Saturday afternoon was a trip I had pencilled in for a few weeks but one that I nearly changed my mind upon a few times. Those of you who read regularly know I keep an eye out for a lot of clubs, especially those punching above their weight against some big budgets at times.
Hungerford Town are one of those clubs competing in the National League South with one of the smallest wage bills and small attendance levels too, hard to compete against full time clubs and those whose crowd figures add a bit extra onto the cash flow.
This season they have been really up against it all year and they were in a position of needing to win their remaining three games starting with Dulwich Hamlet at home to have any chance of avoiding the drop.
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Had they lost last Tuesday at Taunton there was a very good chance I would have changed venue as I prefer to watch a game where there is something ‘on it’ as so to speak at this end of the season, the Crusaders would have been relegated had they lost that one.
Dulwich also need the points, sitting just one place above the relegation zone and with the sides below them insistent on picking up points Hamlet need to secure enough points to keep themselves safe as well.
A well supported side both home and away, a large contingent in blue and pink had made their way to Berkshire but the Crusaders weren’t going to let go of their status that easily.
The early chances were coming the way of the home side and it looked as if the Hamlet back line were in for a long afternoon. However, the pendulum swung Dulwich’s way after only 15 minutes, a rash challenge from Louis McGrory saw the Hungerford player red carded, no complaints and a further blow to the Crusaders hopes.
But, if you expected Dulwich to take the game by the scruff of the neck with a man advantage then think again. The pace wasn’t increased, nor was the commitment, Hungerford actually looking fairly comfortable despite being down to ten men.
Neither side however found the breakthrough and Dulwich would have been certainly content with the half time scoreline, Hungerford now knowing they had 45 minutes left to prolong their season and National League South status.
Dulwich did increase their work rate as the second half began and you sensed that the extra man would now be an advantage but it was the home side who broke the deadlock with just under 20 minutes to play.
Ryan Jones slipped the ball through to Dan Roberts who still had some work to do, calmly gave himself the angle and fired past Aaron Jones to give Crusaders fans hope that the season was still alive.
Rather than play safe and with very little coming forward from Dulwich after Hungerford brought on Mike Jones for Roberts, the home side had two glorious chances to seal the win.
A superb ball across the box from Nii-Okai Evans found Jones at the far post a few yards out but he put the ball the wrong side of the post, Evans then found his shot pushed away by Jones, time was ticking down and the home side still in front.
And with that clock winding towards 90 minutes, Dulwich conjured up an equaliser with two minutes to play, a corner into the box from the left hand side was flicked on by Danny Mills and George Porter tapped it home, glee for the Hamlet supporters, despair for the Crusaders fans.
Drama though followed, with Hamlet holding onto the ball, Hungerford wanted it back in the middle, a small melee broke out with Curtis Angell pushing Gianni Crichlow who retaliated and punched the Town player, both sent off in the dying embers.
With the extra time added from that and an earlier injury, there were seven minutes left to salvage the season but Hamlet defended that time well which in the end went to ten minutes.
A further red card was shown to Porter for dissent before the final whistle blew and it was over, Hungerford had finally run out of chances and relegation was confirmed.
Whilst the other three sides around them won, Dulwich are still looking over their shoulder as are Dover Athletic, and a point minimum is needed on Tuesday for Hamlet to be safe going into the final day of the season next weekend, however few too many going through the motions out there for me to have any effect, been a tough season for a well-supported club.
719 were in attendance, very decent for the Crusaders in their penultimate home game, and good to meet Sam Warman before the game, a Hamlet supporter who I’ve gotten to know over the course of the season, another who likes to get around a few grounds.
It wasn’t the ending either Patrick or Nicky Chambers wanted before they leave the club at the end of the season for pastures new at Gloucester City, but a struggle to recruit well early on saw them playing catch up nearly most of the year and time finally got the better of them.
Without knowing whether the club will keep on producing the famous Bulpit Beast (pictured below) I had hoped to return this season to sample for maybe the last time, it’s never been a disappointment and Footy Scran sent a DM to feature the picture on their pages, one final piece of advertising for what I feel is the best burger I’ve had across the past two – three seasons, hopefully there is a regroup for Hungerford at one level lower and a huge desire to get back here, it’s a lovely friendly club to visit.
I’ll leave you however just before the burger picture with something I posted on Twitter after the game. As I parked up at the school a five minute walk to the ground, a couple asked if this was the parking place to be, so ‘yes’ I replied.
They left to walk a little before me, but I caught up with them along the way and we got chatting. They were brought into non-league by their son who lives in South London and watches Dulwich Hamlet, they live not far down the road from me and are also Southampton fans, but fallen out of love with the Premier League and non-league’s gain now. Then while I’m watching the game a lovely old couple stand near me and we get talking, him a former Hamlet keeper and Kingstonian too, memories I am regaled with until they moved on to sit down. Only in non-league would you get the beauty of that……..fabulous.
