Match report from John Crow (19 04 08)

Chatham Town 3 Horsham YMCA 2

Chatham Town’s final home game of the campaign sent the supporters home happy on Saturday, having seen their team win courtesy of three cracking goals - including an amazing 50-yard Free Kick from STEVE HAFNER that left the visiting ‘keeper with a face the colour of the Chatham shirts!

The goal of the game was scored right on the hour mark, after Darren Smith had been sent crashing to the ground by a clumsy challenge from behind by Daren Pearce right on the halfway line. Hafner, on as a Second Half substitute for Dominic Elmes, doesn’t usually take the Free Kicks but spotted that Ken Westoby had gone “walkabout” and was staring into space on the edge of the 18-yard box.

With the Referee having given him the signal, the Chatham man duly launched an almighty kick goalward - that saw the ball sail over the head of the ‘keeper into the Luton End goal, bringing the supporters to their feet in delight. What a way to finish such a troubled season. On a personal note, I have to say that in over 40 years of watching the Chats, that is the furthest out that I can ever remember having seen a player score from.

The game had started with a few unfamiliar faces in the Chatham line-up, especially in goal - where promising 17-year old Daniel Ellis was handed his first-ever Ryman League start. Up front, meanwhile, Dominic Elmes was starting his first game since October 6th last year - having battled back from a broken leg. On the bench, too, was young Michael Dodsworth, skipper of the Reserve Team that reached the Final of the Kent League Floodlight Trophy last Tuesday.

With Chatham hoping to go out in style, though, they got off to the worst possible start - when they found themselves a goal behind with just four minutes on the clock. RICHARD GREENFIELD was the man on target, firing the ball past an unsighted Ellis through a crowded 18-yard box, to give his already relegated side an unlikely lead.

Despite this early setback, it was clearly the Chats who were in control of the game, and they might have been back on level terms in the 18th minute, when Tommy Binks brought the ball forward on the left, before setting up the chance for Darren Smith - who let fly from fully 25 yards, only to see the ball scrape the top of the crossbar with Westoby flapping.

Shortly after, the first of the game’s nine Yellow Cards - hard to believe in a match that did not contain one really bad foul - went the way of Horsham Y.M.C.A.’s Greg Palmer, setting up a Free Kick for the Chats which, in turn, set up a chance for Dave Botterill to pull his shot narrowly wide of the right post from just outside the Penalty Area.

The real change in Chatham’s fortunes came following a 27th minute Caution for Tommy Binks, as manager Steve Binks rearranged the formation - switching young Justin Ascheri over to the left wing, and allowing Mark Brooks to push forward on the right. And it was a little piece of magic from Brooks just five minutes later, on the right edge of the Penalty Area, that led to him laying the ball back to DAVE BOTTERILL - whose left-foot shot somehow crept between the reach of Westoby and the foot of the right post, to level the scores once again.

Unfortunately, it was the Referee who took centre-stage again shortly before Half-Time, however, first showing the Yellow Card to Horsham Y.M.C.A.’s Glen Woodburn - after they had run into each other while both looking in opposite directions - and then to Dean Carden, for pulling back Ascheri as he headed for goal with the ball at his feet.

The start of the Second Half saw Hafner, who was left out of the starting 11 after bruising his foot in the previous game, come on in place of Elmes - and in the 55th minute he set up the opening that saw Chatham take the lead for the first time.

Sending the ball through from the centre circle, despite being knocked to the ground in the process by an opponent, he saw it fall neatly into the path of skipper DARREN SMITH - who took it into his stride on the edge of the 18-yard box, before lashing an unstoppable shot past Westoby for his 17th goal of the season.

Two minutes later, and a great ball from Ascheri wide on the left picked out the head of Brooks in the middle, only for the ‘keeper to just hang on to the attempt right under the crossbar. From the resulting long ball upfield, however, the visitors found themselves back on level terms - completely against the run of play.

Once again it was GREENFIELD who did the damage, as the quick break found him with only Ellis to beat. The young ‘keeper came off his line, and spread himself in an attempt to smother the ball, but Greenfield bided his time - and took the ball round Ellis before rolling it into the empty net.

That amazing third goal, in the space of just five minutes, restored Chatham’s advantage however - and for the visitors there was to be no way back. There was, though, to be a late scare for Chatham following the award of a generous Free Kick to Horsham Y.M.C.A. in the closing minutes of the game.

The powerfully-struck attempt from just outside the Penalty Area drew an amazing reaction save from Ellis, as he somehow got down to block the ball on the line. Matt Russell followed up to force the ball home at the second attempt, but his celebrations were abruptly cut short by Mr. Regan who had seen him clearly fouling the ‘keeper in the process.

The angry scenes that followed the final whistle saw both John Suter, the Horsham Y.M.C.A. manager, and his Assistant, shown Yellow Cards for comments made regarding this decision. But for Chatham and their supporters there was nothing left to do but celebrate. The win lifts the club one place to 18th in Division One South of the Ryman League.


CHATHAM: D.Ellis; T.Binks; R.Finn (S.Suter - 77m); M.Solly; D.Larkin; S.Best; D.Smith;
M.Brooks (M.Dodsworth - 80m); D.Elmes (S.Hafner - H.T.); D.Botterill; J.Ascheri.
Other Subs.: T.James; R.Denness.

Referee: Mr. I.Regan (Ashford) Att.: 121

Match report taken from CTFC Forum (12/04/08)

Sittingbourne 2 CHATHAM TOWN 1

That lead was short lived though. Four minutes later, Sittingbourne won a free kick just outside the penalty area and their leading scorer Bradley Spice stepped up to take the kick. Oravec got a hand to his shot, but it curled away from him and Sittingbourne were level - slightly against the run of play.

For the rest of the first half, both sides had some good attacks but came away with nothing. Chatham continued to look the better side though, and at 1-1 at half time the game was ours for the taking.

Both teams had good chances in the early part of the second half, with Tyran James going close for Chatham. Then there was what looked like a serious cut to the face suffered by Brickies' skipper Joe Dowley - it needed the attention of both physios and an ambulance was sent for; I hope he recovers soon.

With the rain returning, the game got a bit scrappy for a while and 1-1 was beginning to look the likely result, even though Mark Brooks went close on 81 minutes. But two minutes later, Sittingbourne took the lead for the first time thanks to a long range shot from Dave Milton. Two good efforts inside the space of a minute from Darren Smith, a succession of Chatham corners, and nine minutes of injury time all followed - but we were unable to get the ball into the net, and the final whistle blew leaving us slightly unlucky losers.

All the same, Sittingbourne are no better a team than we are. Apart from Dover (who we beat twice, as you may know), Dulwich Hamlet (who won't be making the playoffs), and the two at the bottom who are now well adrift, there really isn't much to choose between anyone in the division. Which means that as we end this season, we can think that next season could easily bring us a much higher placing.

