Hashtag United v Hamlet, Isthmian Premier Division, Saturday 12th August 2023

[Pink Panther]

First league match of the season, and if anyone is still unaware, our opponents share the ground of Bowers & Pitsea FC, which is around 1 and a half miles walk from Pitsea station. Plenty of information on the club, travel, and playing squad is contained in this link to their website. (Admission £12 adults, payable on the gate by cash or card.)

MATCHDAY INFO - Hashtag United

hashtagunited.co.uk

Anyone needing to take a bus to the ground will probably be better off getting the train to Basildon (the previous stop) where the bus station is just across the road from the train station. Bus B3 runs every 15 minutes during shopping hours, then every 20 minutes after the game.

https://www.essexbus.info/pdf/FESX_B3.pdf

N.B. trains normally run from Fenchurch Street via West Ham but this weekend they will start from Liverpool Street, also calling at Stratford. four trains an hour, fastest journey times from Liverpool Street are around 45 minutes. I'd advise anyone intending to travel regularly to away games to invest in a railcard that will get you a one third discount. If you're not eligible for any age group railcards (Student, Senior etc) anyone can buy a Network Railcard for £30 per year, which gets you one third off for travel at weekends. (Plus weekday off peak journeys with a minimum spend of £13.) All this season's away league matches are within the Network Railcard zone.

What discounts do I get? - Network Railcard

Frequently asked questions. Help with buying your Network Railcard. Buy online or at a station and save on your Off-Peak leisure travel around London.

www.network-railcard.co.uk

Hashtag were promoted from Isthmian North Division as champions last season and have retained most of their promotion winning squad, including ex-Hamlet duo Nathan Smith and Alex Teniola.

 

[jbjl]

Very excited for the new season - will be there and taking my boy too. He's only ever seen us get tonked at Chelmsford last season so hoping for a better result this time.

Pub options are pretty sparse tbh (Pitsea and Basildon are pretty grim for pub options), the Great Chalvedon House is prob the best bet but it's past the stadium if coming from Pitsea Station.

Len Salmon ground/function room was also where I had one of my engagement parties 13 years ago, will be strange to visit it in Hamlet garb.

 

[lwrs79]

still find it difficult to work out from pre-season if we’re good or not.. The squad looks strong on paper, good depth, most positions covered and a great blend of youth and experience. Team looks way fitter and more balanced than last season so every reason to feel optimistic.

Be good to get off to a good start to wipe away any memories of last season.

Up the hamlet

 

[Pink Panther]

still find it difficult to work out from pre-season if we’re good or not.. The squad looks strong on paper, good depth, most positions covered and a great blend of youth and experience. Team looks way fitter and more balanced than last season so every reason to feel optimistic.

Be good to get off to a good start to wipe away any memories of last season.

Up the hamlet

I don't think it's really possible to gauge how we will do at this stage, with so many changes. It's a completely new squad, bar 3, in a different division. The recruitment looks good on paper, and the manager and assistant have built a championship winning team at a higher level in the recent past, so there's cause for qualified optimism.

Tomorrow's opponents are also in a new division but have retained 14 members of the squad that got them promoted, so they're already accustomed to winning together, therefore I'm sure they'll be confident.

We've done what we can in pre-season but to a large extent I think we're still going to be on a fairly steep learning curve to get where we want to be in the serious matches. I'd say we need an absolute minimum of 15 points from the first 10 matches to give us a chance of competing for the one guaranteed promotion place, although I'm hoping it will be closer to 20 points. If we can hit that sort of target we should be capable of improving as the season goes on and making up ground on anyone above us. If we fall short of that it's going to be a battle just to squeeze into the top 5 for the play-offs.

I've said all along that 90 points at the end season will give us a chance of being champions. Bishop's Stortford won it with 88 last season, but if someone else goes well beyond 90 (Worthing had 99 the previous year) that's beyond our control.

 

[ftg6]

First league match of the season, and if anyone is still unaware, our opponents share the ground of Bowers & Pitsea FC, which is around 1 and a half miles walk from Pitsea station. Plenty of information on the club, travel, and playing squad is contained in this link to their website. (Admission £12 adults, payable on the gate by cash or card.)

MATCHDAY INFO - Hashtag United

hashtagunited.co.uk

Anyone needing to take a bus to the ground will probably be better off getting the train to Basildon (the previous stop) where the bus station is just across the road from the train station. Bus B3 runs every 15 minutes during shopping hours, then every 20 minutes after the game.

https://www.essexbus.info/pdf/FESX_B3.pdf

N.B. trains normally run from Fenchurch Street via West Ham but this weekend they will start from Liverpool Street, also calling at Stratford. four trains an hour, fastest journey times from Liverpool Street are around 45 minutes. I'd advise anyone intending to travel regularly to away games to invest in a railcard that will get you a one third discount. If you're not eligible for any age group railcards (Student, Senior etc) anyone can buy a Network Railcard for £30 per year, which gets you one third off for travel at weekends. (Plus weekday off peak journeys with a minimum spend of £13.) All this season's away league matches are within the Network Railcard zone.

