Non-league round-up: Dulwich Hamlet boss ready to make squad changes
Gavin Rose is weighing up more changes to his Dulwich Hamlet squad.
The National League South club have until the middle of March before the deadline passes for deals to be done.
Hamlet are in danger of the drop and lost 3-2 at second-placed Bath City on Saturday.
“We are contemplating what we’re doing with loans out and also existing loans in,” said Rose. “We are being offered a few as well that we can bring in.
“We’re even looking at the playing staff who have been here all season and maybe haven’t hit the heights that us – and even they – had hoped for.
“It may be that they move on and make way for some new blood.
“We’re having a little think about that and will make decisions come either the end or early next week.”
Dulwich are 16th in the table and two points ahead of Tonbridge Angels, who are in the final drop spot but have three fixtures in hand.
“We’ve got 10 games to go which is 30 points to play for,” said Rose. “We don’t want to be overly pessimistic.
“In the last two games we had a disappointing result at Welling, we just didn’t turn up, but we gave a good account of ourselves on Saturday against a very good team and lost by the odd goal.
“That tells you we ain’t really that bad and that we’re not in that bad a state. The biggest thing for us is to get that consistency.”
Tom Smith claimed a hat-trick for Bath with Shamir Mullings and Danny Mills twice levelling at Twerton Park.
“The way we conceded the goals was disappointing,” said Rose. “We were asserting quite a bit of pressure on Bath and I felt we were the stronger team at the time we conceded the first goal, it’s one we’d normally defend a lot better.
“The second goal came with us not really doing our jobs from a throw in just over the halfway line and culminated in them breaking and scoring. Visually it looked a good goal but we know we should have defended it better from start to finish.
“For their last goal we had the opportunity to stop the game – maybe give a foul away around the halfway line and shut the shot down on the edge of the box. We gave the guy a free hit and he finished it very well.
“All three were soft goals in terms of us being able to effect them.
“If they had to really earn their goals you would say fair enough, but I don’t think they were well earned.”
Dulwich are at home to fellow strugglers Tonbridge tomorrow.
Bromley will hope to move back into the National League play-off places when they host Sutton United. Neil Smith’s side have banked one point from a possible 21.
Tooting & Mitcham United badly need to breathe new life into their Isthmian League South Central Division play-off hopes and welcome Bracknell Town. The Terrors have lost their last four league matches.
PICTURE BY KEITH GILLARD