Even though the match up the road at Whitstable was abandoned because of the rain, as the train back to Rochester went through Rainham there was cricket to be seen. That sport will be occupying my Saturday afternoons from next week until the end of August, weather permitting - so have a good summer if I don't see you guys until September!

Sittingbourne 2 (Spice 19, Milton 84) Chatham Town 1 (Hafner 14)
Team: Oravec, Binks, James (Ascheri), Solly, Avery, Larkin, Smith, Brooks, Hafner, Best (Elmes), Suter (Botterill).
Referee: Mr S Butler (Kent).
Attendance: 168.

Match report taken from CTFC Forum (05/04/08)

CHATHAM TOWN 3 Kingstonian 1

Yes, we've beaten Kingstonian three times this season and we've beaten Dover Athletic twice. No club was ever going to get relegated with those statistics to its name!

One of Chatham Town's best performances of the season today as we beat Kingstonian 3-1, which ended any thoughts of relegation and dented our visitors' playoff hopes.

A slightly unfamiliar look to the team as we started today's game, and the omens didn't look good as Miroslav Oravec was forced into action in the first minute. But we needn't have worried - on 9 minutes we won a free kick just outside the penalty area, and Darren Smith blasted it into the net to give us the lead.

Eight minutes later, and we were two up with Tom Davey scoring from close range. And for the rest of the first half, we were all over our higher placed visitors - Richard Avery came close to putting us three up from a narrow angle, while Kingstonian were a little lucky to keep eleven players on the field after a Chatham player took a boot to the head while on the ground on the edge of the box.

2-0 at half time, and little alarm in the early part of the second half. Unsurprisingly, Kingstonian came back into the game and there was some sustained pressure from them, but to no avail until they pulled a goal back on 75 minutes. They were soon back in our penalty area, but then we broke from defence and Darren Smith was brought down in the box at the other end. The goalkeeper got a hand on the resulting penalty, but couldn't keep it out and at 3-1 down Kingstonian knew they were beaten. The remaining minutes passed without alarm - except for a flailing Kingstonian arm resulting in a second of their players being lucky to stay on the pitch - and the whistle blew to confirm our place in the league for next season.

What with Horsham YMCA and Molesey both losing, we would actually have been safe in any case, but what better way to secure our place than with a performance like this. Play this well every week next season, and we'll be nearer the top three than the bottom three. Dover won as well today to secure the championship, so that's one team we won't be playing next time.

Chatham Town 3 (Smith 9, 83 pen, Davey 17) Kingstonian 1 (Huckle 75)
Team: Oravec, Binks, Finn, Solly, Avery, Larkin, Smith, Davey, Hafner (Best), James (Trabelsi), Botterill (Suter).
Referee: Mr C Hatzidakis.
Attendance: 211.

Match report from John Crow (24/03/08)

CHATHAM TOWN 0 Cray Wanderers 1

Cray Wanderers came to the Maidstone Road Ground on Easter Monday boasting a 24-match unbeaten run in Division One South of the Ryman League. Over the years these two teams have fought out some great battles in both the Metropolitan League and Kent League, but sadly this wasn’t one of them - deep down, though, Chatham Town will know that Cray were there for the taking.

Having lost out to the weather as far as Friday’s scheduled visit to Tooting & Mitcham United was concerned, Chatham’s hopes of a bumper gate for the Holiday fixture were not aided by the blizzard that hit an hour before Kick Off. By the time the game actually got underway, though, the sun was shining in a clear blue sky - not that it helped raise the temperature appreciably!

Probably the most disappointed man in the ground, was Ross Finn - who, having missed much of the season through injury, picked up a knock during the pre-match warm-up that left him barely able to stand. Danny Larkin was swiftly drafted into his place at left-back, leaving the Chats with just four substitutes to call on during the game itself.

After a tentative start, the first real chance of the afternoon fell to Chatham’s Rob Denness in the 14th minute, when he was put through on the left by Mark Brooks. He took the ball through into the 18-yard box, but was unable to get in a shot under pressure from David Hall.

At the other end, meanwhile, Chatham ‘keeper Miroslav Oravec was rarely called into action during the opening 45 minutes - dealing comfortably with most of the balls that came his way. Indeed, the first clear-cut opening for Cray Wanderers - which fell to Lewis Wood in the 28th minute - saw him pull his shot tamely wide of the left upright.

The goal that was to decide the game arrived in the 34th minute, courtesy of a little bit of magic from big Michael Power. A rare spell of sustained pressure from the visitors saw them pick out Power on the left edge of the Penalty Area, and he wrong-footed Tommy Binks - before unleashing a cracking shot into the top right-hand corner of the goal, that gave Oravec no chance.

And that was about it as far as goalmouth action went in the First Half, with the exception of a Dean Morris Free Kick that whistled over the crossbar a few minutes later, Chatham - as so often this season - seeing plenty of the possession, but being unable to carve out any real chances to test Glen Knight in the Luton End goal.

In fact, the final action of the First Half was the bizarre decision to send on Ross Lover in place of Cray skipper Jamie Kempster two minutes into time added on - a managerial decision that had the other club officials shaking their heads in bewilderment.

The Second Half saw the visitors start brightly, with Oravec being called into action in the 52nd minute with a magnificent two-handed diving save to deny Power a second of the afternoon at the foot of the left post, while a couple of minutes later both the ‘keeper and Danny Larkin were called upon to make goal line clearances in another melee.

At the other end, meanwhile, Tom Davey came close to restoring parity just before the hour mark - when he took the ball through into the 18-yard box from the left, before aiming a shot at the top right-hand corner of the goal that Knight took at full stretch. Straight from the resulting clearance, the Chats pumped the ball forward once again - with Knight coming well off his line to punch clear off the head of Denness.

Chatham made their first change in the 65th minute, when Steve Hafner went on in place of youngster Justin Ascheri - who must have covered nearly every blade of grass on the pitch, as he tirelessly chased the ball. And the substitution almost paid off instantly when Hafner chased what looked a hopeless ball into the 18-yard box, only to pull it back into the path of Denness in the middle. Knight managed to get there first, but the ball was played straight back in to Denness - who this time put his shot straight into the body of the advancing ‘keeper.

Two further changes saw Tyran James come on in a straight swap for Mark Brooks with 17 minutes left on the clock, and he was joined ten minutes later by Dave Botterill who took over from Davey on the left. And it was Botterill who might have rescued a deserved draw for Chatham in the dying seconds of the game, when he spotted Knight way off his line and lofted the ball goalward from fully 30 yards out - only to see it drop agonisingly wide of the left post.

With Horsham Y.M.C.A. and Molesey also both having lost on Monday, Chatham now require just six points from their five remaining fixtures to be sure of Ryman League football next season - and they have a golden opportunity to aid their cause tomorrow, (Saturday), when they travel to Molesey.

A win for the Chats will go a long way towards ensuring their own safety, and will also condemn the Surrey side to the dreaded drop. Team boss Steve Binks will be without the services of both Shane Suter and Mark Brooks, however, as they are both serving two-match suspensions.

