Non-League and Academy football writer

On Tuesday evening I travelled to south London, this time to Dulwich Hamlet’s Champion Hill ground, to watch an Isthmian League Premier Division fixture between Dulwich Hamlet and Potters Bar Town, who were in the bottom half of the table. This was not my first visit to Champion Hill to watch Dulwich Hamlet, but it was my first time there for a good while. The game itself was a 2-2 draw, with the away side Potters Bar Town doing well to get back into the game on two occasions. Early on in the game Potters Bar Town player Samrai Gebrai hit an effort from distance wide, before Dulwich Hamlet went forward with the ball at the opposite end of the pitch, which resulted in Potters Bar goalkeeper Lawrence Shala having to make a save. A well worked move from the home side saw Anthony Jeffrey pass the ball to Joshua Shonibare on the left side of the Potters Bar box, but the former Derby County player had his effort well saved by Lawrence Shala. Following a lively start to the game, Dulwich Hamlet took the lead in the ninth minute of the game, thanks to a free-kick goal from Jerome Binnom-Williams. Awarded on the edge of the Potters Bar penalty area, Binnom-Williams stepped up to hit a low and powerful effort underneath the Potters Bar wall and into the goal, to give Dulwich Hamlet the lead.

Despite starting the game better than Potters Bar, the visitors started to improve in their all round play. After Ore Bello had an effort from the left side of the Dulwich Hamlet penalty area deflected behind for a corner kick, Potters Bar managed to draw level from that corner kick. With Ryan Hervel scoring an equalising goal on the volley at the back post of the Dulwich Hamlet goal, from the corner kick. However, Dulwich Hamlet soon regained their lead less than ten minutes later. A corner kick delivery to Michael Chambers inside the Potters Bar box, resulted in the defender heading an effort at Lawrence Shala, who despite getting a hand on the ball, couldn’t stop it from going into the goal. Dulwich Hamlet almost extended their lead just before half-time, after Joshua Shonibare turned with the ball inside the Potters Bar penalty area, before having an effort well saved by Lawrence Shala.

A good move from Dulwich Hamlet during the early stages of the second half saw Joshua Shonibare and Anthony Jeffrey exchange passes, before Shonibare hit an effort wide from close range inside the Potters Bar box. Then at the opposite end of the pitch, Temi Babalola hit an effort over from the edge of the Dulwich Hamlet box. Potters Bar were trying their best to get back into the game. Temi Babalola had a headed effort saved by Dulwich Hamlet goalkeeper R’avan Constable, before a good Dulwich Hamlet corner kick delivery, almost resulted in them making sure of all three points. Initially Kreshnic Krasniqi’s header was well saved by Lawrence Shala, before the ball came to Michael Chambers inside the box, but his effort could only find the side-netting of the goal. Shortly after Jermaine Anderson had hit an effort over from distance, in minute 75 of the game Potters Bar managed to draw level. A cross into the Dulwich Hamlet box from Samrai Gebrai, wasn’t dealt with by R’avan Constable, with Temi Babalola then being able to finish from close range, to make it 2-2.

Dulwich Hamlet tried to respond, and after Anthony Jeffrey had an effort well saved from inside the Potters Bar box, Richard Pingling hit a low effort wide of Lawrence Shala’s goal, from just outside of the penalty area. After managing to draw level in the game, Potters Bar were now managing the game well. Apart from Manny Parry heading an effort wide following a cross into the Potters Bar box, the away side frustrated Dulwich Hamlet during the final minutes of the game, to take a point back to Hertfordshire. This was a good and competitive game of football, but I would have thought that given how many chances that Dulwich Hamlet had, that Potters Bar Town would have been the happier of the two sides. Champion Hill is a really nice ground, and it’s a must visit for fans of non-League football.