So August is already over and the first September outing for the Hamlet sees us travel down to Kent and a clash with Tonbridge Angels.

In truth, it was not the start of the season it promised to be for Dulwich after the first three games, which had seen them pick up five points and sit undefeated in the top seven. That was followed up by three successive 2-1 losses, two at home to Slough and Welling, with one at Eastbourne sandwiched between. These losses mean that the Hamlet begin September in 19th position in the early table.

The Angels sit two points better off than their visitors, having picked up two victories, a draw and three losses from their opening six games to lie 14th in the league. Similarly to the Hamlet though, they have lost their last three on the bounce, including their first two outings on the new artificial 3G pitch that has been laid at Longmead over the summer. Bank Holiday Monday brought a 2-1 loss to St Albans, with Chez Isaac netting the winner for the Saints in the final 10 minutes.

Of course the new pitch has not been the only major change at the club this summer, with long-serving Steve McKimm departing as manager after eight years in charge and leading them to the National League South in 2019, with former Maidstone boss Jay Saunders replacing him in the dugout. Saunders was a great rival of Gavin Rose and his troops during his Maidstone days, with the Hamlet of course pipping his Stones side to the Isthmian League Division One South title in 2013. However, Saunders was able to secure three promotions in four seasons, winning the Isthmian League at Champion Hill in 2015, before a winner from our new Director of Football Dumebi Dumaka earned them a playoff success in the National League South a year later. After leaving the Stones in 2018, he has been managing at Margate.

As with most clubs the Stones made many new signings over the summer but familiar faces remain, including the brilliant Jonny Henly in between the posts as goalkeeper, the experience of centre back Sonny Miles, and the hardworking and dangerous Joe Turner in the attacking areas, a player who always seems to enjoy success against the Hamlet, scoring four goals against us since arriving in 2017, including a winner at Champion Hill in 2020.

Longmead has never been a happy hunting ground for Gavin Rose, with only one victory recorded on that ground in the club's history, that coming on the opening day of the 2019-20 campaign, when despite an early red card for Quade Taylor, goals from David Ijaha and a penalty from Jeffrey Monakana gave us the victory. Our only other away win came back in 1978 when they played under the guise of Tonbridge FC, with us winning 3-2 in the FA Trophy Second Qualifying Round at the Angel Ground. Last season we played out a 2-2 draw, with Jordan Green and Jordan Higgs twice levelling strikes from Turner and Aaron Smith-Joseph.

Dulwich record vs Tonbridge Angels/Tonbridge: P17 W5 D6 L6 GF23 GA25
Dulwich record at Tonbridge away: P9 W2 D5 L2 GF12 GA14
DHFC Biggest win: 3-1 in FA Cup September 2018 - Ferguson, Green, Akinyemi; Miles
DHFC Biggest loss: 1-3 in Isthmian League Cup March 2017 - Akrofi (2), Elder; Beaney

Tickets for the game are £15 for adults, £12 for concessions, £6 for U15s, FREE for U12s. These can be purchased online at https://www.tonbridgeangels.co.uk/buy-tickets or on the gate