The Clarets face yet another Saturday, Monday as, after the draw away to Eastbourne, Dulwich Hamlet visit Melbourne Stadium. Chelmsford’s schedule had been relentless having played on the past 4 Monday nights, with tonight’s fixture making it 5 in a row. Robbie may be forced to yet again rotate his side, as the games keep coming thick and fast.
THE OPPOSITION:
Dulwich Hamlet are 18th in the Vanarama National League South, after enduring a rather mixed season so far. Paul Barnes was Dulwich’s manager up until last week when he was sacked after they had won just 2 of their games in 2023. Hakan Hayrettin was the man to take over, after he had been sacked earlier in the season by Maidstone. Last season, he took the Stones up to the National League, but poor form saw him handed his marching orders. Sitting 4 points clear of the relegation zone, Dulwich have picked up 10 wins, 5 draws and 19 losses. Their only game under Hayrettin was a 1-0 against St Albans on Saturday, where Ronnie Vint’s goal was enough for the 3 points. They will hope that result was just the start, as they look to climb the table.
In terms of personnel, Dulwich have former Leyton Orient academy graduate Charlie Grainger in goal. One of their main goal threats is Danny Mills, who has scored 9 in 32 this season. Mills has played for numerous sides at this level, including Ebbsfleet and Dartford. Much like Chelmsford, Dulwich have a Krasniqi. Kreshnic has played at multiple sides in and around this level, but joined Dulwich in the summer after he started his career out in Cyprus. Other players to look out for are defender Ronnie Vint, who came on off the bench on Saturday and scored the winner. Captain on Saturday was experienced midfielder Frankie Raymond, who has played over 200 times in the National League and looks to provide stability in the Dulwich midfield. Elsewhere, players such as Jack Holland and Quade Taylor look to keep it tight at the back as they protect Grainger’s goal. Earlier in the season, Temie Eweka was sent off for Dulwich as the result of the 22-man brawl the ensued. He is now on the books of Slough, so will not be causing any harm to the Clarets again.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS:
Chelmsford suffered defeat at Champion Hill as Dulwich won the game 2-1, with Tom Blackwell’s late goal not enough to kickstart a comeback. That was overshadowed as Jamie Yila, Temi Eweka, Eduino Vaz, Robbie Simpson and Paul Barnes all saw red. A 22 man+ brawl saw Yila and Eweka both dismissed whilst the 2 managers were sent off after they failed to keep both their playing and non-playing staff from going at it. After about 15 minutes of delay, the restart saw Vaz receive red as he was booked again for a tackle, which was fuelled from his part he played in the incident. The double sending-off, partnered with the final result, meant it was a day to forget for Chelmsford. The Clarets will look to push this, and their last meeting at home with Dulwich, aside as last season Quade Taylor and Giovanni Mcgregor’s goals saw them leave with the 3 points.
TEAM NEWS:
For City, Harry Lodovica seemingly remains on the side-lines, after he was injured against Witham at the start of February. Adebola Oluwo remains on the road to recovery, with everyone hopeful he will play a part come the final few games. Dave Winfield played with a protective face mask on Saturday, so should still be good to play. Both Kai Yearn and Frankie Terry are out of the question, with both being recalled last week by their parent clubs. The pair played a combined 0 minutes as both Cambridge and Colchester fell to defeats over the weekend. Callum Jones and Michael Folivi will both look to continue their good form, with both scoring in the 2-2 draw against Eastbourne.
TICKET NEWS:
Tickets are available on line at a discounted advance price to buy here
Adult – £13 Senior (65+) – £9 Concession – £9 Full-Time Student – £5 Youth (12-17) – £5 Under-12s – Free
Entry can also be purchased at the turnstiles on the day at the Melbourne Community Stadium.
Ticket prices on the day:
Adult – £15 Senior (65+) – £10 Concession – £10 Full-Time Student – £5 Youth (12-17) – £5 Under-12s – Free
A programme will be available to purchase on the day for £3 or a digital subscription to The Claret can be purchased here.
WHERE TO FOLLOW THE GAME:
To keep up with the game, follow the coverage on the @OfficialClarets Twitter page, where updates will be posted using the hashtag, #TheClarets.
There will also be live audio commentary from Radio Clarets, which can be found before and during the game on our Twitter.
Post-match reports and interviews will be found on the club website, social media and Youtube channel ClaretsTV, following the game.
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