight away that slammed into the side netting. Ella Wales-Bonner took up the challenge, and in what’s becoming a signature move, looked for a crafty route straight through the middle. No joy on the first attempt, but when the ball found her 20 yards in front of goal, Wales-Bonner arched it cleanly into the back of the net for a flamboyant 53rd minute equaliser, and Lucy Monkman, Michaella Williams and Daniella Tyson, off the pitch and moonlighting as commentators, launched into riotous song in the press box.

With a fire lit under them, the Hamlet gathered pace. A neat 61st minute cross from Rosie Stone set new girl Mia Cruickshank up and she seized the day, scoring a beauty of a goal – her first for the club – from the corner of the 18 yard box to hand Dulwich the lead. Brit Saylor took up the challenge and went after her own worldie – and found heartbreak instead as her near-perfect shot smacked off the bar instead.

Eastbourne, briefly shaken by the rush of flair from Dulwich, shook themselves and refocused. Cruickshank launched herself into a long run down the wing, but the Eastbourne defence shut her down. Minnie Cruttwell, debuting for the Hamlet, went in for a chance that was flicked away by Fenner. The pressure bore down on Eastbourne, as Wales-Bonner chased a second goal, but her shot cleared the bar. Their fortunes changed in the 77th minute, as Newman found a world of open space on the left and made the most of it. North anticipated her route and flew off her line to meet her, but the ball was past her and Eastbourne were back in the game.

Emboldened, the visitors doubled down on the attack. As the rain started to flood down, Newman found her way through Dulwich’s spread-out defence and claimed her hat-trick. At 79 minutes, Dulwich found themselves on the back foot again, with ten minutes to bring it back. The intensity ramped up with the weather, with players sliding all over the pitch, and tired legs and desperation eating away at the hosts. Dulwich looked for a way home, with Parsonson, Saylor and Wales-Bonner trying to create some magic in midfield. The answer came from Cruickshank – marking her second game with her second goal, she pierced the centre of the box with a game-saving goal in the 83rd to make it 3-3.

Could either team tip the balance? Dulwich showed more urgency, with Rosie Stone curling a free kick around the wall only to see it wither in a tangle of players in front of the box. Fenner made two more frantic saves for Eastbourne, thwarting Dulwich’s attempts to find the decider. The final opportunity was Sarah Milner’s, trying for a header off Cruickshank’s free kick, but she couldn’t quite reach it. Both teams were out of time and chances, and finished the game on a hard-fought 3-3 draw.

In a thrilling second half, these two closely matched teams fought fiercely for dominance. It’s particularly encouraging to see the younger talent staking their claim at the Hamlet. While there's room to improve on communication and organisation, and plug the holes that gift openings to opponents, it’s clear that the new crop of players have the talent and drive to maintain and build on this team’s fine reputation.

Dulwich next meet Ashford at home on Sunday 23rd May.

Attendance: Behind closed doors

Dulwich Hamlet:
1 Mia North; 2 Madi Parsonson; 3 Mia Cruickshank; 4 Steph Addison; 6 Sarah Walters; 7 Sas Philp; 9 Sophie Manzi; 11 Zoe Elmore (capt); 13 Ceylon Hickman; 15 Hannah Baptiste; 18 Eman Kassem;
Subs: 5 Rosie Stone; 8 Brit Saylor (capt); 16 Ella Wales-Bonner; 17 Sarah Milner; 19 Jordan Williamson; 12 Minnie Cruttwell

Eastbourne Town:
1 Elleah Fenner; 3 Lucy Fletcher (captain); 5 Kellie Larkin; 5 Charlotte Greenlees; 7 Nicole Baitup; 8 Georgia Sandell; 10 Ella Newman; 12 Shawna Harvey; 15 Sophie Isted; 16 Izzy Burt; 17 Faye Hannaford
Subs: 18 Amelia Chalmers; 19 Maya Beesley; 20 Lucia Law

