Dulwich Hamlet 1 Tonbridge Angels 1

Match 127/21/1991 - Monday, 18th April 2022 - National League South

Dulwich Hamlet (0) 1 Mills 90+2
Tonbridge Angels (1) 1 Olutade 36
Attendance: 2,563
Admission: £5.40
Programme: Not purchased
Mileage: 90/7,344

Inching their way to safety, Tonbridge Angels earned a good point at Dulwich Hamlet, but should have had all three which would have put Billericay and Welling United at a distance that would be almost impossible to breach.

A 92nd minute equaliser for 10 men Dulwich denied the Angels who had missed two glorious chances to put the game to bed.

As usual at Champion Hill, there was a mixture of the weird and wonderful. Over 2,500 in the ground should produce an atmosphere, but that of a football ground not a pub garden. It has been said many times before but it is still a mystery how so many people can pay £12 to gather in groups showing virtual disinterest in the entertainment put in front of them. I do feel sad for the genuine Hamlet supporters who try to support their club with this side show going on around them.

For a team still with play-off pretensions, Dulwich for the most part did very little to capture the attention of their “fans”.

On a warm afternoon, Steve McKimm shuffled his pack following Good Friday’s disappointment. Tommy Wood is injured and Ibrahim Olutade came in for him with Doug Loft, Aaron Smith-Joseph, Ricky Modeste and Jamie Fielding returning to the starting eleven.

Tonbridge started on the front foot and for the vast majority of the game that’s where they stayed which is the reason for such frustration but for both sides the first half hour was a tale of over hit or under hit crosses that barely tested either goalkeeper.

Tonbridge opened the scoring after 36 minutes when Smith-Joseph got in a cross to the near post from where Olutade got in front of defenders to steer the ball home.

Olutade was having some joy with his channel runs, breaking the offside trap, forcing Grainger into a save on 53 minutes before three minutes later he got clear once more only for Ronnie Vint to pull him back on the edge of the box, leaving the referee with no alternative but to show the Dulwich defender the red card.

The man advantage was no immediate help as Jonny Henly was needed to produce a brilliant save to turn over a close range header.

The first of two gilt edged chances to put the game to bed came on 70 minutes when a superb cross from Modeste found the head of Olutade but he headed over when it seemed easier to score and when Turner also missed a header from a similar spot, alarm bells rang clear that these chances would come back to haunt us.

Some credit should be afforded to Dulwich, who despite their disadvantage in terms of personnel threw everything forward in the last five minutes plus stoppage time in search of an equaliser and keeping their feint play-off chances alive.

Henly made another superb save with three minutes remaining but, into the second minute of five added, a corner to Dulwich was met with a firm header from Danny Mills, and even some of the pub garden party celebrated.

One last half-chance fell the way of Angels’ substitute James Taylor, but he dragged his shot wide. Results at Chelmsford and Welling confirmed that this was a point won, but too many, it seemed like two lost.