Adrian Swan

West Wickham Youth 2 v 5 Dulwich Hamlet ‘A’ Youth

1-4 Carmago (69), 2-4 Airey (70), 2-5 Adeniran (79).                                                       

It was another very cold chilly day up at West Wickham and with a strong wind blowing freezing the spectators present.

However despite the difficult conditions it was a most entertaining game with visitors Dulwich Hamlet ‘A’ taking the points with a very competent display against a battling West Wickham side.

Dulwich, kicking up the hill in the first half with the gusty wind mostly at their backs, took an early lead on 2 minutes in slightly fortuitous circumstances.

Dulwich midfielder Breno Carmago’s defence splitting pass put Rowland Adedoyin in on goal and he raced through into the box before hitting a low shot that took a deflection off a home defender, totally wrong footing West Wickham keeper Loius Youles who was moving to his right as the ball flew home low to his left.

It was then two on 7 minutes when another superb Carmago pass found the run into the box of Hans Mpongo who brought the ball down well before smashing the ball home low to the left of Youles.

A minute later West Wickham almost pulled a goal back when Alfie Airey’s incisive pass put Freddie Yeats in on goal but Dulwich keeper Maxwell Williams was quickly off his line to make a good close range block on the edge of his area.

Dulwich then missed a good chance to make it three on 18 minutes when another good passing move saw Carmago spread the ball out to the right for Adedoyin whose low cross flew across the box to the far post where Henry Adeniran shot over from close range.

West Wickham’s Airey then tested Williams with a low shot from wide left of the box that the Dulwich custodian caught diving to his left.

The home side then reduced the arrears on 22 minutes when a misplaced pass was seized on by Charlie Smyth who ran in on goal and although his initial effort was blocked, the rebound fell back to him and this time he fired home low to the left of Williams.

Dulwich centre half Jamie Splatt then hit a long range free kick that flashed narrowly over the bar before a great bit of opportunism from Airey almost drew West Wickham level when he spotted that Williams was off his line and tried a 35 yard shot that had the Dulwich keeper scrambling back to save low to his right for a corner.

Dulwich’s Arthur Dornells then tried a shot from some 40 yards that flew just over before a dipping right wing cross from Dulwich full back Omarr Belhaj-Fahsi was clawed over by Youles high to his left for a corner.

Carmago then hit another long range shot that flew straight at Youles before Dulwich made it three on 31 minutes when Maliq Morris hit a powerful 30 yard shot that Youles moving to his right could only parry out to where Adeniran following up was able to slot home from close range.

On 38 minutes it was nearly four when Adedoyin made space well on the edge of the box before hitting a rasping shot that beat Youles high to his left but crashed against the bar before rebounding out to where a stretching Adeniran could only turn the loose ball over. West Wickham’s Airey then flashed a 25 yard free kick narrowly wide before in stoppage time at the end of the half he went even closer with another long range free kick, this time firing his effort high to the left of the diving Williams but against the bar and out to safety.

The second half took some to get going in the freezing conditions and it was not until the 66 minutes that there was a real chance when the impressive Carmago found the run of Adeniran down the left and he took a touch before hitting a dipping shot that beat Youles high to his left but clipped the bar and flew over.

However it was four on 69 minutes when Carmago danced his way through the West Wickham defence into the box before shooting home high to the left of Youles.

However the home side hit back immediately as straight from kick off the ball was played to Airey, who again spotting Williams off his line, tried another of his audacious long range shots that had the Dulwich keeper scrambling back but being unable to stop Airey’s superb effort from beating him as it flew into the net to his left.

West Wickham’s Matthew Doyle then flashed a low shot across the face of goal before the visitors made it five on 79 minutes.

Adeniran’s clever pass put Mpongo in on goal and although Youles made a good close range block the rebound fell out to Mpongo on the left of the area and he quickly crossed the ball over for Adeniran to touch home from close range.

Dulwich continued to create chances in the final minutes with Carmago putting Mpongo through on goal but his shot flew straight at Youles before two Dulwich substitutes combined to nearly make it six when Jude Wasdell-Harris sent over a deep right wing cross that found Malachi Morris whose hooked volley on the turn was acrobatically tipped over by Youles moving high to his left.

From the corner taken by Thomas Chambers a stretching Splatt volleyed over. Adeniran then sent over a left wing cross that found Malachi Morris in space but his low shot flew wide across the face of goal.

The last chance of the game saw another good pass from Carmago find Mpongo whose shot on the turn was well saved by the busy Youles low to his left.

This was a very good performance from Dulwich which keeps them hot on the heels of leaders Phoenix Sports, four points behind but with two games in hand.