Photo: Liam Asman

Dulwich Hamlet 2-1 Saltdean

Sunday 9 May 2021

Spring Round Robin

Tough times for the Hamlet of late – Dulwich returned this week from a punishing pair of matches against QPR, including an uncharacteristic loss last week. The team that showed up to meet Saltdean United this weekend were having no more of it, and arrived with game-faces on. Saltdean have had a tricky history against Dulwich – their last two meetings were postponed, and the 2-0 and 5-0 drubbings Dulwich hit them with prior to that will have left this coastal team with a point to prove. In another first for Dulwich, Lucy Monkman – a broadcaster and DJ off the pitch – turned her hand to commentating, sharing the press box with onetime Matildas captain and Olympian Alicia Ferguson (you can watch the women’s matches live with commentary on our DHFCTV YouTube channel, fact fans).

The game kicked off in spicy form. Saltdean had no intention of being pushed around again, and goalkeeper Mia North was called into action in the first minute, darting attentively off her line for the first of many saves. Saltdean pressed hard as the game got underway, with Henna Butcher trying for a wide route into the box. Dulwich were determined not to make the mistakes of last week, though, and denied her a way through. Ella Wales-Bonner took a barrage of hostility last week from a very physical QPR, and seemed to return with vengeance on her mind. While her first strike, a long ball in the tenth minute, found only the Saltdean keeper, it seemed only a matter of time before her efforts would hit home. Sophie Manzi, showing great control on the right wing, outsmarted three defenders to set up Sas Philp, but a tight angle near the goal saw the ball into the side netting.

Saltdean regrouped, with a sneaky foray down the wing, but Sarah Walters and Mia North shut it down firmly. An injury to Liz Berkeley saw an unplanned reshuffle for Dulwich, with Sarah Milner joining earlier than planned, and Mia Cruickshank – making her debut for the Hamlet – dropping back into Berkeley’s spot. Cruickshank would go on to acquit herself finely, providing a canny and solid line of defence for Dulwich.

Dulwich started to build in the midfield, with Milner and Wales-Bonner partnering to seize control, and Manzi keeping the ball near the halfway line, but Saltdean kept them busy and stopped them making headway. Saltdean slipped through instead, with a keening shot from the right that sailed over the crossbar. Disaster struck minutes later for Saltdean centreback Charlotte Young – a hard collision with Brit Saylor saw a yellow card for Dulwich’s captain, and a stretcher brought out for Young, who left the field with her leg in a split. As play resumed, a free kick handed Manzi a chance to replicate her huge crossing goal from last week, but a deflection off a defender spoiled her chance. Wales-Bonner slipped in for a chance instead, whizzing through the defensive knot like a heat-seeking missile, and nutmegging Saltdean’s Chloe Winchester to park the ball neatly in the back of the net - 1-0 at 39 minutes!

While the tide seemed to have turned for Dulwich, there was more pain for Saltdean. Goalkeeper Sharna Greenaway met a potential worldie from Sas Philp with a heroic save, catching the ball cleanly but going straight down on her ankle. After medical attention, she played on, and snatched Wales-Bonner’s attempt to claim her second goal. A beautiful cross from Hannah Baptiste offered Wales-Bonner another chance, but Greenaway closed it down.

As half-time loomed, a questionable decision stopped hearts across the field: Sarah Walters snatched the ball from Chloe Evans in the box, but as Evans went down, the referee called a penalty, eliciting a howl of outrage from the Hamlet. Saltdean captain Naomi Robinson stepped up to take the shot – and Mia North, facing her first PK Hamlet colours, stopped it like a roadblock, looking like she’d never been more ready.

An organised Saltdean returned in the second half, shutting down Dulwich’s chances and looking for their own way in, keeping North on her toes with another serious attempt in the 53rd. Dulwich returned fire with a cross and strike that should have doubled the score, but the accuracy wasn’t there. Dulwich got organised a moment later; a long curling cross from Cruickshank set up a corner for the home side, Rosie Stone spanked the ball past the six yard box, and Walters fed the ball back to Sas Philp who headed it home in the 59th minute.

