Sweet for Kandi as his double helps Dulwich ditch Welling out of London Senior Cup
BY MARK DOIG
Chike Kandi bagged a brace as Dulwich Hamlet came from behind to beat Welling United 3-1 in the London Senior Cup.
Both teams made multiple changes to their line-ups following National League South defeats three days earlier. Only four Dulwich players started both games while Welling made six changes to their starting 11.
Just two minutes had passed when AJ Harris-Sealy cut in from the right wing and fired in a shot that came back out off the underside of the bar. Then James Dayton came close but his shot was cleared off the line by Bradley Pearce.
At the other end, Stefan Ilic was thwarted by the outstretched left boot of Charlie Grainger. But the hosts were soon threatening again when Deon Moore’s shot was saved and Kandi’s follow up was deflected wide.
Dayton shot wide from distance before Welling went close again when Joe Muscatt’s cross just evaded Daniel Carr.
The deadlock was broken in the 25th minute. Bradley Stevenson cut in from the left wing and arrowed his shot just inside the far post.
Ilic glanced a header just wide before Alpha Diallo fired well over for Dulwich from 25 yards.
Five minutes before the break, the hosts levelled. Harris-Sealy pulled it back and Kandi’s shot took a big deflection off Maxwell Statham to wrong-foot Sims and find its way into the net.
Ten minutes after the interval, the same Dulwich players combined to put them ahead. Harris-Sealy got in behind and hit it across the face of goal and Kandi arrived at the far post to smash it home from close range.
Five further minutes had passed when the contest was as good as ended. Moore burst through and was felled by the outrushing Sims. Although the Welling goalkeeper escaped with a yellow card, he was still punished when he was unable to hold Harris-Sealey’s free-kick and Jamal Abubakari followed up to mark his debut with a goal.
Grainger beat out a Stevenson free-kick then Carr curled over as the visitors tried to get back into the game.
Dulwich came close again when Kandi rounded Sims but Pearce got back to clear off the line as the livewire striker looked to complete his hat-trick.
O’Shane Stewart came close to reducing the arrears when his shot came back off the post but Welling had to play the last 10 minutes with 10 men when, having used all their substitutes, Yannais Drais limped off injured.
As the game went into injury time Pearce and Statham charged down shots but they were powerless to prevent Dulwich from progressing to the third round and an away game at Hendon.
PICTURES: DAVE BUDDEN
Main Pic: Jamal Abubakari, far right, seals the game for Dulwich