Chatham’s Reserves, meanwhile, can do their own hopes of back-to-back Kent League Championships no end of good - as they entertain current Division One leaders Thamesmead Town at Maidstone Road. Both games Kick Off at 3.00pm.


CHATHAM: M.Oravec; T.Binks; D.Larkin; M.Solly; R.Avery; S.Best; D.Smith; M.Brooks (T.James - 73m);
J.Ascheri (S.Hafner - 65m); R.Denness; T.Davey (D.Botterill - 83m).
Other Sub: L.Craddock (GK).

Referee: Mr. P.Knight (Canterbury) Att.: 195

Match report from John Crow (15/03/08)

CHATHAM TOWN 1 Whitstable Town 2

Probably the most overworked cliché in the football writers’ handbook, is that old favourite the “game of two halves”. But if anything sums up Chatham’s performance against Whitstable on Saturday, then that is the phrase - put simply, had they scored the goals that their dominance of the opening 45 minutes threatened, then they would have had the match won by Half Time. Instead two basic errors in the Second Half sent visiting manager Marc Seager home happy from one of his old stamping grounds, almost certainly guaranteeing his club Ryman League football next season.

On what started as a pleasant early Spring afternoon, the Chats were on the offensive right from the opening whistle - with their visitors restricted to just one serious attempt on goal in the entire First Half - former Chatham man Ian Pulman blasting his shot wide, with barely five minutes on the clock.

Within seconds, though, it was Chatham who came agonisingly close to taking the lead down at the Luton End. Darren Smith’s cross from the left picking out Tom Davey on the edge of the six-yard box, only for his header to scrape just over the ‘bar with ‘keeper Kevin Fewell flapping.

And that set the tone for much of what followed, the Whitstable defence offering no real threat to the rampaging Chatham forwards - but nobody able to hit the target. Rob Denness came desperately close in the 32nd minute, though, battling through to the edge of the 18-yard box with the ball seemingly glued to his foot, before unleashing an absolute rocket of a shot that Fewell somehow managed to turn over the crossbar at full stretch.

A minute later, and Denness was back for another go - this one passing just over the top unaided - then, in the 35th minute, Chatham finally got the goal that they had been threatening for so long. And who more deserving than the hardworking MARK BROOKS to claim it, Darren Smith picking out his team mate all alone in the Penalty Area. Fewell never stood a chance.

Seager was clearly not a happy man come the interval, and he lost no time in letting his young side know exactly what he thought of their performance. And it clearly paid off, as they came out determined to get back into the game in the Second Half. Chatham, meanwhile, had problems - with influential veteran Steve Best unable to continue, his place being taken for the restart by Danny Larkin.

And, within three minutes, Whitstable were back on level terms thanks to a hideous mix-up in the rearranged Chatham defence. There seemed to be no danger as the ball was headed back to Miroslav Oravec by a defender but, somehow, the pass fell short - and, as the ‘keeper came rushing off his line to hoof it to safety he missed the ball completely as it bounced up off the notorious Maidstone Road playing surface, leaving MARCOS PERONA with the kind of opportunity that a striker dreams of, as he nipped round both players to tap the ball into the wide-open goal.

There was a stoppage soon after the restart, after Denness’s jaw got in the way of a wild high kick from Clint Gooding - the Referee waving the offending man away after the briefest of chats, though he would later Caution three players including Brooks, for the most innocuous of offences.

Barely had the game got going once again, though, than Chatham found themselves a goal behind. As with the first goal, the finger of blame would be pointed at a combination of defence and goalkeeper, as the Chats failed to get the ball away following a Corner Kick on the right by Jake Gess. Eventually, at the third attempt, LIAM QUINN fired the ball into the net past Oravec from just inside the Penalty Area, to the obvious delight of his team mates.

By no means ready to give up, the Chats could have been back on level terms just after the hour mark - Brooks putting over a great cross from the right that picked out the head of Davey in a crowded 18-yard box, only for Fewell to once again somehow force the ball over the top.

From the resulting Corner Kick, the ball reached Denness who again found the head of Davey - this time from the right - but, with Fewell beaten for once Quinn was there to head the ball off the goal line and preserve the lead.

With a little over 25 minutes remaining, Shane Suter was sent on in place of a strangely subdued Dave Botterill, and he immediately began creating his usual brand of havoc among the defenders on the left - much to the clear delight of his own personal fan club in the Bourneville Road Stand.

Gooding received his Yellow Card shortly after, and was soon joined in the Referee’s notebook by Brooks following a textbook tackle on Quinn that clearly won the ball. Whitstable substitute Dan Wisker would receive the final Caution of the game, nearly five minutes into time added on at the end.

By now a persistent rain had begun to fall, which did little to aid the Chatham players as they struggled to keep their feet on the greasy surface. Meanwhile, a final throw of the dice saw Justin Ascheri replace a strangely subdued Dave Botterill in the 81st minute.

The final chance of an equaliser for the Chats came with some three minutes of normal time remaining. Once again it was skipper Darren Smith who was the provider, creating space on the right to fire a deadly low cross into the heart of the Penalty Area.

Suter and Ross Finn were on hand to try and turn the ball into the goal on the edge of the six-yard box, both losing their footing as they tried to get on the end of the cross. And it oh so nearly paid off, but for that man Fewell who somehow managed to get part of his body in the way of the shot - and then grabbed the loose ball before anyone in a Chatham shirt could react.

The defeat, Chatham’s 17th of the campaign, sees them drop one place to 18th in Division One South of the Ryman League - one place beneath Whitstable, who leapfrog them having started the day just outside the relegation zone.


CHATHAM: M.Oravec; T.Binks; R.Finn; M.Solly; R.Avery; S.Best (D. Larkin - H.T.); D.Smith; M.Brooks;
D.Botterill (S.Suter - 64m); R.Denness; T.Davey (J.Ascheri - 81m).

Referee: Mr. W.Atkin (Crawley) Att.: 219

Man of the Match Award
Selected by Match Sponsor - Tony Kitchen

Mark Brooks

Match report from John Crow (01/03/08)

CHATHAM TOWN 1 Walton Casuals 0

After a run of five matches without a win during the month of February, Chatham were able to boost themselves up to 15th place in Division One South of the Ryman League - following a win over Walton Casuals, whose final score in no way reflected their almost total dominance of the game.

In the matchday programme, the editor had pointed out that just one goal scored in each of Chatham’s ten League draws this season would mean that they would now be chasing for a place in the Play-Offs rather than having to worry about the form of the teams in the Relegation Zone below them - and this match proved to be a case in point, as Steve Hafner’s first-ever goal for the club - having previously played for them in the 2003/04 season - made sure that all three points would be staying in the Medway Towns.

On what was a beautiful afternoon for football, although the ground had clearly suffered some damage from the high winds the night before, it was the Chats who clearly showed that they were up for it right from the off - though the game was to be brought to a dramatic halt with less than four minutes on the clock.

