Dulwich Hamlet vs Billericay (Saturday 5th September 2015)

[clog]

1-0! Feed me reports people!

I love last minute winners!

 

[sleaterkinney]

Great crowd.

 

[Pink Panther]

I watched the game from the main stand today so actually got a good view of the game for once. The two things that really struck me were how important Matt Drage is and how Kevin James regularly gives the ball away.

We were pretty lucky to come away with the win, Billericay were clean through on goal twice as a result of some calamitous defending. On the first occasion, Drage somehow managed to stop the goal bound shot with a sliding header allowing Phil Wilson to pick it up. Wilson foiled the second of the two chances to top off an excellent performance. As for the goal, I was just about to comment how the new signing had all the hallmarks of being another winger that's all pace and no end product when he cut inside and scored a screamer.

Pinnock was assured today both at left back and when he moved into the centre. Waldren started off slowly but seemed to catch up with the pace of the game in the 2nd half. Erskine didn't do a huge amount. Nyren looked sharp but Penney on the other side was sluggish and didn't do a huge amount. Carew's distribution was excellent and rarely put a foot wrong. I didn't really notice Mitchell Nelson or Jordan Hibbert make any glaring errors.

Billericay caused us a lot of problems in the 2nd half. I hope we learn to deal with teams like them more effectively over the course of the season as we won't always be as fortunate as we were today.

I thought it was a game of *FOOTBALL CLICHE ALERT* two halves. I thought we were the stronger side in the first 45 and Billericay were better in the second.

Game of two halves sums it up for me. The official Billericay website reporter claims they were unlucky not to win, but I feel that view rather ignores the fact that (on balance of play and number of chances created) they were highly fortunate not to concede at least once in the first half, whereas their only real chance in that half was when Drage slid in to block at the near post; that looked a great piece of defending to me, but their bench were hollering for a penalty for handball!

Couple of crucial saves from Wilson in the second half; sticking out a leg to deflect a shot wide of the far post, and an incredible one to shovel a Derry effort over the bar at close range. I hope Drage isn't injured. That was an unbelievable decision to remove him which could have been costly. If we wanted to get Campbell on as an attacking left back (which worked pretty well) I'd have thought Nelson was the candidate to make way for him. Nelson is a clear improvement on Michael Kamara as utility defender, but nowhere near as strong or as commanding as Drage or Pinnock (or Sankofa) at centre back in my view.

I thought James did a good job as a 'three quarter back' sitting in front of the back four, and Clunis again caused problems playing as a proper right winger. I didn't like it when he was on the left, and Jarrett certainly looked a fish out of water on the right. I'm very sceptical about this modern fad for wingers to play on their unnatural side where they keep cutting in across the edge of the box. By all means swap sides intermittently throughout the game to ask a few different questions of defenders, and that's what ultimately enabled Murrell-Williamson to score the fantastic winner, but I'd like to see our wingers operating in traditional fashion, unless they're genuinely two footed like Dean Lodge or Ellis Green.

Team (4-3-3): Wilson - Hibbert, Nelson, Drage, Pinnock - Carew, James, Waldren(c) - Clunis, Erskine, Penny. Subs: Campbell (for Drage), Willock (for Erskine), Murrell-Williamson (for Penny), Mascoll, Fernandes (not used). Attendance: 1,547

 

[clog]

I didn't think it was a great game. A lot of the performances I've seen so far this season have looked decidedly mid table mediocrity to me. Need to recapture some of the pre-season sparkle.

 

[Tricky Skills]

Here's the BBuzz match report.

Not a great game for 90 minutes or so, but the ending more than made up for this. It was a fantastic effort all round on the Calais collection. I thought that the Billericay Hipster 'keeper was a playful chap as well.

 

[Cyclodunc]

My photos are now on Facebook. Really enjoyed photographing yesterday's game and fundraising/collection efforts.

Dulwich Hamlet 1 - 0 Billericay Town 0 | Facebook

Well done everyone. What an awesome bunch.