No-one could have foreseen the next injury; with Dulwich and Saltdean both having lost players to the struggle, the officiating team were next, with one of the linesmen tripping and sustaining a painful landing on his arm. He soldiered on, and Saltdean looked to regroup. A speedy run in the 18 yard box presented Dulwich with some serious danger, but a focused Cruickshank saw it away, and North collected Saltdean’s next shot. North misjudged Saltdean’s next chance, though – coming off her line in the 78th minute to try and shut it down, she found herself behind the ball as Chloe Evans rolled it home to get her team back in the game.

Dulwich gathered themselves to hold onto their lead, with Milner and Philp throwing themselves into chances to score, but a foresighted Greenaway thwarted them. As the minutes ticked away, there was no lingering in midfield, both teams fighting to strengthen their positions. Saltdean’s clearest chance came in the 89th minute, with Walters and Winchester racing through the box, but North ended the discussion with a decisive catch. A chunk of extra time handed the visitors valuable minutes to try and nail a reprieve, and a frustrated Saltdean battled to the last to squeeze a game-changer out of the final minutes. But they were out of chances, and the whistle handed a relieved Dulwich a hard-fought 2-1 victory.

The Spring Round Robin tournament continues next week as Dulwich face Eastbourne Town at home.

Attendance: Behind closed doors

Dulwich Hamlet:
1 Mia North; 2 Madi Parsonson; 3 Mia Cruickshank; 4 Liz Berkeley; 5 Rosie Stone; 6 Sarah Walters; 7 Sas Philp; 8 Brit Saylor (capt); 9 Sophie Manzi; 13 Ceylon Hickman; 15 Hannah Baptiste; 16 Ella Wales-Bonner;
Subs: 5 Rosie Stone; 11 Zoe Elmore; 17 Sarah Milner; 22 Jo Gibson

Saltdean United:
1 Sharna Greenaway; 2 Yasmin Poole; 3 Ruby Atkins; 4 Paige Walder; 5 Niamh Stephenson; 6 Charlotte Young; 7 Georgia Bridges; 8 Henna Butcher; 9 Chloe Winchester; 11 Naomi Robinson; 11 Chloe Evans
Subs: 12 Jess Mead; 14 Niamh Anderson; 15 Megan Gates; 16 Lily Smith; 17 Amy Sinden

Referee: Tim Gilmore
Assistant referees: Keith Slaughter, Roberto Lagnado

Photo: Liam Asman

Dulwich Hamlet 1-2 QPR

Sunday 2 May 2021

Capital Women’s Cup

Last week’s battle against QPR was an unsettling one for all concerned, with Dulwich struggling to contain the West Londoners, and Lucy Monkman’s Onumonu-esque equaliser sliding in under the whistle to deny QPR the narrow victory they thought was theirs. A week on, the teams met again for a rematch, this time for the Capital Women’s Cup, a competition that brings together teams under the London, Middlesex, Surrey FAs and the AFA. This was a grudge match, with all to play for. Unfortunately, it didn’t go Dulwich’s way – and worse, it illustrated a problem that plagues the women’s game up and down the pyramid and around the world.

The mood was intense and chippy from the start. Dulwich rushed forward in the opening minutes to test QPR’s boundaries, with Sas Philp and Daniella Tyson trying for chances around the box. There was a chance for Sophie Manzi as keeper Lucie White was well off her line, but a QPR defender reached it first and scooped it away. An early corner offered another opportunity for Dulwich, but it soared past the front of the box. QPR, who seemed disorganised at first, gathered themselves and sorted out their attack. Unfortunately, the scoreline wasn’t the only target. What followed was a wave of fouls that seemed more about bringing players down than seizing the ball. Monkman was floored in the midfield, the first of many challenges from QPR – some more legal than others.

Dulwich looked to build a threat with a run down the left flank from Ella Wales-Bonner, but she was tripped and taken down by a QPR defender, drawing a free kick, and her cross overshot the far post. Philp sought another chance but a clever challenge from a QPR defender relieved her of the ball; minutes later, a ball ricocheted off Harriet Crofts, and in the 14th minute QPR’s Jenny Moore headed it into the back of the net. Dulwich fought to find their way back, and had their chance moments later; a careless QPR sliding tackle handed the Hamlet a free kick, and Manzi beasted it into over White’s head to equalise in the 16th.

