That despite taking an early lead courtesy of Vernon Francis’ precise header whilst youth team goalkeeper, Paul Idem, became first hero then villain of the piece as a top class penalty save was followed by one of those horror show goals that he and the teammates will not care to remember for long. Thrown a lifeline in unexpected circumstances the “hosts” upped the ante in the second half, took an early lead, consolidated it with a third goal before the hour mark before comfortably closing out the game despite the late loss of defender Joe Oates to a needless second yellow card.

Gavin Rose made a rare reappearance in the starting line-up whilst Dulwich began without a recognised big target man as Carl Wilson-Denis started on the bench, the strike force one of the smallest on show since the Grimm Brothers penned “Die drei Männlein im Walde”. Meanwhile Phil Wilson was unavailable having been hospitalised during the week unavailable having suffered an allergic reaction to an insect bite that left him with a badly swollen arm.

Still there was no sign of the traumas to come as, despite a dusty, potholed pitch, tufted with singed turf, the Hamlet posed the early threats, striking the woodwork before making the breakthrough before quarter hour was up. A corner forced, the delivery direct and Francis, wearing the No 9 jersey, met the ball at the front of the six yard box with a textbook header from the old school, the header aimed down and hard, bouncing in between static goalkeeper and his far post defender.
Soon after Dulwich could, nay should, have doubled their advantage as Kevin James scampered clear of the last line of defence only to dally in getting off a shot, allowing Adam Salmon that extra split second to dive in and nick the ball off James’ toes on the edge of the six-yard box. A fine, brave tackle indeed for Salmon had the scourge of caution hanging over him after an unsavoury lunge into Nyren Clunis inside the first 30 seconds.

As Romford rallied, Dulwich had a loud wakeup call midway through the half as a indolent challenge from Lewis Gonsalves presented the ‘Boro was a gilt-edged opportunity to draw level from the penalty spot. The task was handed to centre forward Tom Reynolds, but Idem, swiftly building on a reputation as an adept penalty stopper thwarted the big man as he scraped the ball around the foot of his right-hand post.
Sometimes one can die and be a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain. Martyrdom is not an option in football. Having rescued the hamlet with his spot kick heroics, Idem found that the universe demands balance. The Law of Compensation is that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. If the pendulum swings one way, it must always swing back the other way. Adulation is followed by admonition. Happiness and sadness oscillate. So it would be as Salmon bagged an unexpected equaliser for Romford shortly before the halftime recess, a hopeful punt forward from the halfway line, mostly harmless until it took a wicked kick up off the bone-dry pitch, leaving Idem stranded as the ball bounced up and over him into the empty net.

The goal seemed to knock the stuffing out of the hamlet, pumped the Boro full of new found hope, hope that became happiness as Reynolds put behind his early failure from the penalty spot to deliver an early second half sucker punch to Dulwich. A deep cross in from the flanks picked out the towering figure of Reynolds loitering at the back of the box and his plum struck header gave the Hamlet ‘keeper not a prayer as lopped past him into the opposite corner. Ten minutes later Dulwich were caught on the counter, one moment battering on the door of their opponents’ goal, the next scampering back in a vain endeavour to prevent their own back door being jemmied open. Like a good centre forward Reynolds did the donkey work, setting up the speedy Reece Hewitt to apply the finishing touch as he cut inside from the left wing, striking a sizzling low cross-shot wide of the diving Idem.

Frustratingly the game seem to disintegrate in the wake of that second goal, Romford keen to preserve their advantage by hook or by crook as player after player incurred the wrath of the referee and with it the flash of yellow from his top pocket. Dulwich added Carl Wilson-Denis to beef up the van but could not neither wheedle nor bludgeon their way to goal. Time had all but frittered away by the time the man in black dished out the seventh Romford caution of the afternoon, this time for a foul on Clunis by Joe Oates. Oates, earlier booked for petulancy in pointlessly booting the ball away at a Dulwich free kick, departed for the dressing room in shame but his dismissal came too late to provoke a last-ditch Dulwich revival.

DHFC: Paul Idem, Luke Hickie, Josh Turner, Dean Carpenter, Peter Adeniyi (Capt.), Lewis Gonsalves, Gavin Rose, Nyren Clunis, Vernon Francis, Kevin James, Erhun Öztümer.
Subs used: Carl Wilson-Denis, Kershaney Samuels, Ellis Green
Not used: Richmond Ayoola, Calaum Martin

Attendance: 97