If today’s game is anywhere near as entertaining as our match with Margate on Tuesday, surely no one will leave here disappointed. Exciting throughout, and with a dramatic climax, it was a splendid advert for football at this level. We may have started slowly, but in the second half we played really well and Laurent Hamici's last-gasp winner enabled us to inflict a first defeat of the season on most people’s favourites for the title.

Phil Wilson, Kershaney Samuels and Kevin James returned to the side after injury, but new signing Bagasan Graham, who made an impressive debut at Billericay last Saturday, was missing with a damaged hand. As befits a team unbeaten in their first seven games, Margate opened confidently and quickly took control of the proceedings. They went close after ten minutes when a low drive from Lewis Taylor took a deflection off a colleague and went just wide as Phil Wilson scrambled to get across his goal. However, five minutes later, ‘Gate took the lead when the ball was laid back to Taylor on the right and his splendid 20-yard shot flew into the top corner of the net. Later in the half, Ryan Moss narrowly missed the target with a downward far post header following a corner and, shortly afterwards, Michael Kamara just pipped Moss to the loose ball as the Margate striker closed in for the kill after Phil Wilson could only parry another fine shot from Taylor. Our best effort of the half came just before the break when Xavier Vidal stung the palms of ‘keeper Nikki Bull with a fierce shot from 20 yards.

We probably treated Margate with too much respect in the first half, but it was a different story after the interval. Taking the game to our opponents, we looked more purposeful in attack and in the 55th minute, we equalised. Ashley Carew returned the ball high into the box after his first effort had been blocked and, as the Margate defence waited in vain for an offside flag, Lewis Gonsalves brought it down and calmly slotted past ‘keeper Bull from ten yards. After that, both sides went for the win and although we had most of the chances there were near misses at both ends. Margate’s Charlie Alien was only inches wide with a rocket of a first time shot from 25 yards, and, as we countered, Bull tipped over a fine shot from Jordan Hibbert that was heading for the top corner. Back came Margate and Ethan Pinnock headed off the line when Phil Wilson was beaten by a Moss -header. Then it was our turn to press again and, after Bull pulled off fine saves from Ashley Carew’s angled drive and another blockbuster from Xavier Vidal, a low shot from Ashley Carew was deflected for a corner with the ‘keeper beaten. There was still no let-up in the action and, in the fourth minute of stoppage time and with virtually the last kick of the match, we snatched the winner. Ethan Pinnock played a long ball down the left touchline to Laurent Hamici, who shrugged off his marker and drove forward into the box before slipping the ball past Bull.

Dulwich Hamlet: 1 Phil Wilson; 2 Michael Kamara, 3 Lewis Gonsalves, 4 Kershaney Samuels, 5 Terrell Forbes (Capt.), 6 Ethan Pinnock, 7 Jordan Hibbert, 8 Kevin James, 9 Nigel Neita, 10 Ashley Carew, 11 Xavier Vidal
Subs used - 12 Laurent Hamici (for Hibbert 82), 16 Kareem Boyle (for James 82), 17 Abdul Mansaray (for Neita 67)
Subs not used - 14 Emiliano Hysi, 15 Marlon Patterson. Yellow Cards - None. Red Cards - None [Ed’s Hamlet Man of the Match - Xavier Vidal]

Margate: 1 Nikki Bull; 2 Anthony Riviere, 3 Jack Bennett, 4 Charlie Alien (Capt.), 5 Charlie Wassmer, 6 Brett Johnson, 7 Lewis Taylor, 8 Kane Wills, 9 Ryan Moss, 10 lac Attwood, 18 Luke Moore
Subs used - 14 Jason Prior (for Attwood 80), 15 Jamie Stuart (for Johnson 46), 17 Tom Phipp (for Taylor 45+3)
Subs not used - 11 John Beales, 12 Adam Cash. Yellow Cards - Alien, Stuart Red Cards - None

Referee - Graham Kane
Assistant Referees - Andrew Hickman, Daniel Simpson

Match report lifted from the match day programme (only £2 from all good programme sellers) courtesy of Mr John Lawrence