Match Report – Dulwich Hamlet (2) 5 Dartford (1) 2
London & SE Regional Women’s League Premier Division. Attendance 636
Played at Champion Hill, on Sunday 14th January 2024
Team: Jade Charlton, Georgie Davis, Charlie Torry, Chana Hinds, Meghan McKeag, Bethany Powell, Jo Woodgates,
Lizzie Adams, Emily Vaughan, Nicha Dyett, Shauni Griffiths
Subs (all used): Hannah Cleary, Gabriella Howell, Emily Read, Paris Smith, Emily Woodhouse
Scorers: Nicha Dyett (pen), Jo Woodgates
GOALS:
16 mins - 1-0
38 mins - 1-1 Nicha Dyett (penalty)
45 mins - 2-1
HT
68 mins - 3-1
80 mins - 4-1
84 mins - 4-2 Jo Woodgate's free-kick
95 mins - 5-2
SO WHERE DO WE START WITH THIS ONE?
Oh boy! The run in for the London & SE Regional League championship will certainly not be for the feint hearted.
It will basically require Darts taking every single point off of the teams who are outside of the top four, plus at least a point off Ebbsfleet at Home,
if they are to be in with a shout at the final hurdle. The last planned game of the season is away to new leaders Fulham.
In this match, rampant Hamlet basically handed out a footballing lesson to the Darts in this 5-2 demolition.
Any aspirations Darts may have of chasing this Championship to the death will do well to take a leaf out of Hamlet’s book. Two extremely fast and skillful wingers laid the foundations for this defeat for the Darts who had an anxious afternoon trying their best to contain them.
And often, Darts midfield just seemed static compared to the presence of Hamlets’ who were here there and everywhere, and delivering killer passes to their wings – constantly.
And even when their right winger went off injured she was replaced by yet another fast winger. Where do they get them from? one might ask.
Darts had no speed, no penetration, and I think from memory, only two shots from open play all afternoon.
Was it just an off day? Perhaps but it was certainly one of those days that we would all like to forget.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t until Em Read came on for the second half that any chances were created and any glimmer of hope was raised of Darts scoring from open play.
But even then, Hamlet appeared to “get to grips” with Em’s threat quickly and she was rarely given much scope for delivering those crosses she is so accustomed to supplying. Mind you, the Darts’ follow-ups in the box weren’t exactly threatening.
This was very much a game of too many mistakes and wrong decisions, many of the 'forced' errors were due to Hamlet’s eager thrusts forward, but there were also plenty of 'unforced errors' that contributed so much to this ineffective display by Dartford.
Maybe it was “just a poor day at the office” but this was VERY poor from a team at the top of the table and from whom much is expected of.
Let’s all hope that they get this defeat out of their system as there’s no time to dwell on things.
(Edited, 3rd Revision)
Tony Brown