 

[iamwithnail]

Glad we got in the ground when we did, then! Felt for one of the women behind the bar, who seemed to be doing about 80% of the work herself (If anyone else was around there was a lot of "What are these other 5 people doing? Bear with me guys!") Did a champion job on her own though. Really need to get something sorted for the bar long-term, took 15-20 minutes both times we got drinks (before, and then 20 minutes from half time), and I gave up another time.

 

[Cannon Fodder]

The key man on Saturday was Wilson with his two excellent saves. Those were clear-cut chances but once he'd saved them, you felt Billericay's fate was sealed. Billericay also made a cock-up for the winning goal by swapping their left-back into left-midfield. Whilst he'd had a tough afternoon he'd stayed with it and made a number of blocks in the second half. But they made the swap and his replacement went for a ball he couldn't get, instead of dropping off and the lad with the long name duly punished the error. The beardie keeper went mental at the new left-back afterwards.

Normally a good sign of a successful team is the knack of nicking something from tight games despite an indifferent performance. Ultimately, a couple of brilliant bits of skill at both ends of the pitch won the day. I'd be quietly confident that things were heading in the right direction.

 

[Jimbob73]

Did anyone notice a change of formation - apparently we have swapped to a 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield?

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Did anyone notice a change of formation - apparently we have swapped to a 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield?

That certainly wasn't what we started with which was a fairly straightforward 4-3-3 with 3 central midfielders and the two wingers either side of Erskine (Penney's not really a winger but he was starting on the left).

 

[sankara]

From the other forum:

Albert Jarrett

Fainted in the tunnel before the game and was rushed to hospital having smashed his face on the floor. It seems he has suffered a broken jaw! Wishing him a speedy recovery!

I suppose he'll be out for a while so our current winger predicament is compounded.

It sounds like a nasty injury.

Albert Jarrett by Edgar Kail

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

From the other forum:

Albert Jarrett

I suppose he'll be out for a while so our current winger predicament is compounded.

It sounds like a nasty injury.

Albert Jarrett by Edgar Kail

The Hamlet Facebook page suggested he'd fallen doing a pretend fitness test after the match.

 

[Dulwich Mishi]

The Hamlet Facebook page suggested he'd fallen doing a pretend fitness test after the match.

Yes...that's right he fainted, didn't want to worry too many by mentioning he fainted, which some might acquaint with collapse...and then all sorts of rumours start...

 

[AndyDHFC]

Have to disagree about Erskine and Penny though. Thought Erskine held up the ball well, put himself about and defended from the front. Created himself a couple of half chances too. I don't think he was ever going to have a blisteringly good afternoon, as their #6 was a decent defender who seemed to man mark him for the entire game. .

I agree re Erskine. Once chance he created by himself in the first half where he got to a ball he had no right to get to across a defender was exceptional - he forced a decent save from the keeper. His movement is also quite good and I lost count of the amount of times he dragged players away from the wingers to create one on ones for them. He strikes me as both intelligent and hard working.

 

[PartisanDulwich]

found the game very painful to watch
all blown away by a brilliant last minute goal - game facts erased

but for a "scratch team" Billericay deserved a point and certainly looked more like scoring especially in the last 15 mins

Phil Wilson was once again a star

teams certainly seem to step up to the plate playing us at champion hill, maybe its playing in front of a large crowd

I still dream of a 6-1 victory at Champion hill in front of a big crowd

But at the end of the day we won and up to 5th - who can complain

 

[PartisanDulwich]

Last season
1,205 at the game against Billericay Town (They brought about 100)

This season 1,547 and about 40 Billericay fans

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Last season
1,205 at the game against Billericay Town (They brought about 100)

This season 1,547 and about 40 Billericay fans

I think the day is more important than the opposition for attendance. No premier league will have pushed it up on Saturday.

 

[Dulwich Mishi]

As well as our local community coming out to support the Club, for the Supporters Trust Calais Appeal.

 

[vornstyle76]

Rhys Murrell-Williamson looks a bit like an anagram of vornstyle76's real name. I hope this turns out to be one of his art-pranks.

The last 4½ have been one of my art-pranks.