Hamlet v Canvey Island (Isthmian League) Saturday 23rd August 2025

[Pink Panther]

This fixture took place only 4 months ago on Easter Saturday, when it was a crucial relegation 6 pointer. On that occasion Hamlet came from behind to win with 10 men thanks to a stoppage time penalty, although other results meant both teams ultimately survived.

Now it's top v bottom, a home banker or a dangerous banana skin:

MATCH PREVIEW | Dulwich Hamlet vs Canvey Island | Isthmian League | 23/08/25

The Hamlet return to SE22 on Saturday as we host Canvey Island in our 4th game of the 25/26 Isthmian League season. The Hamlet come into this...

dulwichhamletfc.co.uk

 

[the pink one]

only 4 subs

 

[Nivag]

It's not a dream, we won 2-0!

 

[Pink Panther]

A 2-0 win, which was probably about right in the end. Canvey sat deep in the first half, which was something of a stalemate, while Hamlet passed the ball across the back four and probed the defence with the occasional thrust. Wanadio forced a corner with a terrific 30 yard strike, then was played in by a beautifully weighted chipped pass from Payne, but again the keeper denied him. The best the visitors managed in the first half was an optimistic direct shot from a 35 yard free kick that Bull held comfortably at shoulder height.

Hamlet were ahead 8 minutes into the second half after sustaining a spell of pressure following a corner. Canvey twice cleared the ball a fair distance, but each time Payne played a pinpoint pass out to the right flank, and on the second occasion Michael Chambers converted the cross with a perfectly placed header inside the near post.

Canvey had a man sent off with 20 minutes to go for a rather needless tactical foul on Talla deep in our half that gave the referee little option than to show a second yellow card. The visitors had to press us harder by this stage and we looked a little nervous for a while, making a few minor unforced errors and failing to make our numerical advantage count. There was just the one hairy moment when a pass played in to a forward with his back to goal was trapped, but a defender got across with a vital block as he turned to shoot.

The points were secured in memorable fashion in the last of 4 minutes of second half stoppage time. Bull's goal kick was helped on to Cook wide on the right and, spotting the keeper off his line, the substitute unleashed a perfect lob that sailed into the back of net from at least 35 yards. Job done. (Again.)

 

[Alex W]

I only realised at half time that former Hull City, Leicester, Palace, England u21s and (briefly as a caretaker) England senior manager Peter Taylor was in the dugout for Canvey Island.

How on earth did that happen?

 

[Roger D]

From memory he's a local lad to there and chose to move back. He wanted to put something back in to football and presumably enjoys it.

Remember he was around non-league management before the F.A. picked him up. He also played non-league before moving into management. I have a feeling he was the first full international to later win an England non-league XI (as it used to be) cap.

 

[Pink Panther]

I only realised at half time that former Hull City, Leicester, Palace, England u21s and (briefly as a caretaker) England senior manager Peter Taylor was in the dugout for Canvey Island.

How on earth did that happen?

He's originally from Southend, having begun his professional playing career at Southend United. One of our supporters who retired and moved away to that area a few years ago still sees him occasionally in his local supermarket.

He began his management career with player-nanager spells at Chelmsford, Dartford and Hendon in the late 80s/early 90s and was regarded as an innovative tactician by supporters of those clubs. He's clearly working with skinny resources and I think he'll be hard pressed to avoid relegation. His team was well organised and disciplined today but lacked individual quality, and the midfielder who collected two yellow cards rather let the side down.

He also got a lot more out of Dipo Akinyemi than we did when they worked together at Welling 4 seasons ago.

 

[Ashby_Time]

What other players do we have to come back? We only had 4 subs today, and other than AJ I'm not aware of anyone else working their way back

 

[Pink Panther]

What other players do we have to come back? We only had 4 subs today, and other than AJ I'm not aware of anyone else working their way back

Mensah and Wynter were on the bench for the first 3 games but never came on. (I was told either could have done a shift if someone else was literally unfit to continue, but that never happened.) Kassarate has been sitting out after a concussion in the final friendly but is apparently available for Monday. So those 3 plus AJ and the 15 who played today makes up our announced squad of 19.

