Monday 31st August 2026
Isthmian League Premier Division – Dulwich Hamlet (H) 2-3
It might all have been different if Swannell had been there cheering us on. Instead, he was representing the club at the Epsom Mascot Derby, romping webbed-footless to a very respectable fourth place out of fifty, while the Tanners succumbed to an injury time winner at The Grove.
The only change from Saturday’s win at Eastbourne was Harry for the injured Connor, with some strong options available on the bench. Eight hundred and twenty-four attendees, including a sizeable and vocal away support, and a chap called Alan, lined the terraces, looking forward to an entertaining afternoon. Alan had travelled from North London to play golf with a friend, only for said friend to cancel due to sickness while he was en route. As a neutral, I’m pretty sure he’ll have enjoyed the game that unfolded…
For the first five minutes, it was all Tanners, Dulwich conceding, and just about defending, a series of corners as Kofi in particular proved a handful on the left. A brief lull followed, but another spell of pressure on eighteen minutes saw a Mark piledriver blocked. In the follow-up phase, Anas then crossed for Jacob – his flicked attempt was on target, but the keeper gathered safely.
On twenty-six minutes, without having posed any serious prior threat, the visitors found themselves in front via a Lonit Talla penalty. There was no doubt about his finish, which he placed high into the right of the net, but there was a great deal less confidence in the decision to award the kick itself. The ref ‘adjudged’ Sonny to have brought down a Dulwich attacker; the home crowd ‘adjudged’ the ref to have made an absolute howler…
Tanners pressed for the equaliser, with the keeper saving well from Kofi on thirty-one minutes after an outrageous cross-field pass from Louie had set up the chance. In first half injury time, the pressure looked to have paid off – Anas finished crisply from a clever rolled backheel by Jacob – but the linesman ‘adjudged’ one or other of them to have been offside. It wasn’t Jacob – he was being sandwiched by two defenders – and Anas arrived from an onside position (I was right by it). With the greatest of respect, that was the second critical moment in which all the officials’ ‘adjudging’ could get in the bin…
Halftime – Tanners 0, Dulwich Hamlet 1.
Ian unleashed Nathan for the second half, with Anas getting an early rest. Last season’s Golden Boot winner went on to have a big impact on proceedings – he was eventually announced as the sponsors’ man of the match, doubtless influenced by the superb free kick he scored to level the game on fifty-five minutes. Having been bundled to the floor just outside the box, he dusted himself down and bent the kick up and over the wall into the bottom corner.
Three minutes later, we were in front. Jacob did well to hold off Jordan Wynter – with his back to goal, he shielded the ball before rolling it into Kofi’s path as he steamed into the box. His shot took a slight defection, but it was always going in, and at two-one, Tanners were more than good value for their lead. On any other day, they would surely have gone on and scored more, but the combined efforts of keeper Hudson Sands and his two centre backs, Wynter and Michale Chambers, kept the deficit to just the one goal…
With seventy minutes played, and again out of nothing, the visitors restored parity with an Ogo Obi lob. At least it was by an opposition player this week… This was the cue for Jacob to make way for Marcel, and shortly thereafter, Harry left the field to be replaced by Braidon Hall. He looked exciting in pre-season, and he didn’t look out of place here. He might have won it for us on eighty-seven minutes, making himself a chance that he struck well, but that was palmed away by the keeper. He was also instrumental in the passage of play that came a minute later, feeding Marcel, who held off challenges to get a shot away. Again, the keeper was alive to it, as he was to Dicko’s follow up.
Dulwich had more than ridden their luck for most of the game, and they completed their smash and grab in the second minute of injury time. There was a suggestion that Sonny may have been able to do more with the deep cross that arrived from the right, but either way, the ball wasn’t cleared and it ended up in the top corner courtesy of Danny Mills. He and his team mates celebrated as if they’d just won the league, let alone the game.
Fulltime – Tanners 2, Dulwich Hamlet 3.
Back-to-back home losses aren’t ideal, but there can be no real criticism of the way in which the Tanners went about this one. What we’re learning is that this is a league in which taking your chances is paramount and that any momentary lapses, no matter how slight, are liable to be punished. From six games, in all of which we have been competitive, we’ve got a decent ten-point haul and a fifty percent win rate. Perspective rules – I think we’d have been happy with that before a ball was kicked…? Next up, we have a break from the league as we host Croydon Athletic in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup. We didn’t even get that far last season, so you know, there’s a positive right there… COYT!
Photo: Mark Gracey