The Chats had just been awarded their first Corner Kick of the afternoon, and as the ball was floated over from the right, big defender Joe Hammond mistimed his jump on the far post - colliding with the upright, and leaving it shaking as he collapsed on the goal line.

Both physios were immediately called to the scene by the concerned Referee, and after several minutes of treatment Hammond was helped from the field with a bandage wound round his head to staunch the flow of blood. Clearly, he was in no condition to continue - and he was quickly replaced on the field by James Crowe, before being rushed to Hospital by ambulance to check on the full extent of his injuries.

As often happens, play on the field was somewhat subdued for a while thereafter - though the Chats had no difficulty in keeping control of the ball, with ‘keeper Miroslav Oravec reduced to the role of spectator at the other end as Walton Casuals made it across the halfway line on just a handful of occasions.

Despite the return to the frontline of Hafner, alongside Rob Denness who has rejoined the club after seemingly falling out of favour at Ashford Town, clear-cut chances were once again at a premium for the Chats. Danny Larkin, Shane Suter and Matt Solly all had good openings, but Craig Bradshaw - in the Luton End goal - seemed to be leading a charmed life.

Indeed, it was the visitors who might have snatched an unlikely lead against the run of play in the 23rd minute. Jamel Carr got on the end of a quick punt upfield, and broke through in the middle with only Oravec to beat, but the ‘keeper forced him out wide - and, when he eventually lofted the ball across, Nana Badu could only head hopelessly wide of the right post.

Just when the supporters were beginning to wonder if they were in for Chatham’s seventh goalless draw of the campaign, however, up popped Hafner to score a goal which will certainly linger long in the memory - even if there was a suspicion about what he was actually trying to do.

Suter started the move from deep inside the Chatham half of the field, sending Denness away up the wing - who, in turn, layed the ball into the path of Hafner wide on his left. With Bradshaw well out of his goalmouth, HAFNER opted to launch a ball into the six-yard box which fooled everybody when it suddenly dipped into the top right-hand corner of the net, bringing the crowd to their feet with delight.

With the game just about to enter stoppage time, it was the ideal time to score - and the Walton players still looked stunned some four minutes later, as they trudged from the field ready to hear just what manager Luke Dowling thought of their First Half performance.

The Second Half took up just where the First had left off, with the Chats clearly in control of the game but somehow unable to claim a second goal - though not for want of trying.

A good move up the right saw Tom Davey flick the ball across to the feet of Suter on the far side of the 18-yard box in the 55th minute, his shot leaving Bradshaw flatfooted as it flashed back across the face of goal - only to fly agonisingly wide of the foot of the right post.

The only Caution of the game went the way of a clearly frustrated Badu a couple of minutes later, but just after the hour mark it was skipper Darren Smith’s turn to come oh so close - as he fired the ball over the crossbar from the right edge of the Penalty Area. Then some five minutes later he went even nearer, getting on the end of a pinpoint cross from Suter wide on the left, only to again see his well-struck volley flash narrowly over the top.

Perhaps the best chance of the Second Half fell to Hafner in the 83rd minute, though, as slack defending allowed him to advance into the 18-yard box on the left with only Bradshaw to beat. Once again, however, it all came to nothing - as he lifted the ball over the advancing ‘keeper, only to see it carry on over the top of the crossbar.

Chatham’s final chance fell to Denness shortly after, as he once again did battle with Centre Half Jack Francis. On a previous occasion, a clumsy challenge by the Walton Casuals player had seem him come off worse - as he tried to muscle Denness off the ball unsuccessfully.

This time he did better, timing his challenge well as he slid in to take the ball off the foot of Denness as he lined up the shot some ten yards out. Indeed, so successful was he that the Referee even awarded him a Goal Kick as a reward!

Perhaps mindful of the furore that followed his failure to play out the full period of Injury Time on his previous visit to Maidstone Road - when the floodlights fell victim to a power cut at the end of the game against Dover back in January - Mr. Harris was clearly taking no risks this time, as he allowed the game to run and run as the visitors threw everything they had into one final attempt to get over the halfway line.

Chatham boss Steve Binks was able to counter that, however, sending on Justin Ascheri in place of Suter with two extra minutes already played - though there were nearly five more still to go. It was to be Chatham’s afternoon, however, the players staying on the field after the final whistle to applaud the spectators who had kept up a barrage of noisy support throughout the game.


CHATHAM: M.Oravec; T.Binks; D.Larkin; M.Solly; R.Avery; S.Best; D.Smith; T.Davey; S.Hafner;
R.Denness; S.Suter (J.Ascheri - 90m).
Other Subs.: D.Botterill; M.Brooks; T.James.

Referee: Mr. P.Harris (Maidstone) Att.: 107


Man of the Match Award
Selected by Match Sponsors - Shepherd Neame

Steve Hafner

Match report taken from CTFC Forum (23/02/08)

Leatherhead 2   Chatham Town 1

With this week's three new signings all on parade at Fetcham Grove today, there was a new look to the Chatham team. We made a bright start as well, with a good run from the returning Rob Denness practically from the kick off. Leatherhead came the nearest to an early goal though, when from a 14th minute corner the ball was cleared off the line by a defender positioned some way behind Miroslav Oravec.

All the same, we were looking the better side and it was no surprise when we took the lead on 20 minutes. The ball broke to Shane Suter in the area, and with his fourth touch (we think) he slotted it home.

Still we looked the better side, and it was a bit against the run of play when Leatherhead equalised on 34 minutes. A shot from the edge of the area with the goalkeeper misplaced hit the bar, but rebounded to Steve McNamara who put the ball in the net. The referee's assistant had his flag raised as the ball went in, but he was overruled and the goal stood.

Four minutes later there was a fracas involving Steve Hafner and a Leatherhead player, and a bit of pushing and shoving developed among other players of both teams. Both the initial offenders were shown the yellow card - and it could have been the red one - but the situation was soon calmed down.

Leatherhead took the lead with the last action of the first half - an excellent strike from a narrow angle by Tommy Hutchings. They'd have to be considered a bit lucky to turn around in the lead, but on our first half performance there was no reason why we couldn't still have gone on to win the game.

Unfortunately though, the second half was less entertaining than the first, and serious attempts on goal were few. Both managers ran through their substitutes in an attempt to settle the game, but to no avail. On 83 minutes, Steve Best might perhaps have been fouled as he readied himself to shoot, but the referee was unconvinced, and ultimately the game ended tamely with Leatherhead choosing to keep possession by the corner flag.

Leatherhead 2 (McNamara 34, Hutchings 45) Chatham Town 1 (Suter 20)
Team: Oravec, Binks, Finn, Avery, Larkin, Best, D Smith, Brooks (Botterill), Hafner (Ascheri), Denness, Suter (Davey).
Sub not used: Govey.
Attendance: 137.
Referee: Mr J Simpson (Royal Air Force).