What discounts do I get? - Network Railcard

Frequently asked questions. Help with buying your Network Railcard. Buy online or at a station and save on your Off-Peak leisure travel around London.

www.network-railcard.co.uk

Hashtag were promoted from Isthmian North Division as champions last season and have retained most of their promotion winning squad, including ex-Hamlet duo Nathan Smith and Alex Teniola.

Good info. My download code for the Railcard started with "HAK" which I can only assume is a good omen for away days this season.

Looking forward to today, been dreaming of going to Hashtag away since I was a wee lad.

 

[pengedragon]

I have been a bit sniffy about going to a made up club. But I suppose all clubs were made up at some point
Me and the boy on the way, first day excitement never changes

 

[AveryDave]

 

[jbjl]

Great work to get a draw after that early red but that's a killer to concede at the death. Well played though lads, were under the cosh that whole 2nd half.

Ruddy had a stormer, Wannadio was great, thought Tumkaya was really solid coming on as sub and Jeffrey was shattered by the end. Good work all. Binnom-Williams was a rock too.

Hard to know with the red card how the team is wanting to play on the attack, but glad we got a point.

 

[pengedragon]

Thought we would have made more on social media of signing Superman in goal

Got to take a point even though both their goals seemed a bit unlucky, having to make 3 subs in the first half not really ideal either

 

[Nivag]

Jack was brilliant today and was livid after one of their goals. It'll be good to see on the highlights if it was still in play before they scored.

 

[Nivag]

 

[tonysingh]

Jack was brilliant today and was livid after one of their goals. It'll be good to see on the highlights if it was still in play before they scored.
View attachment 386925

I see Concord got tubbed at Enfield.

Shame.

 

[Paula_G]

Early doors of course so impossible to judge but fingers crossed we’re not going to be getting more points from outstanding keeping than we are from adventurous attacking.

 

[Pink Panther]

A bit of a curate's egg of an afternoon. Hashtag played nice football and are an entertaining side to watch. Hamlet were not so easy on the eye but rather more streetwise, I felt, and over the 90 minutes there seemed to be a lot more pace and stamina throughout our team.

The hosts started strongly and made all the early running, while Hamlet adopted a no nonsense approach to defending, clearing their lines quickly rather than attempting to play out from the back. I felt we often overplayed at the back last season, at least before Hakan arrived, which played a big part in our demise with goals frequently conceded immediately after cheap turnovers inside our own half.

Any game plan went out of the window with three quarters of the match still remaining, as Manny Parry brought down a forward just outside the box in pursuit of a bouncing ball and was promptly sent off. Ade Shokunbi was immediately sacrificed from our midfield to get Cem Tumkaya on as a replacement centre back, then Hamlet took the lead after great work by Luke Wanadio to work a shooting chance on the edge of the box, although there were further setbacks with injuries to Ryley Scott and Elliott Romain meaning we'd used all our permitted substitutions by half time.

Hamlet defended solidly after the break but were nevertheless indebted to Jack Ruddy for a phenomenal string of saves to keep us in front into the final 20 minutes. The equaliser was desperately unfortunate, as their tricky winger appeared to run the ball out of play in jinking to the byline before firing in a low cross that Tumkaya deflected past Ruddy, who was booked for protesting to the linesman. Hamlet soon regained the lead when Wanadio latched onto a through ball, helped by a defensive slip, and fired confidently past the keeper. It looked like Hamlet would hold out for the win after that, until the final minute of stoppage time when Tags substitute Aromolaran was played in to the right of goal and his shot took a deflection to loop into the net beyond Ruddy's reach.

On balance it felt like we'd had no luck at all, although Hashtag certainly deserved at least a point on balance of play and chances created. They only dropped 2 points at home in the whole of last season, so their shared home is clearly something of a fortress for them, and hopefully will continue to be so when the likes of Hornchurch and Billericay visit.

 

[KPMG]

'Hamlet adopted a no nonsense approach to defending, clearing their lines quickly rather than attempting to play out from the back. I felt we often overplayed at the back last season, at least before Hakan arrived'
I agree with this, but am a little concerned at the amount of hoofing the ball forward; I hope we get to see more played forward on the ground. Wanadio and Jeffrey are good to watch.

 

[bkbk]

Wasn't able to attend yesterday but a point away from home with largely 10 men, against a team that on an upwards trajectory, is a pretty good result.

Look forward to Tuesday.

 

[Al Cunningham]

Agree with what has been said. First class display by Ruddy in goal. We finished the first half well after the sending off and you can see a good fluid understanding building with the front three. Losing Romaine was a blow although good to have Mills coming off the bench. It was pretty much 1 way traffic after the break with their tricky interplay leading to a number of chances and without a top keeper they could have been out of sight.. Ricketts and Jeffrey struggled with injuries/knocks most of the 2nd half and would no doubt have been replaced if we had not used all our Subs in the first half. Midfield must be a concern in the next few weeks as Scott limped off, Ricketts was struggling and Allen still out. Good to see the latter climbing up the stand to sit down in the 2nd half. So hopefully back soon. Great finishing by Wanadio for his goals .