 

[PartisanDulwich]

With Dipo now playing for Derry - we didn't know what we had ? - Mind I was always a fan - and so so cool with penalties in the play off final - will never forget

Re the game today - listened from Ireland - sounded generally frustrating afternoon and to be fair sounded from commentary that Canvey were not giving up until the sending off when "heads dropped"

That said we have played better and lost in recent seasons and against 10 men so a win and no goals conceded is a big step forward

Just think we cannot get carried away - next up Whitehawk should be a good game and hopefully big away following

surprised the attendance was still only around 2,000, had this been in September surely a sell out
Up the Hamlet

 

[Ashby_Time]

With Dipo now playing for Derry - we didn't know what we had ? - Mind I was always a fan - and so so cool with penalties in the play off final - will never forget

Re the game today - listened from Ireland - sounded generally frustrating afternoon and to be fair sounded from commentary that Canvey were not giving up until the sending off when "heads dropped"

That said we have played better and lost in recent seasons and against 10 men so a win and no goals conceded is a big step forward

Just think we cannot get carried away - next up Whitehawk should be a good game and hopefully big away following

surprised the attendance was still only around 2,000, had this been in September surely a sell out
Up the Hamlet

Attendance will pick up once the school holidays end. We also always lose a few on bank holidays when the younger crowd not from London head home for the weekend

 

[Pink Panther]

That said we have played better and lost in recent seasons and against 10 men so a win and no goals conceded is a big step forward

Just think we cannot get carried away - next up Whitehawk should be a good game and hopefully big away following

surprised the attendance was still only around 2,000, had this been in September surely a sell out
Up the Hamlet

Have we? I can't think of an example. The last time it happened against Bognor was possibly the biggest shambles I've seen in my near half century of supporting the club.

There was nothing wrong with yesterday's performance, we simply needed to be patient against visitors who were focused on negating what we wanted to do, while showing minimal attacking intent themselves. We got the job done thanks to a pair of fine goals.

The attendance was only a few dozen less than the first game, when Dartford brought a far larger away following, so there could easily have been an extra 10% of Hamlet fans yesterday.

I'll be surprised if there are 4 poorer teams than Canvey come the end of the season, but they mustn't be written off yet, just as we shouldn't get carried away by our fast start.

 

[liamdhfc]

With Dipo now playing for Derry - we didn't know what we had ? - Mind I was always a fan - and so so cool with penalties in the play off final - will never forget

Re the game today - listened from Ireland - sounded generally frustrating afternoon and to be fair sounded from commentary that Canvey were not giving up until the sending off when "heads dropped"

That said we have played better and lost in recent seasons and against 10 men so a win and no goals conceded is a big step forward

Just think we cannot get carried away - next up Whitehawk should be a good game and hopefully big away following

surprised the attendance was still only around 2,000, had this been in September surely a sell out
Up the Hamlet

A few points

We knew what we had with Dipo but maybe he wasn’t treated as he would want. At the later stages I had personal experience of his poor attitude at that time. However, I believe he settled down, became a dad and his career has since moved forward.

Yesterday’s crowd was fine for any August fixture and not of any concern.

Canvey set up to frustrate and succeeded. It has happened many times before and we’ve not broken teams down, lost concentration and lost.

Finally, nobody is getting carried away and targets remain the same - live within our means, play entertaining football, build a connection between team and fans in the knowledge that will result in winning football matches. For me, a top half finish is all I would like but I’m sure Dace, JJ and the team want more

 

[KPMG]

I agree top half will do for me, provided we play entertaining football on the way. I don’t underestimate the difficulty in playing Canvey yesterday, but I think we were a bit negative in our approach with too much possession in our own half.

 

[dhfc25]

I agree top half will do for me, provided we play entertaining football on the way. I don’t underestimate the difficulty in playing Canvey yesterday, but I think we were a bit negative in our approach with too much possession in our own half.

Negative isn’t a word that came to my mind. I thought we were patient, controlled and pragmatic, with moments of real quality. There was no need to do anything more, especially with the very tight turnaround to next game.

 

[liamdhfc]

Negative isn’t a word that came to my mind. I thought we were patient, controlled and pragmatic, with moments of real quality. There was no need to do anything more, especially with the very tight turnaround to next game.

I thought we were rightly cautious and trying to see if they would lose concentration. There is no need to overcommit until required by time. They were not going to come out and were waiting for a mistake

 

[Alex W]

A few points

We knew what we had with Dipo but maybe he wasn’t treated as he would want. At the later stages I had personal experience of his poor attitude at that time. However, I believe he settled down, became a dad and his career has since moved forward.

Yesterday’s crowd was fine for any August fixture and not of any concern.

Canvey set up to frustrate and succeeded. It has happened many times before and we’ve not broken teams down, lost concentration and lost.

Finally, nobody is getting carried away and targets remain the same - live within our means, play entertaining football, build a connection between team and fans in the knowledge that will result in winning football matches. For me, a top half finish is all I would like but I’m sure Dace, JJ and the team want more

On the "build a connection with the fans" point - Mark and Junior have been a real breath of fresh air with their very conscious attempts to engage with and gee up the rabble.

Yes, it should be the lowest hanging fruit, but for some reason many recent managers haven't bothered with it.

But Mark and Junior have and I think this, as much as the winning results, has contributed to a lot of the current positivity. Long may it continue.