Match report from John Crow (16/02/08)

CHATHAM TOWN 0    Whyteleafe 2

 
On a bitterly cold afternoon at the Maidstone Road Ground, there was little about this game likely to raise the temperature of the onlookers in an encounter that was almost devoid of incident - until, that is, the 85th minute dismissal of Chatham substitute Sabeur Trabelsi.

The 29 year old Tunisian International, who joined the club from Ryman League rivals Sittingbourne, was just two minutes into his First Team debut - having scored in his first game for the Reserves the weekend before - when he was shown the Red Card by Mr. Brook.  His crime - raising his hand to protect his face from the attentions of Whyteleafe’s Ali Reeve, which was interpreted by the Referee as an attempt to elbow his opponent.  Reeve was shown the Yellow Card for his part in the incident.

Despite this late flash of excitement, however, there had been little enough in the previous 85 minutes to interest the home supporters - as Steve Binks makeshift team, with key players missing in every position bar ‘keeper through injury or suspension, struggled to spark the game into life.

With Shane Suter serving a one-match ban for totting up five Yellow Cards, there was also no Rob Goodger or Chris Tedder at the back - both still likely to face long lay-offs through injury - while Tyran James and Craig Govey both failed to finish the game as their injuries flared up again, Ross Finn having been left on the sidelines to avoid just that.

That said it was the Chats who started the livelier of the two teams, winning a string of Corner Kicks early on, while they also had legitimate claims for a Penalty Kick waved away by the Referee in just the seventh minute - after James was manhandled to the ground from behind by Danny Boxall in front of goal.

It was a Free Kick some 30 yards outside the Whyteleafe 18-yard box just two minutes later, though, that nearly led to the opening goal.  Darren Smith struck one of his specials, and it took some great reactions from visiting ‘keeper Robert Tolfrey to keep the ball out of the top left-hand corner when defender Adam Broomhead sliced his attempted block.

Slowly, however, the visitors started to get their act together - and it took a goal-line clearance from veteran Steve Best to preserve Chatham’s clean sheet in the 17th minute, after Michael Riley got on the end of a Corner Kick from the left.

Nine minutes later, though, and the visitors were in front.  This time it was a Corner Kick from the other side that did the damage, SEAN RIVERS bundling the ball over the line from close range - while Chatham ‘keeper Miroslav Oravec was left requiring a lengthy spell of treatment, after being knocked to the ground during the move.

And as far as goalmouth action went, that was pretty much it until just seconds before the Half-Time whistle, when another long-range Free Kick for Chatham - this time taken by Tom Davey - once again tested Tolfrey to the limit.  He was able to block the powerfully struck effort, but had to act swiftly to grab the loose ball as Best was about to fire home the rebound.

Having clearly been out of sorts for much of the opening 45 minutes, it came as no real surprise when Govey had to be replaced eight minutes after the restart.  Dave Botterill, himself making a comeback from a long injury lay-off, taking over on the left.

Within seconds, though, it was Davey who was on the ground requiring treatment.  He still managed to fire a low ball across the face of goal following a good break up the right before hitting the ground, but unfortunately there was no one on hand in the middle to turn the ball into the open goal.

Just when hopes were beginning to rise that the Chats might be about to stage some sort of a comeback, however, Mr. Brook stunned nearly everyone in the ground by pointing to the Penalty Spot at the other end.

It started with a high looping ball into the Chatham 18-yard box from wide on the right, which was the object of the attentions of Whyteleafe’s Daniel Platel and Chatham’s Mark Brooks.  With both players following the flight of the ball, they clearly had no real idea where their opponent was - resulting in Brooks brushing against the back of Platel, who promptly went down.

It was Rivers who stepped up to take the spot kick, following a Yellow Card for Brooks, and though Oravec went the right way he needn’t have bothered - as the ball came crashing back off the crossbar, before being hoofed to safety by Danny Larkin, while the ironic cheers of the home supporters rang around the ground.  Once again justice had been seen to be done.

Another Caution went the way of a Chatham player just minutes later, as Nathan Ballin reacted to yet another niggly foul - and promptly found his name going into the book.  This stoppage also saw the departure of a strangely subdued Tyran James, to be replaced by Justin Ascheri.

And it was a change that immediately paid off, as with Brooks pushing forward for the first time in the game the two players combined well on the right to set up a chance for Brooks on the edge of the 18-yard box - that was blocked by Alhajie Jabbie.

At the other end, meanwhile, Oravec did well to cut out a powerfully struck cross by Platel on the left in the 71st minute - but he could only look on in horror seven minutes later, as a second goal for Whyteleafe made sure the three points would be heading back to Surrey.

With the Chats starting to increase the pressure at the Luton End, there were only Oravec and Best on hand in the other half of the field when a long ball up the middle sent Rivers away towards goal.  Unfortunately, though, catching up with his opponent just inside the Penalty Area it appeared to be the foot of Best that got the final touch on the ball, as he attempted to play it back to his ‘keeper - sending it instead into the top right-hand corner of the goal, wide of the reach of the stunned Oravec.

In a final throw of the dice, Binks sent on Trabelsi for Ballin - with disastrous results as it turned out - while from the Free Kick awarded for the original foul that sparked Trabelsi’s dismissal, Darren Smith came agonisingly close to a consolation goal for the Chats as his Free Kick curled just wide of the unprotected right post.

CHATHAM:  M.Oravec; T.Binks; T.James (J.Ascheri - 62m); M.Solly; D.Larkin; S.Best; D.Smith;
                   M.Brooks; N.Ballin (S.Trabelsi - 83m); T.Davey; C.Govey (D.Botterill - 53m).
                   Other Sub.:  M.Rowe.

Referee:  Mr. C. Brook (St. Leonards-on-Sea)                                                                              Att.:  152

Match report taken from CTFC Forum(09/02/08)

Walton and Hersham  2 Chatham Town 1

Chatham Town returned from their first visit to Stompond Lane for 54 years ruing missed opportunities which could have cost them all three points. For those who've not been to Walton and Hersham's ground, it's like getting caught up in Life on Mars - there is grass banking, a wooden fence around the perimeter, a six lane running track between that and the pitch, and an Anderson shelter covering up the long jump pit.

The first half was unattractive - hopeful long balls, too much pushing and niggling, and the home team took the lead on 35 minutes with the first serious shot of the match. It was a decently worked goal from Rob George though, with the Chatham goalkeeper left stranded off his line.

The second half was altogether a better game of football. Chatham opened the half brightly, and Craig Govey went close to an equaliser when he latched onto a cross-cum-shot from Darren Smith. A minute later and a Shane Suter cross narrowly missed an advancing Chatham head. All in all, it was rather against the run of play when W&H doubled their lead on 67 minutes - a melee of players in the box, a suspicion of a foul on Oravec, but the goal stood. Much to the dismay of Suter, whose protests earned him a yellow card.

