Captain Jack Holland said Dulwich Hamlet showed their “character” as they bounced back from successive heavy defeats to clinch a dramatic late win at Welling United last weekend.
With the score level at 2-2 in the 89th minute, Holland finished Frankie Raymond’s delivery to the net and then Dan Smith sealed the victory in the 92nd minute.
Dulwich had lost 4-1 at home to Farnborough in their previous National League South game, after conceding all four goals in the first half. A changed side was then dumped out of the London Senior Cup after a 5-1 defeat at Wingate & Finchley in the quarter-finals.
Last Saturday, former Dulwich defender Aaron Barnes gave the Wings the lead in the 26th minute but the Hamlet went in front after goals from Will Wood three minutes into first-half injury-time and Johl Powell a minute after the break.
Ade Azeez levelled for the hosts with eleven minutes left but Dulwich struck late to take the points.
“It was massive. After the last couple of performances we knew as a squad it wasn’t up to par,” Holland told Dulwich’s media.
“The pitch the way it was, Welling are a good side, we know a few of their players, to come away with a win here is massive and hopefully it can springboard us now and we get a little run and climb the table.
“Farnborough, we weren’t at it for the first 30 minutes and the game was done by then. It wasn’t us. The cup game, I know we left a few out, but it wasn’t good enough. Coming and putting in a performance [Saturday] was important to us and I think everyone put in a shift, the boys coming off the bench not just the starters. Even the boys outside [the squad], I heard James Comley here shouting at me. So as a collective it means so much for us.”
Holland feels he should be scoring more from set-pieces.
“Do you know what, it’s something we’ve mentioned and Frankie Raymond, to be fair, the balls he puts in are asking to be put away,” Holland said. “I’m glad I could get my one today. We’re such a threat, last year we were a threat from set-pieces and we need to get back to that. I’m delighted to chip in.
“We’ve mentioned before about character. The gaffer goes on about it a lot and what goes on in the changing room. After that first goal the reaction, we get a goal and then another one. They equalise and start to get on top a little bit, then we come back again. I think it shows what we’ve got in this changing room that we really can roll up our sleeves and drag out these wins.”
Manager Paul Barnes was pleased with how his side responded to their previous two performances.
“I thought it was the exact reaction we were looking for [after] the results on Saturday and Tuesday,” Barnes said. “We’re confident in what we’re doing. I said to the boys in there, you look at the training session on Thursday after the last two results, the boys were brilliant in training. The positivity we talk about, supporting each other in times of adversity. You saw it throughout the game.
“It went to and fro. I thought we deserved the win, that’s not me being biased, I thought the boys were good. We dug in at times as well and they showed what they’re all about.
“I keep saying there are going to be times when I make mistakes and I hold my hands up. And there are going to be times when the boys pull out performances. What they’ve done is a credit to them with the mental toughness they’ve shown after under-par performances the last couple of games, not being our true selves.
“The fans deserve credit, the staff have been brilliant getting us ready for today. I thought collectively it was brilliant to see the fans at the end and I thought everybody deserved it after the last two performances we put in.
“Hopefully that’s payback for the last two.”
The Hamlet were due to travel to Bath City on Tuesday but the game was postponed due to a frozen pitch after an inspection at midday.
Barnes’s side are away at Slough Town in the league this Saturday. Kick-off is 3pm.