Kingstonian 1-2 Dulwich Hamlet
DULWICH PRESS THE SOUZ BUTTON

K's manager Ian McDonald took the initiative and re-organized his side for the visit of the old foes from Dulwich, including debuts upfront for a pair of Lewes loan players Ryan Bradley and Nick Fogden. The idea was to get among the goals but unfortunately the experiment didn't work and a tepid K's crashed to a very disappointing home defeat. A trying goalless first half is best forgotten as the game sparked into life just after the break when the ex- Birmingham City and Wycombe Wanderers Miguel de Souza fashioned a goal out of nothing.

K's responded well and came back with a perfectly executed set piece from Mazin Ahmad that resulted in a well-taken headed goal from striker Kenny Ojukwa. The game was set up for the K's to go on and grab all three points but their response was strangely muted. Instead de Miguel, at 35 still the best player on the park, took the opportunity to grab a second goal with just under 20 minutes to go. After that the Hamlet looked the more threatening of the two sides. McDonald replaced both Bradley and Fogden so it's back to the drawing board for the K's management team.

The game certainly started well for the K's when in only the second minute Ahmad went off on one of his trademark mazy runs but this time he was stopped at the last by Hamlet centre back Jamie Coyle. The visitors responded strongly with a long clearance from keeper Paul Seuke that was picked up by striker Charlie Side deep in the K's box, he slide the ball home past Chuck Martini but a push on debutante Wayne Noad was spotted by the assistant ref.

On 12 minutes it was another mazy Ahmad run but he got his shot all wrong and blasted over the bar. Three minutes later an Ahmad free-kick was well caught by Seuke. Two minutes later the Hamlet broke quickly as a K's attack broke down, again Side took off down the middle of the park and lobbed the outcoming Martini but he was wide of the goal.

On 24 minutes a lack of concentration almost led to a Hamlet goal, Jon Coke pushed the ball back to Martini who sliced his clearance setting up Side but fortunately Noad was on hand to scramble the ball away. A long through ball from Noad just failed to find Bradley lurking in the visitor's goalmouth. On 29 minutes Ahmad sent in three consecutive corners with the third skidding off the head of Scott Corbett.

On 38 minutes Ojukwa found an unmarked Ahmad in acres of space on the right flank, but his cross was comfortable for Seuke. Then another long ball from Noad saw Seuke snatch the ball off Ojukwa's boot. The half ended with a free-kick from Ahmad that found Bradley but his glancing header went wide.

On 51 minutes the Hamlet were ahead. MIGUEL de SOUZA burst into the K's box, Noad made an attempt to block, but the Hamlet man blasted the ball home past a marooned Martini. K's responded and had their best spell of the game. An Ahmad corner was headed back into the danger zone by Fogden finding Richard Taylor but his first time effort was wide. Then a high cross from Noad just failed to find a full-stretch Ojukwa. Then de Souza took the ball off Taylor but blasted over.

On 62 minutes though the K's were back in the game. An Ahmad free-kick from the right flank found KENNY OJUKWA in the Hamlet goalmouth and he headed the ball powerfully into the roof of the net.

Tony Reid came on for Bradley and immediately tried to force home a long Taylor throw. On 70 minutes the dangerous de Souza from distance let loose a tremendous rising drive that Martini did well to tip over. A minute later de Souza went one better. A free-kick from Coyle way out on the right sailed over Martini finding MIGUEL de SOUZA lurking on the far post where he nodded the ball home. Then Side set the rampant de Souza free down the left but his cross went behind. Corbett tried to find Reid deep in the Hamlet box but Seuke comfortably fell on the ball.

With 15 minutes to go an Ahmad free-kick on the edge of the Hamlet box looked hopeful but he curled the ball over. Then a cross from Fogden found Taylor close in but he his glancing header went wide. In the closing stages the Hamlet were on the move. A free-kick on the edge of the K's box was curled over from sub Lee Richardson. Then de Souza set Richardson free down the right but his shot was tame. Then Danny Ward set Ellis Conroy free down the right but his dangerous low cross into the K's goalmouth was scambled away.

The game ended three minutes into additional time with one last K's attack, a long high Noad cross found Bashiru Alimi on the far post but at full-stretch he could only head wide.

Please note: this report was originally intended for the Kingston Guardian. Many thanks to Phil Windeatt for his permission to reproduce it here.