On 71 minutes, Nathan Ballin forced a fine save out of the W&H keeper, and it was beginning to look as though it was just not our day. But four minutes later we were awarded a free kick on the edge of our own penalty area, and the ball went forward to Darren Smith who found himself with not even the goalkeeper to beat as the defence appeared just to stand and watch him. He made no mistake.

For the rest of the game, the ball moved quickly from one end to the other. The Chatham goal wasn't seriously threatened though, while we had two good chances to equalise but were unable to take advantage of them. When the final whistle went, the noisy applause of the small Walton crowd must have been more relief than jubilation.

Walton and Hersham 2 (George 35, someone 67) Chatham Town 1 (D Smith 75)
Team: Oravec, Binks, Govey (Rowe), Solly, Larkin, Best, D Smith, Brooks, Ballin, Davey (Ascheri), Suter.
Sub not used: James.
Attendance: 137.

Match report from John Crow (02/02/08)

CHATHAM TOWN 1    Eastbourne Town 1

 
Chatham Town’s hopes of recording a third win on the bounce at the Maidstone Road Ground were dashed on Saturday, by a combination of the resolute defending of Eastbourne Town - who lived up to their reputation in terms of trying to stifle the game and hit on the break - and the somewhat idiosyncratic interpretation of the laws of the game by Mr. Lennard the Referee.

For the first time this season, team boss Steve Binks was able to name an unchanged side from the team that defeated Worthing the previous Tuesday, though he is hopeful that some more of the injured players will soon be back in contention for a place n the team.

Right from the opening whistle, Chatham attempted to take up where they had left off in the week - with both Mark Brooks and Shane Suter showing a turn of pace on the wings that Eastbourne Town were unable to match.  But it was at the other end that first blood was so nearly drawn in the seventh minute.

Anyone among the Maidstone Road faithful who believed that the Chats were going to have problems following the departure of John Whitehouse, will have had their fears well and truly laid to rest by now - with Miroslav Oravec proving a more than ample replacement.

Indeed, Liam Baitup is probably still wondering how he failed to score - his close-range header seemingly destined for the top left-hand corner of the Luton End net until Oravec somehow managed to throw himself across the face of goal and block the attempt with his outstretched right hand.  I watched him do it, but I still don’t know how he did it!

The action was soon back at the other end, though, as a great ball into the 18-yard box from Ross Finn deep on the left picked out Mark Brooks on the far side of the Area.  He rose majestically above Greg Manton to power a header goalward, only for Greg Nessling  to save at the foot of the right post.

In the 18th minute, Brooks was the provider - as he fired over a ball from the right that just eluded the heads of both Nathan Ballin and Suter in the middle with Nessling flapping.  Then, just four minutes later, the visitors were in front.

The ball in came from Danny Simmons following a quick break on the left and, with nobody picking up big LUKE DENTON in the middle, he headed the ball wide of the despairing reach of Oravec to give Eastbourne Town an unlikely lead.

With the visitors once again drawing the bulk of their players back into defence, the Chats continued to probe for a weakness - and Finn once again set up a great chance for Brooks in the 26th minute.  This time the downward header bounced up and over the head of the struggling ‘keeper, only to scrape the outside of the left upright much to the evident anguish of the supporters behind the goal.

The equaliser was just a matter of time, however, and two minutes before Half-Time the Chats finally struck.  Inevitably it was Finn who was in the heart of the action once again, leaving Alex McKay dizzy on the left edge of the Penalty Area as he spun round him with the ball seemingly glued to his feet.

This time the target was SHANE SUTER, who had switched wings and was drifting in on the far post - and Nessling didn’t stand a chance as the Chatham man slammed the ball past him, to the delight of his own personal fan club - who stood and applauded his somewhat enthusiastic celebrations.

During the interval, Chatham were forced into the first of their substitutions - as Finn had to be withdrawn from the game, having once again succumbed to the injury that has been plaguing him all season.  His place for the restart being taken by Craig Govey.

The Second Half was barely a couple of minutes old when there was a lengthy stoppage, after Eastbourne’s Gary Brockwell tumbled heavily just outside the Chatham 18-yard box.  He was down receiving treatment for fully five minutes, before being half-carried from the field - play restarting with a Goal Kick as no foul had been involved.

If there was no Free Kick on that occasion, however, that was not the case for most of the game - with Mr. Lennard constantly awarding Kicks for the most trivial of infractions, and not always the right way as Matt Solly found out in the 74th minute when he was knocked flying by an opponent twice his size, only to see the Free Kick awarded to Eastbourne!

The only place where Mr. Lennard didn’t seem to want to get involved was in the Penalty Area, the Chats having two valid appeals for a Penalty Kick waved away - the first in just the second minute of the game, when an Eastbourne player put both hands on the shoulders of Ballin to hold him down as a high ball came in from the left.

The most controversial incident of the game, however, came in the 61st minute - and was perhaps responsible for winning the game for Eastbourne.  A rare spell of pressure from the visitors had seen attempts from both Baitup and Mark Goodwin inside the six-yard box that were blocked by a combination of Steve Best, Tom Binks and Oravec.

Then, as Oravec stood holding the ball to his chest with both hands, some 12 yards out from goal, he was barged in the back by an opponent in full view of the Referee, dropping the ball as he went down.  With the Chats confidently looking to the Referee for a Free Kick, BEN PUTLAND took advantage of the situation to tap the ball into the back of the net - the home side being left dumbfounded as Mr. Lennard awarded the goal, and started back for the halfway line chased by a very angry goalkeeper!

For the remainder of the game, Chatham threw everybody forward but were unable to find a way through the mass of bodies in front of them.  The closest that they came to rescuing a share of the points was in the 83rd minute, when Ballin got on the end of a ball from the left - swivelling to take it into his stride, he unleashed a powerful effort from some 12-yards out, only to be denied by Nessling who somehow managed to turn the ball over the crossbar.

The result sees the Chats drop one place again to 16th in the Division - but on a happier note, for the third time this season they feature in the Ryman League’s monthly awards. This time they collect the Team Performance of the Month Award for January, in recognition of their fine win over Dover Athletic.  Ironically, they won the same Award in October - for defeating the same team!

CHATHAM:  M.Oravec; T.Binks; R.Finn (C.Govey - H.T.); M.Solly; D.Larkin; S.Best; D.Smith; M.Brooks;
                   N.Ballin; T.Davey; S.Suter (J.Ascheri - 78m).
                   Other Subs.:  J.Smith; M.Rowe; T.James.

Referee:  Mr. H.W. Lennard (South Nutfield)                                                                                Att.:  110

Match report from John Crow (05/01/08)

CHATHAM TOWN 2    Worthing 1

 
For many of the Maidstone Road faithful, this was their first sight of the Chats since the shock transfer of ‘keeper John Whitehouse to Dover Athletic.  Any fears that they may have had were soon dispelled, however, as Miroslav Oravec turned in an impressive performance between the uprights to keep the Worthing forwards at bay for almost the entire 90 minutes.

