There was a 0-0 draw in the corresponding fixture on a cold Tuesday night at Oaklands Park last season but Lloyd Rowlatt bagged a 97th minute winner in the away game at Champion Hill in January 2025.
Kieran Magee and Emmett Dunn returned to the starting XI and Curtis Da Costa was on the bench with Theo Bennetts, Mo Jammeh, Lewis Rustell and Misha Djemaili. Jamie Horncastle kept his place alongside Ben Pashley in the heart of the defence with skipper Rob Hutchings and Ryan Davidson at left and right back as usual. Joe Moore lined up as the holder and Isaac Bello, Rowlatt and Dunn completed midfield with Olly Munt and Ethan Prichard up front once again.
Miles Rutherford’s men began brightly and Hutchings won a corner in the first minute at the Archery End which Prichard wasted.
Magee was out smartly to clear moments later as the Londoners pressed and then Giovanni Palmer was flagged offside by a well-marshalled Chi backline.
Pashley went down for some time for a knock and received physio treatment before his captain held off Solomon Baugh and won the hosts a throw-in.
A poor ball in by the Londoners’ Lonit Talla was easy enough for Magee to claim and his defender Davidson headed clear a Dulwich throw without any trouble.
On 13 minutes Alfred Payne had the ball in the back of the net but it was ruled out for offside.
Hutchings’ misplaced back pass went out for another Dulwich throw that Chi dealt with and at the other end Prichard got past his marker but dived rather awkwardly and the move fizzled out.
Next, Moore intercepted Baugh’s ball and then won Chichester a throw, and at the mid-point of the half Magee had an easy take as his No4 hoofed away.
Prichard earned City another corner off the visitors’ right back which he struck too deep before Amadou Kassarate was caught offside.
Then Prichard fired one off target after Bello launched a bomb and Davidson needlessly fouled Palmer when he drove down the College Lane flank.
Nyren Clunis spurned Hamlet an opportunity as he lost control of the ball in the Chi penalty box following a decent first touch, and an attack unravelled as the hosts pressed again with Hutchings out of position.
Davidson got a talking to by referee Jordan McRitchie just after the half hour mark and Payne’s resulting set-piece was diverted for a Dulwich corner which Magee claimed.
Next, Hutchings couldn’t pick Rowlatt when he found some space up top before Bello went down this time for some physio with eight minutes to go until the break.
Then Kassarate found himself in two minds and his shot was blocked on 39 and a lovely delivery from Hutchings’ free-kick was cleared by the visitors’ defenders.
Prichard might have netted the opener but his shot on the turn was well saved by Hamlet keeper Toby Bull before Munt smacked an attempt high and wide.
Baugh’s dangerous cross caused a bit of havoc but an elbow to Davidson’s face led to another break in play as he received some attention.
In time added on, a chance fell to Rowlatt but his hit was blocked and Bello was then flagged offside as the first half drew to a close.
Nether side made any changes in the interval and less than 60 seconds after the restart Rowlatt nearly got on the end of a long ball.
Next, Moore was dispossessed when Chi pressed again and the subsequent cross went out for a goal kick.
Decent defending denied Rowlatt again five minutes in before Prichard’s cracking shot was saved by Bull and Munt somehow hit his follow up wide when it seemed easier to score.
Kassarate got judged offside in the visitors’ next attack and Prichard was outmuscled off the ball by Michael Chambers before Magee came out sharply to clear a threatening through ball.
On 56 minutes Palmer was exchanged for Thomas Chambers as Dulwich rejigged and Hutchings linked up with Bello only for Davidson’s cross to get cleared.
The Dunn blazed one over the woodwork at the Tennis Club End and the heavens opened up as it all got a bit Biblical and heavy rain lashed down on the Oaklands faithful.
Both sides exchanged throws in the next passage of play and Djemaili came on for Rowlatt with an hour or so on the clock.
And then Munt sent over a great delivery after Prichard and Hutchings interlinked before Man of the Match Hutchings’ cross was cleared.
71 minutes in Munt was replaced by Rustell and Djemaili got barged off the ball by Chambers before Joseph Adewunmi was yellow-carded.
Prichard raced into the penalty area but lost the ball as it ran out of play with 14 to go and at the other end Pashley was outfoxed only for Moore to clear the final cross.
Next, Hutchings’ wonderful hit from outside the box unfortunately thumped the bar and Dunn hooked Chamber’s delivery away before a brilliant block from Horncastle denied a certain goal for Hamlet.
Magee also denied Clunis with an impressive stop on 85 and Dunn tugged Chambers’ shirt, and was lucky to get away without a booking.
The Chi No1 clawed away the resulting set-piece somehow, and Chi just needed to smack it as they probed with three minutes of normal time left.
Hutchings’ cross was then claimed by Bull and at the death Rustell was beaten to Djemaili’s inviting ball by the Dulwich custodian.
Nice play from Rustell teed Prichard up for a shot that was just wide and then Bello headed over in time added on.
After the game Dulwich Hamlet manager Mark Dacey complimented his opponents for being well-organised and said, “They’re a good side and I like the way they play football. They had a couple of chances and hit the bar from distance, but I thought for a 0-0 it was a pretty good game of football. Both teams tried to play, both teams managed to stop each other and both teams were very aggressive. They have been fantastic the last three or four seasons with their promotions. What Miles and his team have done here is exceptional”.
So, the spoils were shared by sixth placed Hamlet and mid-table Chichester who have won three, drawn two and lost one in their last six league matches, travel to Cray Wanderers on Saturday 8th November (Kick Off 3pm).
Chichester – Magee, Davidson, Hutchings, Moore, Horncastle, Pashley, Bello, Dunn, Rowlatt, Prichard, Munt (Da Costa, Bennetts, Jammeh, Rustell, Djemaili).
Photos to follow
