Whitstable dent Dulwich's play-off hopes

The skies over melancholy Champion Hill wore mourning grey as Dulwich's play-off aspirations were cruelly punctured by the visiting Oystermen of Whitstable, haunted by the faint spectre of relegation but playing exuberant football that belied their lowly status.

Games against such opposition will prove the litmus test for those dreams.

Twice Hamlet fought back from a goal behind to toy with the emotions of their disciplines, resilient animals too used to the lows, too long deprived of the highs, witness to many a false dawn.

On this murky day, Dulwich had hoped to build on hard-fought victory away to Croydon Athletic, welcoming Whitstable into their web as a spider might an unwary fly, only for prey to turn upon predator, the triumph of the Oystermen further complicating the logjam around that final seat at the play-off party as results elsewhere say that multi-team dogfight concertinaed closer that a motorway pile-up.

The long knives had claimed a half-dozen or more victims as manager Craig Edwards prepared his troops for the final run-in, most high profile departure that of skipper Shawn Beveney who'd been tempted by Mammon to join promotion rivals Kingstonian in their quest to clinch their own play-off berth at the expense of Dulwich. Despite the exodus, the XI that started this game bore only one change from that that had taken the field at the Keith Tuckey, new boy Ryan Bernard added to defence in a traditional right back role.

Mantle of captain passed to Shayne Mangodza, while on the bench England Schoolboy International Jason Hawes made a return to the squad after his Iberian sojourn.

Fruitless on their travels since almost upsetting Kentish rivals Dover, holding the table-toppers to draw at the Crabble at the close of 2007, Whitstable eschewed the role of underdogs constantly snapping at the heels of the Hamlet in a fast and furious opening passage.

Sheikh Ceesay's goal was threatened early and but for a comedic airshot from David Cory after a slipped pass allowed him to sneak in ahead of the newcomer Bernard, the Dulwich custodian might have found himself drawn into action a little sooner than he might have hoped.

Bernard was again in the thick of things when Dulwich forced a corner soon after, arriving in the box in pursuit of the ball but connecting instead with the head of counterpart Liam Quinn, the Oystermen's defender sickeningly crumpling to the turf, motionless, whilst the concrete-bonced Bernard dusted himself off.

With enough physios to suggest the stricken defender had BUPA, the groggy Quinn eventually staggered to his feet, bravely battling on despite a headache that would shame roisterers of the highest order until forced to depart mid way through the half.

Before then though his team-mates would continue to take the fight to the Hamlet, Jake Gess unfortunate as a strike from the edge of the area looped off a defender's leg to loop up and over Ceesay, only to drop on to the roof of the net.

With Hamlet's defending unsteady, Whitstable might have exacted punishment from the resultant free kick but though the rearguard parted before him to allow a clean sight of goal, skipper Marcos Perona seeing his strike bounce through into the arms of Ceesay.

Pricked into action, Dulwich came close to snapping the stalemate when slack marking gave Meshach Nugent free rein to meet a corner delivered to the near corner of the six yard box, flicking a header on that flashed across the face of goal with visiting keeper Kevin Fewell statuesque.

That man Bernard was up in enemy territory three minutes later as Charlie Taylor controlled a bomb into the box before setting up his defensive colleague, only for Bernard to scoop the ball over the bar.

When Quinn tottered from the park, clutching his forehead in agony, a sense of foreboding might have engulfed Whitstable.

On came Yoffy from Fingerbobs, sorry Steven Lloyd, bearded and balding and towering over his defensive associates, lacking in stature but not in heart.

Though looking more like an aging folk singer, the replacement would go on to regularly thwart Hamlet attacks particularity those of an aerial nature.

Perhaps Dulwich could have done with defensive reinforcements themselves for barely five minutes had elapsed than Whitstable had swept into the lead with a well-worked move that owed much to the training ground but also a huge debt of gratitude to lackadaisical defending from a slumbering Dulwich defence.

As the defence milled about aimlessly, fast thinking at a free kick saw the ball laid out to Danny Tipple, free on the left wing.

His pass inside found Ian Pulman, mining a rich vein of goals at the moment, and having cut back across his marker, the clinical finish of the visitors' deadliest hitman gave Ceesay not a ghost of a chance as the ball was hammered home into the far corner of the net.

Dulwich had the chances to equalise, Daryl Plummer's free kick from 25 yards out finding the target but also the grateful hands of Fewell.

Heavy pressure saw Fewell smother a close range effort as Mangodza got on to the end of a dead ball winged into the heart of the area.

Steve May's wickedly inswinging corner kept the Whitstable Number One on his toes, Fewell pumping to safety despite the presence of a Hamlet press-gang.

Galloping away from sluggish defence, Nugent hammered a low drive from the edge of the box, Fewell the slenderest of touches to divert the ball again the base of the post, the bounce back wrong footing May as he sniffed out the rebound.