Team boss Steve Binks found himself spoilt for choice meanwhile, as with a number of players now returning to fitness after injury there is keen competition for a place in the starting line-up - with the players who have stepped-up from the Reserves of late, having shown that they are more than ready for the rigours of Ryman League football.

And it was one of those former Reserves, Nathan Ballin, who came within the width of the upright of giving Chatham the lead in the ninth minute.  A quick ball upfield ran neatly into his path, and his shot from the edge of the 18-yard box beat the advancing Rikki Banks - only to roll agonisingly wide of the left post.  Pretty soon, the Chats were putting some impressive moves together - and it came as no surprise when they finally took the lead on the half-hour mark.

Mark Brooks it was who did the damage, with a stunning ball over from the right wing that had both Ollie Rowland and Andy Alexander kicking at thin air in the middle of the Penalty Area.  And to make matters worse for them, there was Shane Suter drifting in unnoticed on the left to power an unstoppable shot past Banks to the evident delight of the home supporters.

It was virtually all one way traffic now, as the Worthing defence struggled to contain the Chatham players, and ten minutes later the home side were back to score goal number two.  This time it was Darren Smith who combined with Brooks on the right, as they ran rings around Jamie Lovegrove - who had the unenviable task of stopping them.

Eventually, Brooks fired another of his devastating balls into the danger zone - only to see it strike the back of Alexander on the edge of the 18-yard box.  It bounced only as far as Tommy Binks, however, some 25 yards out from goal - who unleashed a spectacular shot that seemed goalbound from the second it left his foot.

Somehow, Banks managed to get his body in the way of it but, such was the force behind the shot, there was no way he could hang onto it - and there was Ballin, ready to pounce on the loose ball and force it into the back of the Luton End goal from just inside the six-yard box.

The start of the Second Half, saw a much more determined Worthing taking the field - following a tongue-lashing from manager Alan Pook, and with two substitutes on in place of players who were not deemed to be trying hard enough.  It was the Chats who came close to claiming first blood, though, after Brooks was denied at the foot of the right post by Banks in the 51st minute.

Chatham were forced into a change of their own shortly after, when James Smith took over at the back from Steve Best - who was being troubled by a hamstring.  Chatham’s second substitution in the 65th minute, meanwhile, saw Nathan Ballin - who had been a constant thorn in the side of the visiting defence throughout the game, not the least with his formidable turn of speed, replaced by Justin Ascheri.

With Worthing slowly building up a relentless pressure on the Chatham goal, there was still the opportunity for the occasional breakaway move - and midway through the Half, Brooks was once again unlucky as he volleyed narrowly wide from a cross by Suter.

Perhaps the best save of the evening, meanwhile, came at the other end in the 71st minute.  Scott Kirkwood unleashed a piledriver from the edge of the 18-yard box, and though initially he seemed to be going the wrong way Oravec still somehow managed to block the attempt.

Four minutes later, and Worthing appeared to be right back in the game, the Referee spotting a surreptitious tug on the shirt of Kirkwood in the middle of the Chatham 18-yard box.  Rowland was delegated to take the Kick, only to be denied when Oravec went the right way and managed to block the shot.  Unfortunately, though, the ball ran loose and Rowland was the first to react - forcing the ball over the line at the second attempt.

This set up 15 minutes of almost non-stop pressure on the Chatham goal, with young Matt Rowe enduring his share of it - having replaced Binks at right back in the 80th minute.  Just as over a week before though, when they had faced the big guns of Dover, the Chatham defence was not about to crumble and there was to be no way back to a share of the points for the visitors.

The result sees the Chats back up to 15th in the Division, and they have now opened up a ten-point gap between themselves and Horsham Y.M.C.A. who are the highest of the two teams in the relegation zone. 

CHATHAM:  M.Oravec; T.Binks (M.Rowe - 80m); R.Finn; M.Solly; D.Larkin; S.Best (J.Smith - 53m);
                   D.Smith; M.Brooks; N.Ballin (J.Ascheri - 65m); T.Davey; S.Suter.
                   Other Subs.:  C.Govey; T.James.

Referee:  Mr. I. Regan (Ashford)                                                                                                Att.:  117

Match report taken from CTFC Forum(26/01/08)

Metropolitan Police 1 Chatham Town  0

Chatham Town made a bright start on their visit to a sparsely populated Imber Court, with Shane Suter shooting from distance after just three minutes and forcing the Police keeper to tip the ball over for a corner.

That was really the nearest Chatham came to a goal all afternoon though; the game thereafter was frankly scrappy from both teams. Craig Carley put the home club into the lead after 19 minutes when a weak shot left Oravec unsighted. The game then became bad tempered for a while with two Chatham players receiving yellow cards, but there was little goalmouth action for the rest of the half.

Having played Nathan Ballin as a lone striker in the first half, Chatham pushed men forward in the second half in search of an equalizer, but it was not to be. The Police threatened little either, and the final whistle brought an end to a rather dull game.

After the excitement of last week's game, it was perhaps not surprising that Chatham were a bit below par today. All the same, it was frustrating because our hosts looked little better - whatever the league table may say, they are not thirteen league places better than us.

Metropolitan Police 1 (Carley 19) Chatham Town 0
Team: Oravec, Binks, Finn, Larkin, J Smith, Best, D Smith, Goodger, Ballin, Govey (James), Suter (Brooks).
Sub not used: Rowe.
Attendance: 76.

Match Report from John Crow (19/01/08)

CHATHAM TOWN 3    Dover Athletic 1

In the very week that Dover Chairman Jim Parmenter announced that his club were about to "start handing out some hidings",  they visited Chatham Town - the only team to have beaten them in Division One South of the Ryman League this season, back in October last.  Now Chatham are the only club to have done the "double" over Dover - as Steve Binks' patched-up team, with six Reserve players in his 16-man squad, did it again.

Against all pre-match predictions, it was the home side who opened the scoring in the ninth minute - a perfectly delivered cross from Shane Suter on the left picking out Craig Govey on the far post, whose header gave Dean Ruddy no chance much to the delight of the Chatham supporters in the biggest crowd at Maidstone Road since the visit of Maidstone United last season.

Dover, however, had clearly come for the win - as former Gillingham boss Andy Hessenthaler made his return to the Medway Towns in charge of his new team.  And it has to be said that they had much of the play, only to fall short time after time in the face of a rock-solid Chatham defence which was missing the presence of both Rob Goodger and Andy Larkin through suspension.  In their place, veteran Steve Best was ably partnered by James Smith who was making his Ryman League debut.

Three minutes after taking the lead, the Chats somehow weathered the storm with a goal line clearance while, after Hessenthaler had hit the post, a header from Craig Cloke struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced down before being hoofed to safety.  Luckily for the Chats, this Assistant Referee was from Welling rather than Russia!  Sadly for the Dover faithful, though, all too many of the visitors’ shots proved more of a threat to their own supporters behind the goal - rather than John Whitehouse between the uprights.

