Dulwich Hamlet 0-3 Kingstonian
KINGS OF THE CHAMPION HILL
Two late goals saw Kingstonian consolidate their top position in the league with what turned out be an easier-than-expected three-goal win.
Back on the road again after three straight home games in the league, Ks were soon one up from Carl Wilson-Denis and then rounded the match off with two more in the 82nd minute and in injury time from Jamie Byatt and then Simon Huckle.
But the game was marred with a five-minute stand-off in the 39th minute when a seemingly innocuous challenge in midfield saw Junior Kaffo on the ground clutching his head. In the 22-man melee, with additional support from the dugouts, Jon Coke found himself in a head lock before the referee decided to restore order before then sending off Stanley Muguo with a straight red and booking Adam Thompson and Laurent Hamici from Dulwich too.
Coming late in the first half the home side began to lose any steam they may have hoped to start up and apart from a brief spell later, Kingstonian ran the show.
Early but light pressure by the home side was stopped in the 11th minute when Simon Huckle chipped over the keeper Jamie Lunan, only for the ball to also clear the crossbar.
Another chip, this time by Bobby Traynor within the minute, went to Byatt, who also tried to chip again Lunan and the defence but the ball was defended out until Tommy Williams on the other flank shot the ball in. It hit the near post and rebounded out, only for Wilson-Denis to swoop in like a poacher and shoot low past Lunan to score.
Immediately the game sprung to life with both sides creating chances. The best were a shot denied for Hamici on the right, from a low pass by Scott Simpson, and then at the other end Byatt also missed. Daryl Plummer, having beaten Luke Garrard, could not beat the left near post and Coke was on hand to mop up.
And with that the match quietened down as the increasingly muddy pitch began to take its toll on passing and legs. A corner on the left by Williams was defended out loosely and Byatt on the D hit wide. This was then followed in the 27th minute by Williams shooting from 25 yards out only for Lunan to dive bravely as Traynor came in.
Minutes later Traynor had another chance to double the lead when Billy Chattaway slipped 35 yards out and Liam Collins was on hand to pick up the ball and find Traynor unmarked, who then skewed the ball over. Within a minute Traynor again failed to score, although it took a brave Lunan to deny him this time.
Williams was then bought down, with Plummer being shown yellow, and up-stepped Thompson for the free kick. His shot rebounded off the wall for Byatt to shoot wide with the goalkeeper at full stretch.
With Ks now dominant something had to give and two minutes later it was not the defence but Hamlet's whole team as Kaffo lying on the floor provoked the pushing and shoving and the sight of Coke in a head lock with the referee choosing to wait outside the immediate area with his two assistants without intervening. The only ones who did came from the dugouts and this was just to add oil to the fire.
Finally he moved in and sent off Muguo and brandished two yellows. With such a long break it was soon added time after the 45 minutes and Traynor was denied by Lunen again after Wilson-Denis battled well in midfield before passing. A corner kick almost on time by Williams found Byatt but his weak shot was easy meat.
The second half seemed to start controversially after Shayne Mangodza bought down Collins in the area but the referee chose to wave play on.
Coke then set up another chance in the 51st minute when his run up the left was then passed to Traynor but again Traynor could only skew the ball into the cold night sky.
A snap shot in the 62nd minute by Byatt on the left also went wide just of the far post, but this seemed to herald a home side revival. A corner by Simpson on the right was headed out to Benson Paka, who shot long and over. With Hamlet trying to regain the upper hand, Ks were forced into defending for a bit but in spite of all of this no clear cut chances were created.
Jon Neal then came on for Wilson-Denis in the 78th minute and within two minutes Ks wrested another good chance. Collins tackled in midfield and found Traynor, whose wayward shot found the defence rather than the net. A corner by Williams then found Byatt who chipped it up to Huckle. His header looped over and wide to the left.
Kaffo then tried a long range shot, more speculative than specific, and it went wide. Back up the other end Williams then crossed in to Byatt, whose low shot on the right beat Lunen. Almost immediately Kaffo was taken off for Fas Koroma.
Another goal, two minutes into injury time saw Huckle unmarked on the right as the defence crowded round Collins less than 10 yards from the goal mouth on the left. Collins flicked the ball over with his heel and Huckle volleyed the ball in past Lunen, who had just been announced as man of the match.
Once again Ks proved the nay-sayers wrong after a four league match run that had seen them lose twice and draw twice but hold onto their league position throughout. A good performance on a pitch that highlights the class that is the grass at home showed that they can take up all challenges. If it had not been for Traynor's misses then the score would have been higher and indeed Ks played like the home side rather than the visitors.
Christmas comes with a trip to Fleet and then at home to Sittingbourne. On this performance Santa's sack may be filled with more points for Kingstonian.
|
Fri 5th Dec 2008 |
|
Champion Hill |
|
413 |
|
Isthmian League Division One South |
|
Dulwich Hamlet | 0 |
Kingstonian | 3 |
Wilson-Denis, Byatt, Huckle |
|
|
1 | Luke Garrard | | |
2 | Jason Turley | | |
3 | Jon Coke | | |
4 | Adam Thompson | | |
5 | Wayne Finnie | | |
6 | Simon Huckle | | |
7 | Liam Collins | | |
8 | Tommy Williams | | |
9 | Bobby Traynor | | |
10 | Carl Wilson-Denis | | 12 |
11 | Jamie Byatt | | |
12 | Jon Neal | | 10 |
14 | Jamie Beer | | |
15 | Neil Lampton | | |
16 | Rob Sheridan | | |
17 | Luke Naughton | | |
|
Michael Underwood |
|