Finally, with 44 minutes on the clock came an equaliser and a maiden goal for the tyro Taylor.

A fluvial, sinuous run from ten yards inside the visitors' half, pursued doggedly by full back Gray Sayer, twisting first one way then the other as he tried to shake off the unrelenting defender.

Waltzing into the penalty area, Taylor readied to shoot only for Clint Gooding to slide in to flay the ball from his toes.

Fortune though had a cruel card to play as the ball cannoned off Lloyd back towards goal and Fewell attempted to flop on the loose ball, Taylor proved too alert plunging in to stab the ball under the diving keeper.

Once more though somnambulant Hamlet would surrender that ephemeral parity before the half was out.

Quinn's extended therapy session meant inordinate stoppage though many might have argued that almost five minutes was excessive.

Still no excuse for Dulwich dithering. Lloyd had drawn a fine full-length save out of Ceesay with a close range header from a left wing delivery but the danger remained and once more Tipple played provider, sticking the ball back across goal.

Amid the melee Cory proved most determined, drilling the ball home as the defence exposed itself like a strumpet upon the Reeperbahn.

Nary had a second passed from the restart before the man in black ended proceedings for that half.

Hamlet had been mild Dr Jekyll for 45 minute or more. Perhaps the half time libations would bring out Hyde in them.

Frustrated early on as the assistant's debatable flag stopped Nugent in his tracks as he galloped on to a defence-passing ball over the top, Dulwich had Ceesay to be grateful once more as he denied Nick Bagley Whitstable's third with a smart, snap-save at the base of his near upright, turning the ball against the woodwork.

Forward momentum saw Taylor outpace the rearguard once more but pitiless fate saw the ball bobble as he prepared to shot, the effort flying high over the crossbar.

That pace though would be telling when Dulwich claimed an equaliser once more with 64 minutes.

The Red Tide had laid siege upon Hamlet's goal but youthful pace did for brash adventure as the Oystermen found themselves wanting in defence as Dulwich broke away at a rate of knots.

Releasing on the right wing the young colt Taylor galloped away, unselfishly looking up to whip the ball across to his strike partner Nugent, a veritable veteran, free, unfettered on the other side of the park.

The trigger released first time; Nugent sent an unstoppable shot beyond the now exposed Fewell to bring Dulwich level.

That quick injection of a goal gave new heart to the Hamlet.

Moments later a deep free-kick bombed into the box, Plummer latching on to it but from the tightest of angles could only loft the ball on to the roof of the net.

Then just when Dulwich thought those troublesome Oystermen dispatched, Mangodza was penalised, apparently for holding, and the free kick handed substitute Tommy Martin the hero's moment.

Carpe diem as the one-time Chelsea trainee produced a top drawer, top corner finish, chipping the ball up over the wall and beyond the clutches of Ceesay.

Where once Hamlet had been all but impregnable, twice in three games has the opposition found the net three times.

Just twice had Hamlet scored four or more so this would be the acid test for Dulwich.

Instead they would find a nemesis in the form of Fewell. Seventy-seven minutes and a free-kick dropped into the six-yard box, expertly brought under control from Benson Paka but a drive from five yards out was bravely blocked by the Whitstable custodian.

With seven minutes left, Henry Darko came into the fray as a third striker, but try as they might Dulwich could not rescue even a point.

From a long throw Taylor flicked an effort on to the roof of the net.

Likewise Bernard with a header from a deep free kick to the back of the box.

Then in stoppage a thunderous header from Nugent as the ball was swung in from the right wing but Fewell produced a match winning save, somehow stretching to turn the fiery header over the crossbar.

A save of superiority that rips the heart from brave men.

TeamsDHFC: Sheikh Ceesay; Ryan Bernard; Billy Chattaway; Benson Paka; Shayne Mangodza (Capt.); Marc Cumberbatch; Steve May (Henry Darko 83); Stanley Muguo; Meshach Nugent; Charlie Taylor; Daryl Plummer (Ricky Dobson 80). Substitutes not used: Sebastian Schoburgh; Jason Hawes; Tim Roberts (GK).WTFC: Kevin Fewell; Gary Sayer; Danny Tipple; Liam Quinn (Steven Lloyd 22); Clint Gooding; Sam Denly; Jake Gess; Marcos Perona; Ian Pulman (Dan Lawrence 80); David Cory; Nick Bagley (Tommy Martin 60). Substitutes not used: Tom Parker; Dan Wisker.Attendance: 302OfficialsReferee: Ashley Slaughter (Brighton) Assistant Referees: Gareth Mays (Epsom) & Gary Dodd (Walton)Goalscoring:1-0 WTFC Ian Pulman 27th minute1-1 DHFC Charlie Taylor 44th minute2-1 WTFC David Cory 45th minute (+4)2-2 DHFC Meshach Nugent 64th minute3-2 WTFC Tommy Martin 73rd minute