Four off at Dulwich

Baldon Sports 2-3 London Maccabi Lions (aet)
The FA Carlsberg Sunday Cup
Preliminary Round
12.30pm, Sunday 27 September 2009
Champion Hill, Dulwich Hamlet FC

London Maccabi Lions won a controversial Preliminary Round tie at Champion Hill yesterday with a goal close to the end of extra time.

Baldon Sports, from the London and Kent Border League, finished the game with seven players, four of their team having been sent off in separate incidents by referee Michael Barnes.

For a combination of reasons the tie kicked off half-an-hour late on an unseasonably warm afternoon in south London. Baldon put together some useful attacks in the early minutes, Ryan Dolby – one of five brothers in the ‘home’ side – being prominent with two left-footers that were smartly saved by the Lions ‘keeper.

A goal promised for so long arrived near the half-hour mark, Ryan Dolby slipping the ball astutely through into the inside-right channel for brother Marc to run on and fire in a shot that struck the inside of the far post before rolling just over the line. Baldon deserved their half-time lead, but there were all kinds of mayhem to follow.

Lions striker Michael Pearson, who had a quiet first period, caused Baldon huge problems with his pace in the second half. Twice he got behind the defence to score, crashing in shots that flew past Baldon’s substitute ‘keeper. The first home player to see a second yellow card, and therefore a red one, was central defender Jason Dolby. He went for an abusive comment shouted at brother Adam, who had just shot feebly with a team-mate better placed.

Baldon threw everything forward to force an equaliser, the Lions finally conceding deep into stoppage time as Adam Dolby powered in a far-post header from a free-kick. They kicked off and within ten seconds the referee had blown the whistle to end normal time. The extra half-hour was bizarre to say the least, with Ryan and Adam Dolby apparently dismissed for remarks to match officials and Jack Merral following them for a reckless lunge at a Lions substitute that earned his second yellow.

Seven-man Baldon still played with two up front and could actually have won the game. Lions were guilty of trying to walk the ball into the net at times, but their numerical superiority told in the end as Pearson completed his hat-trick with a left-footer into the bottom corner. He had found himself with plenty of room inside the box.

Attendance: 35