Hamlet v Horsham, Saturday 30th December 2023 (Isthmian League)

[Pink Panther]

Preview from our opponents:

Dulwich Hamlet v Horsham: MATCH PREVIEW - Horsham Football Club

www.horshamfc.co.uk

 

[Pink Panther]

Today's team:

 

[Don't Slow Down]

Dulwich 1-1 Horsham HT
Wanadio 44 after Hester-Cook gave Horsham the lead on 43.

 

[Pink Panther]

Horsham battered us for most of the first half without making it count, then having finally taken the lead with a header from a corner they switched off and let us back into it straight from the kick-off.

 

[Don't Slow Down]

Finished 1-1

 

[NoShitSherlock]

Not exactly the most exciting 90 mins you’ll ever see, except for the couple before HT. And there was me hoping for a good finish with Wanadio, AJ and Shonibare on for the last 15!

 

[Al Cunningham]

Thought we were 2nd best for most of the game. Only time they really looked troubled was after 80th minute when we managed to stretch them Top marks for the defence and Wanadio who has been consistently good this season. We are light in quality in central midfield and even lighter without Scott and Krasniqi in there. Could also do with an additional central striker with a bit more pace than Mills and Clifton , who i thought both well today to rotate , to rotate with.

 

[Pink Panther]

It makes a change to come from behind to snatch a result in a match our opponents probably should have won, but didn't. We didn't really deserve more than single point, although my sympathy for Horsham is limited. You're unlikely to be as dominant for 90 minutes as they were for the first 45, so if you're not ahead by then I reckon there's a good chance you're not going to win. We've seen our own teams do the same enough times in recent seasons.

Once again our defence looked alarmingly vulnerable against turnovers in possession in the middle third, a recurring theme all season, although the goal was conceded from a corner. Constable was commanding and decisive in goal, despite struggling to clear the ball accurately in a strong crosswind at times, and produced telling interventions to snuff out Horsham attacks on a number of occasions. There was a moment of worry when he sustained an abdominal injury in smothering the ball at a forward's feet, then again when further treatment was required, but thankfully (with no alternative keeper on the bench) he was able to complete the match.

For all their dangerous approach play, Horsham didn't get many attempts on target until taking a 43rd minute lead with a well executed header from an corner whipped in nicely. I switched off at that moment to check other scores, and it looks like some of the away team might have done too as I looked up just in time to see Wanadio slot home the equaliser from an angle to the right of goal, after apparently receiving a pass across the box. We might have gone ahead almost immediately when Mills got free in the left side of the box and fired across the face of goal from a tight angle, then the same player was penalised for climbing on an opponent from a cross to the far post in an action packed few minutes of stoppage time. The second half was more even with defences at each end generally having the upper hand.

Krasniqi limped off after collecting a foot injury in a 50/50 challenge, allowing Allen a rare taste of league action, so it looks like our midfield resources may be stretched for Monday's tough assignment at Chatham.

 

[Bugpowder Dust]

Good to get a point in tough conditions, but with so many teams with games in hand, it was undoubtedly two points dropped.

Horsham tweeted before the game that their regular keeper had gone on holiday, so surely that was the cue to put the replacement under pressure, yet I don't recall him having a save to make.

Ryley Scott left a huge hole in the middle of the team. As Pink Panther says, we have got a problem to solve by Monday in central midfield.

 

[muel18]

Yep very true. First half we really didn’t get a sniff without them being clinical. In that spell we had late in the second half where I thought we might nick something I also felt nervous as hell that we would commit too many players forward and have last minute heart break again, given the performance we can be glad of a point. Since Scott went off at half time in our previous game we haven’t looked quite right, really hope it’s not too long until he is back. I know he lost the ball a couple of times but thought Allen looked positive again he may get a run of games now which will be the test. Monday does feel both terrifying football and hangover wise, Dover this year and now Chatham, where else would you rather start the year ay.

 

[JohnD58]

Yep very true. First half we really didn’t get a sniff without them being clinical. In that spell we had late in the second half where I thought we might nick something I also felt nervous as hell that we would commit too many players forward and have last minute heart break again, given the performance we can be glad of a point. Since Scott went off at half time in our previous game we haven’t looked quite right, really hope it’s not too long until he is back. I know he lost the ball a couple of times but thought Allen looked positive again he may get a run of games now which will be the test. Monday does feel both terrifying football and hangover wise, Dover this year and now Chatham, where else would you rather start the year ay.

Also, Chatham had a day off today so will be a bit fresher than a team that played a pretty hard game. Losing both Kresh and Riley from the midfield at the same time could be a real problem.

 

[jimbarkanoodle]

Horsham tweeted before the game that their regular keeper had gone on holiday, so surely that was the cue to put the replacement under pressure, yet I don't recall him having a save to make.

Got to admire the keeper's commitment. Sounds like if the club posted about it, they might not have been too chuffed with that situation?