 

[Bugpowder Dust]

I don't think thats fair Moroccan Sunset, as Ben, Liam and Tom are all on here pretty regularly and for me comms have been really good in recent times.

Of course there will be blips - it's a non league club - like the recent confusion over the women's second team being cancelled or not as the case may be.

But compared to lots of other clubs I think we have it pretty good.

 

[editor]

Buzzin' pics from Max:

In photos: Ten man Dulwich Hamlet start the season with a 2-2 draw at Hashtag United, Sat 12th August 2023

Down to ten men after 21 minutes, Dulwich Hamlet managed to come away with a point after a hard fought contest against a skilled Hashtag United. Buzz photographer Max was on hand to capture the ac…

www.brixtonbuzz.com

 

[liamdhfc]

Back to Hashtag away - the pictures I have seen strongly suggest the ball was out of play before the cross came in for the first equaliser and, even more strongly, that their player stamped on Anthony Jeffrey and we should have been playing 10 v 10 for most of the second half. Also, it's time the rules were changed and it should be 5 subs used from 7, especially if we are to play ridiculous amounts of "stoppage time" this season.
On comms, I would agree it is patchy at best and I needs a further overhaul to bring it up to an acceptable standard. We have recently had promotion of a game nobody could attend and so little about the men's team in the lead up to the season - what about interviews when players sign and video content to introduce them?.

 

[Nivag]

 

[Al Cunningham]

 

[Al Cunningham]

Thats a pretty good media package of the game. I know that YouTube is their thing but probably a few ideas we can use ourselves in our videos. Seeing Ruddy's saves from various angles really show his quality. I was thinking the last time I saw a Dulwich keeper play so well was Adai away at Billericay in our promotion season

 

[editor]

As requested, I've moved the posts commenting on the club's lack of communication with fans to a separate thread here: Dulwich Hamlet and the club's communication problem with fans

 

[editor]

Great package, that. And what a soft sending off that was.

*post edited!

 

[Moroccan Sunset]

As requested, I've moved the posts commenting on the club's lack of communication with fans to a separate thread here: Dulwich Hamlet and the club's communication problem with fans

Thanks editor !

 

[Pink Panther]

Great package, that. And what a soft penalty that was.

Penalty? Have I missed something!

It did look like the ball probably went over the byline before their first goal, although it only needs a fraction of the ball to be on the line to be in play. (Normally you see linesmen incorrectly flag for goal kicks and throws when a piece of the ball is clearly on the line.)

It's a consummate package from start to finish. Positive, enthusiastic, engaging, without talking nonsense or sounding one-eyed. In fact it's a pretty good reflection of how the club felt while I was there. I must admit I was a bit sceptical about what they were all about beforehand but, having now experienced one of their games first hand, they're doing something a bit different and tapping a market. I'd probably watch them again if I was more local, it felt like a genuine community with a bit of a buzz about it.

I did like the moment when the commentator realised he'd got a bit too excited about a shot that ballooned yards wide, then added "well I enjoyed it anyway", and "he's got enough space to build a small primary school" wouldn't have been out of place in Alan Partridge's "Countdown to World Cup 94 in America".

"Jack Bloody Ruddy"!

 

[editor]

Penalty? Have I missed something!

It did look like the ball probably went over the byline before their first goal, although it only needs a fraction of the ball to be on the line to be in play. (Normally you see linesmen incorrectly flag for goal kicks and throws when a piece of the ball is clearly on the line.)

It's a consummate package from start to finish. Positive, enthusiastic, engaging, without talking nonsense or sounding one-eyed. In fact it's a pretty good reflection of how the club felt while I was there. I must admit I was a bit sceptical about what they were all about beforehand but, having now experienced one of their games first hand, they're doing something a bit different and tapping a market. I'd probably watch them again if I was more local, it felt like a genuine community with a bit of a buzz about it.

I did like the moment when the commentator realised he'd got a bit too excited about a shot that ballooned yards wide, then added "well I enjoyed it anyway", and "he's got enough space to build a small primary school" wouldn't have been out of place in Alan Partridge's "Countdown to World Cup 94 in America".

"Jack Bloody Ruddy"!

Shit sorry, I meant sending off!

 

[Pink Panther]

Shit sorry, I meant sending off!

Ah right, I understand now. It looks very soft from that camera angle but from the opposite side of the pitch (where I was stood, and from where their manager interjected on the commentary) it looked like Parry reached out and gave him a tug on the arm/shoulder. These incidents are cat and mouse. The defender tries to impede the man without making it obvious, so the forward makes a meal of it when he feels a pull or a nudge. I thought there was an obvious intent to foul the man and wasn't surprised at the outcome.