They contacted us, as some of them are our friends from Forza HJK, the HJK Helsinki fans, who visited us last season.
HaPPo are in a local league, I'm not sure which standard, but were mid table on the league table I found:
Team: Pl. W D L F-A Pts.
AC Jupiter........................................10 9 0 1 22-3 27
FC Hervanta....................................10 7 1 2 15-4 22
Kaarela Athletic...............................10 6 3 1 24-6 21
Haagan Pallon Potkijat.........10 5 2 3 12-11 17
Siperian Karhut................................10 4 2 4 13-13 14
Kova Kamppi....................................10 2 4 4 9-11 10
SaBo ..................................................10 2 4 4 3-6 10
HåkanSoccer ....................................10 1 6 3 7-16 9
Komsobol.............................................9 1 3 5 8-16 6
FC Keijo ..............................................9 1 3 5 4-16 6
AS Romulus ......................................10 1 2 7 2-17 5
So, clearly, this wasn't going to be an easy game. not that many of ours are!
But a comfortable win ensued, with 'The Rabblers' romping home to the tune of eight goals to two!
Prior to the match, with the next day being both Remembrance Sunday both teams observed a pre-kick off silence, in remembrance of those fallen in previous conflicts; with the Dulwich fans being asked in particular, not to just remember our former players from the two World Wars, but also the many hundreds of Hamlet supporters' who fell with them, whose names are unknown.
Although a comfortable victory, you have to bear in mind the unusual conditions for our guests. HaPPo play lots of their games on all-weather surfaces, & for two of their number it was their first ever match on a grass pitch! On top of this it was a little muddy in the goalmouths, & heavy down the middle, not too bad by English standards, but playing conditions which they hadn't encountered before, which played right into our hands. They were also extremely hampered by having one of our own Darren 'Judas-as-always' Nicholas 'guesting' for them! Here is is with the only one of our team who still talks to him! ;-)
Jack McInroy was appointed captain for the game & presented a Hamlet scarf to our visitors.
James O'Shaughnessy scored the first two, the first rounding the keeper, before doubling the score. Joel Virgo got on the scoresheet next, well deserved as he turned in his usual excellent performance. The next was a rare goal, in a rare appearrance, for Amin Haque, who had come on as one of the substitutes.
There was another 'goal' in our favour in the half, Ian Gannon putting the ball in the back of the net, only for it to chalked off for offside. Much to his displeasure. He really should know better than to harrangue the referee, as they never change their mind. Which he must be aware of being a qualified official himself. So much for the 'Respect' campaign!
Four it was at the break, with the 'Gaffer' Mick O'Shaughnessy making a few 'tactical' substitions to try and give HaPPo a sporting chance. Despite trying to throw/even up* (*delete as applicable) the encounter his 'dastardly plan' didn't work! Here he explains his tactics to the more knowledgable Ian Wright:
Amin Haque deserves his 'half time rest', despite having only been on the pitch for ten minutes. But he did score, so deserves his lie down!
He said he was knackered, but managed to return for the latter part of the match, taking over from Matt Hammond between the sticks:
Four down but still smiling...
Veteran in any other team, but slotting in comfortably into our line up, old timer Jack McInroy got on the scoresheet, with his fifth goal in his last three matches for us!
In goal for us Matt Hammond knew something 'odd' was going to happen when the 'impartial' referee mentioned to him in passing at half time that there was 'no way he was going to keep a clean sheet'. So it was poetic justice when HaPPo put their penalty wide of the post...
...after Joel Virgo-Joel, of all people!-was adjudged to have shoved a Finn in the back in the box! Unsurprisingly there were no appeals from them before he pointed to the spot.
Normal service was resumed as James O'Shaughnessy hit his hat-trick to make it six for no reply to the Hamlet boys.
But there was life in them yet, and without any help from the big nosed cheat in black, HaPPo pulled one back, with the scorer sliding across the goalmouth in celebration. No so much a hippo, as a HaPPo wallowing in mud!
The final two goals were both in the 'right' goal, from our point of view. Will Patrick capped a good game by practically teeing up Phil Doyle, who tapped into the net:
The last goal of the match came after Hampstead WFC player Katriona Forbes knocked the ball to Ian Gannon, whose attempt was parried to Andy (surname?) who made no mistake in hitting the back of the net.
Mention must also go to young Louis Grater, who was joined on the pitch by his father Guy Grater, which was a proud moment for 'dad', no so sure how 'son' felt!
So the match finished in a high scoring victory for us, but the real winner, once more in these sort of games, was international friendship, & so we all headed off to Champion Hill for the 'big boys' game against Bognor Regis Town. Many thanks to Club owner Nick McCormack for allowing free admission to the match for those from the finnish party who attended...and carried on to 'Hoopers' afterwards, until late in the evening!
There now follows a few shots from the second half...none from the first period, as I was on the pitch!
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