Hamlet ultimately emerged victorious from the most exhilarating game seen at Champion Hill for many a year, taking the lead within three minutes of the kick off, twice falling behind then eventually snatching the seventh and final goal of the afternoon with just one minute plus stoppage time remaining, after visitors Hampton had been reduced to ten men by a sending off.

The first serious attack of the afternoon saw Hamlet’s Darren McQueen race into the left side of the Hampton penalty area and fire a cross into the middle which Visiting captain Charlie Wassmer blocked for a corner with a suspicion of using his arm. However Gio McGregor’s consistency and quality of delivery from the corner flag arguably offers a better scoring opportunity for the Hamlet at present, given the recent catalogue of failures from the penalty spot. His first attempt was whipped in hard beyond the near post, forcing a defender to head clear for a second corner. The next delivery flew deeper to the far post, where Danny Mills met the ball with a textbook downward header to give Hamlet a 3rd minute lead.

Hampton were swift to retaliate, sweeping forward in numbers and stretching the home defence with slick passing in the final third as they would continue to do throughout, and Ryan Gondoh was narrowly off target with a volley from just inside the box that flew wide of the top corner. Michael Timlin received the first yellow card of the game in the 7th minute for bringing down Sam Deadfield from behind, 30 yards from goal, allowing left back Kyron Farrell the first opportunity to showcase his dead ball prowess with a direct free kick that was just too high to trouble Charlie Grainger in the Hamlet goal. In the 9th minute Hampton made the breakthrough they’d been threatening. Niko Muir, a veteran of the Hendon team narrowly defeated by Hamlet in the 2018 Isthmian Premier Division promotion play-off final, attacked down the right before passing inside to Gondoh who neatly sidestepped his marker and fired low inside the near post. Hampton really had the bit between their teeth now and just six minutes later took the lead. Jaydn Harris aimed a measured drive towards the far bottom corner of the goal, which rebounded from the post for Farrell to arrive unattended and slam the ball into the gaping net. However, Hamlet didn’t remain in arrears for long. Pacy winger Jordan Green attacked the byline to the right of goal and picked out McQueen arriving at the near post. Despite miskicking, the latter managed to relay the ball back to McGregor whose shot was blocked in the goalmouth, but the ball ran kindly for Mills to thread the ball into the net from a tight angle to the left of goal. Four goals already and not yet midway through the first half!

The excitement briefly subsided before another flurry of near misses leading up to half time. McGregor’s 25 yard shot was touched around the far post by Alan Julian in the Hampton goal, then Hamlet skipper Jack Holland had a header from McGregor’s corner tipped over for another dead ball kick. This time Hampton cleared the danger and swept downfield, threatening to catch Hamlet short handed at the back. Dulwich hearts were briefly in mouths as Andre Blackman seemed to block a cross with his arm, but the linesman’s flag had gone up for offside to spare referee Wayne Cartmel a crucial decision. It was Hamlet who looked the likelier scorers in the final minutes of the half as a passing move released McQueen, whose shot was blocked for a corner, before Green was tripped after bursting into the penalty area. Incredibly Jordan Higgs became the fourth different Hamlet player to fail from the penalty spot this season, placing his strike far too close to Julian who saved low to his left, as Hamlet’s sequence of penalty kick blunders was extended to five in the space of just eight matches.

Further chances were soon created at each end when the second half got underway. McGregor was teed up for a shot on the edge of the Hampton box within the first sixty seconds, which was blocked at the expense of a corner, then Muir fired just over the Hamlet crossbar from near the penalty spot. Ten minutes into the second period Hamlet’s Ronnie Vint conceded a cheap free kick around 35 yards from goal, cynically pulling back his man and collecting a yellow card too, and Hampton made the most of the opportunity. Farrell’s beautifully flighted free kick picked out the imposing figure of Wassmer beyond the far post, who gave Grainger no chance with a thumping header to regain the lead. It took Hamlet just five minutes to strike back. McGregor launched a vicious direct free kick that Julian did well to tip over at full stretch, then from McGregor’s subsequent corner Vint atoned for his earlier misdemeanor with a far post header that ricocheted into the net between defenders stationed on the goalline.

Hamlet’s defence appeared perilously stretched when a ball over the top caught them square at the back but a desperate challenge denied Deadfield as he was poised to shoot, with Grainger looking vulnerable. Another Hampton attack saw Hamlet defending in depth as a series of shots was blocked before Julian was nearly embarrassed at the other end when McQueen’s shot slithered between his hands and legs, but he recovered swiftly enough to pouch the ball before it reached the goal line.

It always felt like the game had another goal in it and a late sending off was possible the deciding factor. With just over five minutes remaining on the clock Hampton right back Sam Cox launched a reckless tackle that sent McQueen flying, right under the referee’s nose. The official clearly had no doubt as to the severity of the offence and the red card was out of his pocket before anyone on either side had the opportunity to offer unsolicited advice, as usually happens when a wild challenge occurs. McGregor launched the ensuing free kick with howitzer force from 35 yards out, which Julian blocked with difficulty at the foot of his near post before the rebound was fired wide of the target. Hamlet sought to make their extra man count during the few remaining minutes and unsurprisingly it was another McGregor set piece that settled the game when his near post corner was flicked into the net by Holland, sending most of the bumper 3,000+ attendance into ecstasy. There was almost a fifth Hamlet goal in the final minute of stoppage time as new loan signing Ricky German charged forward from the halfway line to fully extend Julian with a booming shot on the run from 25 yards that was tipped over.

A draw might have seemed a fairer result to the neutral (or a Hampton supporter) as the visitors contributed fully to a brilliant spectacle with their persistent willingness to keep attacking throughout. Their manager, and one time Hamlet goalkeeper, Gary McCann has consistently proved an adept tactician whose teams at both Hampton and former club Hendon always display immense self-belief, whether pursuing a cavalier or more cautious game plan, but the Hamlet were just that bit more deadly in front of goal on the day. Hamlet manager Gavin Rose stated some weeks ago that he never looks at the league table until ten matches have been played. Now that point has been reached, he should be fairly satisfied to see his team sitting in a very respectable 6th place.

Team (3-4-3): Grainger - Holland(c), Vint, Taylor - Higgs, McGregor, Timlin, Blackman - McQueen, Mills, Green. Substitutes: Sterling (for Higgs 66), Barnum-Bobb (for Green 79), German (for Mills 79), Dayton, Harris-Sealy (not used).
Attendance: 3,045

Report by Richard Watts