Our lucky break has got to come soon, says Hemel Hempstead Town boss Bircham

There was frustration for Hemel Hempstead Town as the 10 men of Dulwich Hamlet came away with a hard-earned 1-1 draw after a feisty affair at Vauxhall Road.

Hamlet had goalkeeper Charlie Grainger to thank after an inspired second-half display that kept the home side at bay, saving several goal bound efforts, some at point blank range but he also had the woodwork come to his rescue on two occasions when he did find himself beaten.

And, despite registering their first point on home soil in the Vanarama National League South this season, Tudors boss Lee Bircham was left feeling that it was one that got away.

“It did, it felt like that a little bit,” Bircham said.

“I know people say it’s hard to play against 10 men but, let’s be honest, it’s harder to play with 10 against 11.

“When you are down to 10 men you need your goalkeeper to have an absolute worldie and their goalkeeper did.

“We haven’t had one game yet where we have nicked something that we didn’t quite deserve.

“Every point we have had so far we have had to dominate games to get.

“Every team needs their lucky break and our’s has got to come at some stage.”

Ex-Tudor Deon Moore went close for the visitors had the first real chance on 15 minutes when he broke away down the right and fired in from a tight angle but the ball skidded wide of the far post.

Hemel looked the more likely to score after that and they hit the bar when Stephen Duke McKenna curled a lovely free kick over the wall.

But it was Dulwich who broke the deadlock whenReggie Young clearly had his shirt pulled as he tried to clear the ball but neither official saw the incident and gave a throw-in to Dulwich.

They took it quickly and cross eluded everyone apart from Danny Mills who had time to pick his spot from 10 yards out.

As half-time approached, the game changed when Dulwich’s Charles Clayden committed a foul and then kicked the ball away, resulting in his second yellow card.

And, from the resulting free-kick, Nathan Cooper rose to head home and level the scores.

While never really dominating the second half as the 10-man visitors regrouped, Hemel did have the better chances.

Duke-McKenna saw his goal bound shot saved and then a Jake Evans drive was deflected over and, from the resulting corner, Luke Pennell hit the foot of the post with Grainger beaten.

Hamlet couldn’t clear their lines and Evans found the ball at his feet again but, as he directed it towards an unguarded net, Grainger somehow picked himself up off the floor to make a superb save.