It may have been quieter on the terraces at Greatness Park as Dulwich Hamlet travelled to Sevenoaks Town but, on the field, the goals continued to flow. Youngsters and trialists made up the bulk of the Dulwich squad though for the hosts it was full strength squad as their own preseason preamble drew to a close.

The game was but six minutes old when Sevenoaks centre half Jon Lord fired his side into an early lead, a lead the Oaks would maintain until midway through the half. Just past the 20-minute mark cam an equaliser from Dulwich’s very own Martini Man, Ashley Robinson, who has featured in friendlies in front of crowds great and small, a thronging thousand at Champion Hill one night, one man and his dog the next. After his first attempt with his right foot had been blocked he switched feet and this time Robinson made no mistake as the ball was rattled home low from 15 yards out.

Sevenoaks were doubly unfortunate not to restore their advantage as, twice in the space of seven minutes, experienced striker Andy Constable had the frame of the goal quivering. First Constable cracked a right foot effort against one upright before ensuring the other suffered the same as he hammered a shot against it soon after.

Missed opportunities came back to haunt the Oaks, as bang on the stroke of half time, midfielder Emiliano Hysi finished off a smooth move from the Hamlet with a priced right foot drive into the far corner.

Caught cold at the start of the second half, Dulwich’s lead evaporated with 31 seconds of the whistle, Constable atoning for his earlier ill fortune as he was allowed a free run through on goal, making no mistake with a finish born of experience.

The woodwork had probably only just got over its pummelling from Constable when it suffered once more this time Kareem Boyle leaving it shuddering as his shot bounced out of harm’s way. Constable continued to terrorise the Dulwich defence, twice spurning chances to restore his side’s lead, firing first at Hamlet’s trialist keeper and the second wide.

Three penalties in two games should have become four in three as Robinson was sonnet tumbling in the box by an ill-timed challenge but the referee was unconvinced. Both sides had the opportunities to snatch the win with Boyle narrowly wide with once opening and substitute Dean Lodge dithering as moment too long when free in the box. The hosts might have clinched victory themselves in the latter but Dulwich’s trialist ‘keeper ensured a good end to the evening with a brace of smart stops to prevent Sevenoaks preseason preparations ending with a win.

Dulwich Hamlet Starting Line Up: A Trialist (GK), Sulaiman Bangura, Jaime Mascoll, A N Other-Trialist, Marc-Anthony Okoye, Lewis Gonsalves, Abdul Mansaray, Emiliano Hysi, Kareem Boyle, Xavier Vidal, Ashley Robinson.