Going to Cambridge Again

 

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	Sunday 30 August 2026 at Grange Road (Cambridge University Rugby Union FC)
Result	Cambridge United Women 3 Dulwich Hamlet Women 2
Competition	FA Women’s National League D1 South-East, in the fourth tier of the women’s pyramid.
Hopstats	Ground #816 on my list, and I am here pragmatically due to the fairly short journey. I’ve been here several times for rugby union games but Grange Road can now enter my main groundhopping spreadsheet. As a student I lived for four years in Cripps Court of Selwyn College, the building in the background of some of my photos.
Context
It’s early in the season. Cambridge United have started with a win and a defeat, Dulwich Hamlet with two draws.
Match Report
Cambridge did most of the early pressing but with no end product. Dulwich were restricted to occasional breaks in the classic away team method. The visiting support in particular brought some noise to the occasion and I found myself googling why they have the extremely quaint cowbells. Or extremely irritating if you are sat next to a small child equipped with one, trust me on this. Most Cambridge danger came from set pieces or crosses, and Dulwich had a goal disallowed for offside. When the visiting keeper Tia Ginn had to make two saves in quick succession I noted that it was just a matter of time before Cambridge scored. What do I know? An unselfish pass gave an easy chance for Dulwich’s Leila Emmerson after the home defensive line had been broken. The home side suddenly looked rather ragged but they also missed a good headed chance for Olivia Cooke as half-time approached. They had been wasteful whereas the visitors had been particularly efficient. Offside this time Cambridge started the second half well, though. A couple of times the ball did not quite drop nicely for them in the penalty area and I noted just before the hour that they probably deserved an equaliser. It soon came with a textbook downward header from a corner, Abbie Jackson on the scoresheet from Sophie Jeffery’s delivery. They then took the lead. A misplaced Dulwich pass in midfield allowed Mollie Coupar to step in and finish calmly. Another dangerous corner curled just wide as the home side asserted themselves once more and it was Dulwich’s turn to look disorganised. It took a good save from Ginn to keep the score at 2-1 but not for long. On 82 minutes, the ball fell nicely from a corner this time and sub Cheyanna Norman scored the home side’s third Credit to Dulwich who kept going and put the result in doubt with a goal of their own after 86 minutes through Summer Roberts, and they were to have another good chance with a shot that drifted wide. The home keeper Lauren Webb, who had had a busy afternoon, had to make a good brave save after a misplaced clearance in these final tense minutes. A draw would have been fair but Cambridge held on by going to the corner flag in the last seconds. At the end of the game, I walked past my old rooms in Cripps Court and hoped that whoever is installed in them for the new term next month will embrace the traditional sports of corridor cricket and yogurt-pot football that may have taken place (depends who’s asking) on M staircase in the 1970s.
So What?
United go third in the division after three games. Hamlet are ninth (of twelve) and with two draws in their other games, are still looking for their first league win of the season.
Pix
This ground has been upgraded to an artificial surface and is currently an unusual mix of the old and new. The wooden stand with its bench seats is the kind that gets some groundhoppers excited. Cambridge in amber and black.
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats Update
The background to this, and the latest keeper top colour league table, is here on this dedicated page. Today, I initially assigned Red from a distance as the colour for the Hamlet ‘keeper, but this turned out to be incorrect. Definitely Pink. Cambridge’s ‘keeper was in classic Green. Pre-match Prediction based on Keeper Top Colour: Prediction: Home Win Was the prediction correct? Yes % of correct predictions so far 49 (108 from 222)
What Next?
Maybe I kick my professional prep down the line for another day and head out for a Bank Holiday Monday hop. Will depend on weather and traffic. (Spoiler : I was at Boston Town, blogpost to follow.)

... Madly Crawley (Down) ...

The signage has not yet caught up with this season's name change for the club.

A goalkeeper, and a 'plane landing at Gatwick.  The comma is important, even though there could be a goalkeeper on the 'plane for all we know.  But then I'd need the plural, so best not to ask.

 

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Monday 27 August 2012 (3pm) at The Haven Centre
Result	Crawley Down Gatwick 3 Dulwich Hamlet 1
Competition	Isthmian League Division 1 South (step 4)
Hopping	I am here because Crawley rhymes with Horley, where I was unable to go at 11am because of the latter’s FA Cup stalemate with Leatherhead.  At this stage it is a rhyming couplet, I suppose.
Pre-match preparation
Crawley Down and Dulwich are nominally top and second in the league with two wins from two.  Crawley are out of the FA Cup but Dulwich through to the next round, but those Saturday outcomes are clear enough to mean this fixture goes ahead and I am not searching for more teams ending in –ley.  Joy.
This match in one sentence
Better finishing and scoring at the right time were key factors in bringing about a home win in a match between two good, strong and skilful sides.
So what?
Crawley Down stay top on goal difference from Folkestone Invicta who jump over Dulwich who drop to third in the fledgling league table.
The drama unfolds
Crawley Down's defender Jack Page lasted all of two minutes before turning an ankle.  The first action of his replacement Tom Graves was to clatter Ellis Green but the freekick came to nothing.  Here's a scene-setter clip.  Crawley Down are in red. The first goal of the game was this header by Gabi Odunaike.  It was rather against the territorial run of play but Hamlet had been in the habit of leaving space at the back.  1-0 The first chance to equalise came soon enough, but this direct freekick from Dean Carpenter was over the bar. Jamie Cade should have put the home side two up from Luke Blewden's pass from the left into the six-yard box, and ten minutes before the interval Odunaike presented him with an easier one from the same direction.  No mistake this time, and the lead was protected until the interval.  2-0 at half-time Dulwich started the second half with plenty of attacking intent.  Craig Richards chopped down Nyron Clunis after 52 minutes - Anthony di Bernardo initially saved Carl Wilson-Dennis' penalty but the striker just got to the rebound first.  2-1 The initial penalty was saved but rebounded just enough to allow the follow-up score Dulwich centre-back Josh Turner then missed a free header - it was to be the first of several spurned chances.  However, Crawley Down restored their two-goal cushion soon enough - the defence was breached and Ross Morley, right in the centre, had an age to decide where to place the ball.  Phil Wilson got a hand to it, but to no avail.  This was the killer moment as it turned out.  3-1 When Wilson-Dennis controlled a high cross superbly but then poked the ball over the bar with 20 minutes still to go, you suspected that this was Crawley Down's day.  Peter Adeniyi scooped a shot over too and in the end the visiting challenge rather faded away.  Final score 3-1
The programme
Something random
Brilliant to bump into the Sarf London bloggers @ThePigeonStands who have, like me, been involved in this season’s work of fiction that is The Fake FA Cup.  See our mutual friends at therealfacup.co.uk for details.  Having spotted that they were there through live tweeting, I was initially worried that my "man with specs and blue rucksack" self-description in response might not be distinctive enough with so many bank holiday hoppers on the loose.
Hopping for Moorfields Update
Another four goals to add to the tally.
What Next?
M23/M25/M4 towards Henley Town who have helpfully created an evening kickoff to allow a Bank Holiday rhyming triple.