The tension rose between the teams, without the game management to match. An offside QPR attempt was ignored, and Monkman was flattened as a QPR player steamrolled her, before another player played push and shove with Manzi on the sideline. The fouling was persistent, and the referee (former Hamlet stalwart Dean Lodge) should have had his book out early on to bring the hostilities under control. Whether he missed the calls or was focused on not showing undue favour to his old side, it made for increasingly painful viewing. As the teams emerged in the second half and the fouls continued, it was hard not to think the visitors had centred their strategy on taking their opponents’ legs out from under them.

It was ironic, and unfortunate, that the first major casualty of the game was QPR’s goalkeeper. White put herself in the firing line blamelessly with a valiant save that caught her in the face and left her reeling. After a concussion check, she left the field, replaced by Erin Pope. Pope stepped up ably, dismantling a desperate fumble in the box that threatened to tip things Dulwich’s way. The Hamlet seemed rattled, outfoxed by QPR’s wide play, tight defence and hammering attack, they played reactively and couldn’t regroup to take control of the game.

QPR should have been able to exploit the home side’s panic to take the lead cleanly, and yet the fouls intensified, as cleats ploughed into the backs of ankles and the midfield started to resemble a battle royale. QPR mistook Ella Wales-Bonner for a lawnmower, and sent her to chew grass over and over again, singling her out for a string of vicious challenges that left her on the floor for much of the second half. The referee didn’t see fit to pull the single yellow card of the game until the dying minutes for what seemed like the 694th foul on Wales-Bonner.

As a disheartened Dulwich tried to hold the line, Demi Edwards swung a clean goal right past a discombobulated Mia North in the 75th minute. A free kick for Dulwich delivered what should have been a dead cert, but the strike slammed heartbreakingly off the post. Jordan Williamson tried to bring fresh legs to the challenge, seeking a way through the QPR back line, but there were no gaps to exploit, and the final whistle ended Dulwich’s Capital Cup hopes for this year.

QPR are a formidable squad, and the story should have been one of an organised and relentless team triumphing over their hosts in revenge being thwarted the previous week. Dulwich were caught on the back foot early, and having unusually let their rivals get into their heads, they found themselves disarmed; it could have been a clean win. Instead the dominant narrative was one of lax refereeing and a player being cynically and persistently targeted on the pitch. It’s common knowledge that refereeing in the women’s game needs to improve. Women play as physically as men, and when aggression gets out of hand, the same rules should apply. Recent incidents at the highest levels of the game, with fights and multiple red cards tardily dealt out, have shown that there’s a long way to go. Referees’ willingness to let things slide is how players get hurt, and Dulwich will have returned to the locker room nursing plentiful bruises as well as deflated Cup hopes.

Attention now returns to the Spring Round Robin Tournament and a trip to Saltdean United.

Attendance: Behind closed doors

Dulwich Hamlet:
1 Mia North; 4 Liz Berkeley; 7 Sas Philps; 8 Brit Saylor (capt); 9 Sophie Manzi; 10 Daniella Tyson; 13 Ceylon Hickman; 14 Lucy Monkman; 16 Ella Wales-Bonner; 17 Sarah Milner; 20 Harriet Crofts
Subs: 11 Zoe Elmore; 12 Stephanie Addison; 18 Eman Kessem; 19 Jordan Williamson; 22 Jo Gibson

QPR:
1 Lucie White; 2 Merle Redhead-Ling; 3 Ellie Searle; 4 Afiya Johnson; 5 Vicky Grieve (capt); 6 Mollie Dench; 7 Katie Akerman; 8 Jenny Moore; 9 Milly Cutler; 10 Demi Edwards; 11 Melanie Hall

Subs: 12 Kasha Petit; 15 Ailish Carolan; 16 Eshe Davies; 17 Erin Pope; 18 Ellen Wardlaw

Referee: Dean Lodge

Photo: Liam Asman