In amongst all the Dover pressure, however, Chatham might well have extended their lead in the 15th minute but for some spectacular work from Ruddy.  Darren Smith brought the ball up the left, before unleashing a breathtaking shot from some 22 yards out - which drew an equally stunning save as the ‘keeper threw himself to his left, somehow getting a hand to the ball and keeping it out.  He could parry the shot only as far as Govey, but this time his header didn’t bear fruit.

The Half ended with Dover still pressing strongly for the equaliser, only to be denied once again in the 41st minute - as Whitehouse got down well at the foot of the right post to save a powerful header from Jimmy Dryden.

Hessenthaler clearly took advantage of the Half-Time interval to fire up his players, and ten minutes after the interval they finally managed to pierce the Chatham defence.  Craig Cloke was the scorer, getting on the end of a ball over from the right to send a powerful header through a crowd of players from the edge of the 18-yard box, which just eluded the reach of Whitehouse on it’s way into the top right hand corner of the goal.

One of the stars of the show for Chatham on the afternoon, was young Nathan Ballin - who was handed his first start for the Senior side, after impressing when coming on as a substitute to score the equalising  goal at Dulwich Hamlet the week before.  He literally ran himself into the ground during the game, playing as the lone man upfront, and certainly didn’t look like a player more used to the defences in Division One of the Kent League.  His part in the game was to end midway through the Second Half, however.  Having gone down with cramp, he bravely tried to struggle on - but finally had to admit defeat, and was replaced by Justin Ascheri.

A former Maidstone Road favourite, in the shape of Byron Walker - one of three ex-Chats in the Dover line-up - was given a golden opportunity to give his side the lead in the 70th minute, when he got away from Tom Binks on the edge of the Chatham Penalty Area.  With only Whitehouse to beat, however, he tamely hit his shot straight into the waiting goalkeeper’s arms.

And Dover were made to pay as, within seconds, Chatham had restored their lead at the other end.  For some unaccountable reason Dover’s Laurence Ball opted to allow a long punt upfield from Whitehouse to run through to his own ‘keeper - and that was just the opening that Ascheri had been waiting for, as he slipped neatly round the startled Dover man, ran on to the loose ball, and fired it neatly into the back of the net from the edge of the 18-yard box past the advancing  Ruddy.

Three minutes later, though, and all eyes were on Whitehouse once again - as he pulled off an amazing save to deny Dryden from point-blank range right on the goal line, and then dealt neatly with the resulting Corner Kick to the obvious frustration of the Dover fans massed behind his goal.

Sadly, it was to be his final contribution to the game - as just a minute later he was laying motionless on the field his face covered with blood.  Having gathered the ball at the foot of the right post, there is some dispute whether he had dropped it, or whether the ball had been kicked from his hands.  What was not in doubt was that he had been kicked in the face, leaving him with a nasty gash and leading to eight minutes of anxious treatment on the field from the physiotherapists of both clubs before he was helped to the changing rooms to await transportation to Hospital.

In the aftermath, Keister was shown a second Yellow Card - followed by the Red - for his part in the incident, while at least one of his team mates also appears to have been Cautioned in the confusion.  Also into the book went the name of Chatham’s Tom Binks for something said in the heat of the moment.

With Miroslav Oravec on in place of Whitehouse, Chatham clearly now had something to prove, and they came close to scoring almost immediately when Ascheri once again got away on the right before firing the ball into the Luton end goalmouth.  Govey was waiting for the volley, completely unmarked, only to slice the ball wide of the open goal before him.

It was just postponing the inevitable, however, and three minutes after the game should have ended the Chats finally got their third goal.  Walker was dispossessed by Tom Davey on the halfway line, who then slipped a through ball into the path of Chatham’s leading scorer Darren Smith - and with the Chatham supporters on their feet cheering him on he lobbed the ball from fully 25-yards over the advancing Ruddy, to put the result beyond doubt.

For the next nine minutes, Dover tried to find a way through the Chatham defence without success - before a number of lights on the floodlight pylons suddenly went out - along with the lights in the Car Park and the Changing Rooms.  Finally, after speaking to the two Captains, the Referee blew for Full Time - which he had been about to do anyway when it suddenly went dark.

CHATHAM:  J.Whitehouse(M.Oravec 83m); T.Binks; R.Finn; J.Smith; M.Solly; S.Best; D.Smith; C.Govey;

                   N.Ballin (J.Ascheri - 67m); T.Davey; S.Suter (M.Rowe - 73m).
                   Other Subs.:  T.Staff; S.Adgie.

Referee:  Mr. P.Harris (Maidstone)                                                                                                         Att.:  515

Chatham Courier Services "Man-of-the-Match"

John Whitehouse

Match report taken from CTFC Forum(12/01/08)
Dulwich Hamlet 1    Chatham Town 1

We travelled to Champion Hill to play against a Dulwich Hamlet team which included a current international (Shawn Beveney, who will be playing for Guyana in the Caribbean Championships next month). With Steve Binks unable to be at today's game, Steve Best took on the manager's role and left himself out of the starting line up. John Whitehouse, nursing an injured shoulder, was also left on the bench.

Chatham started brightly and had the better of the early part of the game, although a long range shot from Tom Binks was the nearest we came to a goal. But after 20 minutes Pat Bishenden was carried off with a knee injury, and for the rest of the first half Hamlet dominated the game, forcing a couple of excellent saves from Miroslav Oravec.

Goalless at half time, and then one quarter of the floodlights refused to flicker into action. (Before the game, I'd bet that one thing not to happen today would be an abandonment at 0-0 due to floodlight failure, so at this point I got a little worried!) But the light was not considered a problem, so into the second half and Hamlet continued where they had left off.

They took the lead on 54 minutes, a good strike from Sebastian Schoburgh, and continued to dominate the game. After an ugly altercation in which cards could easily have been issued, Chatham started to come back into the game though. We made our second substitution, bringing on Nathan Ballin for his first team debut, and his pace immediately became apparent.

With their superior pace and physical size, Hamlet still had some dangerous breaks though, and it needed a combination of more good saves from Oravec and some poor decisions from the Hamlet strikers to keep the score at 1-0. But with 89 minutes on the clock, we won a free kick in an attacking position, and it was the debutante Ballin who shot home the equaliser through a crowd of players. No more than we deserved; this was a solid performance against one of the division's leading teams, and an excellent away point.

Let's carry on from here and complete a season's double over Dover, who were held 0-0 at home by Eastbourne Town today.

Dulwich Hamlet 1 (Schoburgh 54) Chatham Town 1 (Ballin 89)
Team: Oravec, Binks, Finn, Larkin, Goodger, Davey, Smith (Ballin), Brooks, Bishenden (Ascheri), Solly, Suter (Govey).
Subs not used: Best, Whitehouse.
Attendance: 353.