Dulwich Hamlet 1, Eastbourne Town 1

This game was brought forward from the 20th of March next year, after we were knocked out of the FA Trophy at Burgess Hill, & Eastbourne Town were comprehensively beaten away to Enfield Town 4-0.

As this was my Saturday off work I had been planning to use the blank day to tick off a new ground, & had a visit to North Greenford United lined up. By the time a quarter to five had come round I wished I had headed over to the other side of London.

Another poor home performance from the Hamlet, in front of our lowest crowd of the season. Only 149 hardy souls turning up, with not even the 'nine' bothering from the Sussex coast.

The previous week we'd had a 3-3 draw with Chatham Town, in front of well over a hundred more punters. Why the sudden drop?

A number of reasons. This game was hastily arranged at only eight days notice, & not everyone looks at the internet, or have other things planned. One of our regulars, Phil Baker, is partial to a pint (or ten!) & often spends much of the game in the bar, looking out through the large windows behind the seats in the newly named Tommy Jover Stand. Paul Griffin texted him just before half time, assuming he was up there, telling him to get the half time beers in, & it turned out he didn't know about the game & was at home in Blackheath! He got to the ground for the last ten minutes. In time to see our equaliser &, on what he saw, almost certainly the only person in the ground who thought it was a half decent match.

The previous week was a Premiership-free one, as it was an international weekend, so that probably helped the crowd too. As did the official naming of our stand as the 'Tommy Jover Stand' . He was one of the all time Hamlet greats, our Club President & former player, who passed away last year aged 91. His wife did the honours of unveiling the plaque, fittingly in the directors box area, where most fans will never see it, as he wasn't one to chat to supporters' unless they spoke to him . On the overhang of the stand in big blue letters, both on the front, and on the side over the tea bar, it now states 'Tommy Jover Stand'. But oh dear, it looks so cheap. Whayt should have been a smart sign actually looks like lettering stuck on with giant Letraset. It's look cheap, even thought it wasn't, costing eight hundred quid! Behind the goal this afternoon Richard Watts suggested running a sweepstake to see how many letters would be left by the end of the season, as the weather begins to take its toll on them.

It is also possible that one or two fans stayed away after more embarrassing antics from our player-manager Gavin Rose last week. Having come back from three one down the Hamlet equalised in stoppage time to earn a point. And how did the boss celebrate? By making a 'Nescafe shuffle' gesture towards some of the fans behind the goal. As much I have a lot of time for Gavin I simply cannot defend the indefensible, and the only person that sounds like a tosser is Gavin himself!

Eastbourne Town have only won once this season, & everyone had cautiously high hopes of ourselves winning our first home game of our campaign! In the first few minutes we were still optimistic, but with their first decent foray onto our goal Ashley Jarvis scored, with our defence being all over the shop. More Eastbourne pressure followed, and they had the ball in the back of the net fifteen minutes later, but fortunately the flag was raised for offside.

Despite Dulwich having more possession there was, once again, no end product, & when Eastbourne did counter attack they got a darn sight closer than us. One effort smashing against the crossbar. In truth we never put their keeper under any real pressure, & the visitors had the last chance of the half when an Adam Davidson effort was an inch or two wide of the target. How we only went in at the break a lone goal behind was a bit of a mystery.

I spent more of the half chatting away with Mark Hutton, who had just returned from a week away in Poland, & kept me much more entertained with tales from his travels. As I headed round the side, from behind the goal a few minutes just before the merciful interval, I was kept amused by Ian Caldecourt, who took the mick out of the balding referee who looked a ringer for Al Murray the Pub Landlord, much to the amusement of the lineman in front of him ,who was struggling to keep a straight face. There was definately a wide grin!

The second forty five minutes were an improvement, but not much to write home about. True we did up the tempo, but in all honesty it couldn't have got much worse. Surely the game was there for the taking when Eastbourne had centre-half Matthew Sellick earn a red card for needless abuse of the referee. How he was not joined by their little pipsqueak of a manager Ady Colwell who hardly stopped moaning from his dugout I have no idea.

With all their ill-disciplined whinging, combined with a ridiculously slow walk off the pitch when Liam Baitup baited the referee with a ridiculously slow walk to the touchline when substituted during the previously announced five minutes of stoppage time, it was poetic justice when we finally equalised in time added on, as the clock ticked into the sixth minute.

Sanchez Ming skinned their full-back, crossed the ball into a crowded area, for Alex Tiesse to prod home. A relief to the Hamlet faithful, but no great celebrations, as it was still two points dropped to poor opposition. no doubt Eastbourne will claim they were hard done by, & deserved all three points. But with their moaning & time wasting they were not worthy of anything of the sort.