 

[tonysingh]

Yep very true. First half we really didn’t get a sniff without them being clinical. In that spell we had late in the second half where I thought we might nick something I also felt nervous as hell that we would commit too many players forward and have last minute heart break again, given the performance we can be glad of a point. Since Scott went off at half time in our previous game we haven’t looked quite right, really hope it’s not too long until he is back. I know he lost the ball a couple of times but thought Allen looked positive again he may get a run of games now which will be the test. Monday does feel both terrifying football and hangover wise, Dover this year and now Chatham, where else would you rather start the year ay.

Is it Chatham on rhe field that terrifies you? Because they're vulnerable in defence if we somehow have our shooting boots on.

 

[Pink Panther]

Horsham tweeted before the game that their regular keeper had gone on holiday, so surely that was the cue to put the replacement under pressure, yet I don't recall him having a save to make.

The replacement keeper was Mitch Beeney, who was with Horsham last season before moving to Concord Rangers for their unsuccessful relegation battle. Then he joined Dartford last summer and was first choice there for the first 3 months of the season, so he's an experienced keeper who knows the club and manager, although we could certainly have worked him a bit harder.

 

[Taper]

Bald keepers are always formidable.

 

[EDC]

I thought that was a good match, game of two halves against a well organised team. Also enjoyable because their fans were there in good numbers and were more like Dulwich in their demographics and humour/songs, certainly in the first half when I was next to them, similar when we used to go to places like Bognor and Margate.

 

[Sir Nikolai]

A tough game against a well drilled side who gave Barnsley a scare in the FA Cup but noticeably tired towards the end. Thought we looked solid at the back even when they tried to hit us on the break but kresh aside the midfield looked a bit lost - we missed Scott - and going forward we only clicked occasionally (but when we did we looked good). Thought Chambers and Parry were excellent and Braham-Barrett was solid (never let us down).

Now 1 defeat in 13 in the league and unbeaten at home in the league for 4 months but clearly too many draws. On paper the fixture list gets benign post Hornchurch on 10 Feb but one wonders if we are going to leave ourselves too much to do.....

 

[Moroccan Sunset]

A tough game against a well drilled side who gave Barnsley a scare in the FA Cup but noticeably tired towards the end. Thought we looked solid at the back even when they tried to hit us on the break but kresh aside the midfield looked a bit lost - we missed Scott - and going forward we only clicked occasionally (but when we did we looked good). Thought Chambers and Parry were excellent and Braham-Barrett was solid (never let us down).

Now 1 defeat in 13 in the league and unbeaten at home in the league for 4 months but clearly too many draws. On paper the fixture list gets benign post Hornchurch on 10 Feb but one wonders if we are going to leave ourselves too much to do.....

Tbf, to get into the play offs and to get in there with a bit of momentum, I'd say the optimum time to hit form is mid Feb and then through March and April. Still plenty to play for yet.

 

[Pink Panther]

Tbf, to get into the play offs and to get in there with a bit of momentum, I'd say the optimum time to hit form is mid Feb and then through March and April. Still plenty to play for yet.

In 2011 we were still in the bottom half of the table at the start of April, but gatecrashed the play-offs in 5th place with a record low tally of 65 points from 42 matches after taking 25 points from the last 11 games. However, we're a fair way off the pace and still need another 36 points from the last 20 games to reach 65 in total. There's a good chance we'll need something more like 40 points from the last 20 games, which is a tall order. Let's say we draw 7 of those games, we'll need to win 11 of the other 13. At least we've become difficult to beat, although we simply aren't winning often enough. It can be done, but it's going to require a lot of improvement and possibly a couple of key new signings who can make a real difference, as Vernon Francis and Gary Drewett were 13 seasons ago. Maybe Hatfull can be one of those, or even someone like Allen who's been here all season without really getting a chance to establish himself yet.

 

[Moroccan Sunset]

In 2011 we were still in the bottom half of the table at the start of April, but gatecrashed the play-offs in 5th place with a record low tally of 65 points from 42 matches after taking 25 points from the last 11 games. However, we're a fair way off the pace and still need another 36 points from the last 20 games to reach 65 in total. There's a good chance we'll need something more like 40 points from the last 20 games, which is a tall order. Let's say we draw 7 of those games, we'll need to win 11 of the other 13. At least we've become difficult to beat, although we simply aren't winning often enough. It can be done, but it's going to require a lot of improvement and possibly a couple of key new signings who can make a real difference, as Vernon Francis and Gary Drewett were 13 seasons ago. Maybe Hatfull can be one of those, or even someone like Allen who's been here all season without really getting a chance to establish himself yet.

That's v true. Drewett and Francis's impact on that side was remarkable. I seem to remember Gradwell coming in at a similar time too, and while he wasn't as effective as the other two, he definitely added something after we'd lost McCallum to West Ham.

Perfectly possible to get a Drewett and/or Francis this time around, but I get the feeling that we've still got a few on the books that we can't shift. I think we need them gone before we bring in people who can make a significant difference for the final run in.