Tuesday 29th December 2009

Match Report from Mike Green

On a night when a highly enjoyable Kent derby is forgotten, Chatham Town wide man Mark Green left the Maidstone Road Sports ground in considerable pain and in an ambulance heading fro the Medway Maritime Hospital after breaking his right leg in three places as the result of a clash with a Folkestone Invicta defender.

The game itself was evenly poised at 0-0 after 77 minutes, but the noise that the collision made and the subsequent scream from Green on the sodden pitch made all those present in the 216 crowd well aware that all was not well.  And so it proved to be as first a Rapid Response paramedic arrived and then after what seemed an age (and was indeed almost 40 minutes after the event) an ambulance finally arrived to treat the stricken player.  But then there was still a problem in moving Green onto the stretcher, but eventually the paramedics, and a team of volunteers lead brilliantly by Chats physio Emma Turner and included medical staff from Folkestone Invicta, and Chatham boss Alex O’Brien, finally got Green into the waiting ambulance and away to hospital.

For Green, who has already once battled back from a leg break in his Margate days, now faces Surgery at the hospital today (Wednesday) to attempt to mend the break.

The game itself was rightly abandoned by Orpington official Andy Mead who himself was clearly shaken by events.  Speaking to kentishfootball.co.uk, Mr Mead echoed the thoughts of many watching on when he said, “No one likes to see anything like that and it’s a very disappointing way to end what had been an enjoyable game.  I was told when the incident happened that the ambulance would be 20 minutes.  As we stand here now and talk its another 15 on top of that and still no sign, and with the rain coming down quite hard and the other players getting cold there really was no other option than to abandon the game – but of course my main consideration is to Mark still out there on the deck; he was my first priority!”

Also clearly shaken was Folkestone boss Neil Cugley.  “It’s such a shame that a good game of football – and fair play to Chatham for getting the game on; no complaints about the surface whatsoever – will be remembered for seeing Greenie lying that.  He played for us too which makes it even tougher to watch!”  The Folkestone boss was though pleased with his side’s performance m the game itself.  He said, “Both sets of players had given everything – they were causing us problems on the break – but at times some of our football was excellent but we had to be wary of them catching us on the break!  But now we’re all down – it’s horrible – you just feel for Mark, it’s awful for him and such a great shame for everybody!”

It’s a horrible way to finish our games for the Year.  But forget the game; forget the points and everything else. Greenie’s got a terrible injury and football secondary tonight – I’ve never ever agreed with the old Shankley saying, and the bottom line is that your life and your health is far more important than a game of football and that tonight is all there is to it!”  A visibly shaken O’Brien who was by his players side until the ambulance arrived continued, “It’s a pain for Mark as he’s come back once from a broken leg before and now tonight he’s broken the other leg, and its just something that you don’t want to see.  I know it happens and that football is a physical game and things like broken bones are always going to happen.  But when it does happen it knocks you for six.

“I don’t think it was down to the conditions – you just had two committed players colliding.”

For the record the game itself was goalless when Mr Mead abandoned the contest.  Folkestone were twice denied in the first half by wonderful Dean Ruddy saves – himself just returned from visiting his ill father in the USA – whilst Brendan Cass was only millimetres away from putting the home side in front with a deflected shot that hit the underside of the bar and bounced on the goal line before being cleared.

But as O’Brien said, the way the night ended really does put our great game into context, and on behalf of THE entire Kent football family, kentishfootball.co.uk send Mark and his family our very best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Our thoughts are with you Greenie…


CHATHAM – Dean Ruddy, David Hall, Mark Green, Matt Solly, Richard Avery, Brad Potter, Matt Rowe, Jimmy Lyons, Brendon Cass, Lee Barnett, Ray Powell (Ashley Probets 74)
Subs not used – Lew Watts, Michael Scott, Justin Ascheri, Richard Stroud

Booking – Ray Powell 59

FOLKESTONE – Jack Delo, Josh Vincent, Josh Burchell, Liam Friend, Frankie Chappell, Micheal Everitt, Darren Smith, Liam Dickson (Pete Williams 64), James Everitt, Jimmy Dryden, Jimmy Jackson
Subs not used – Ollie Bartram, Jon Driscoll, Craig Thompson. Micky Dix


Attendance 216

Referee – Mr A Mead
Assistants – Mr J Ridout and Mr O Jackson

AN UNLIKELY HERO AS CHATS RETURN TO WINNING WAYS

Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 12th December
The Traveller reports from the Waterside Stadium

In a scrappy game the Chats returned to winning ways, and gained revenge for their FA Cup exit on the same ground earlier in the season.

For Brendon Cass though it was a day of if onlys as the eight goal Chats top scorer had another one of those days in front of goal.  He was denied early on by the Casuals keeper coming out of his box. Four minutes later, and Cass got round the keeper only to shoot from a narrow angle.  There were appeals from one or two that the ball had crossed the line but the referee waved play on.  John Wilfort then had a header that was dropped by the keeper. But unfortunately for the visitors, Cass was again denied as he was unable to make a clean contact with the ball and the chance had gone.

On 35 minutes, Cass and Stefan Gaisie combined again and the referee appearing to play advantage rather than awarding a penalty when the Chats top scorer was felled! Perhaps the official felt that if Cass, seemingly fouled, hadn't picked himself up and managed to get a shot in, and then he'd have pointed to the spot!

Manager Alex O’Brien must have been concerned at the break such was the visitor’s dominance that his side’s recent bad luck was to continue and their run of one win in seven League games would continue.

Early in the second half, only two excellent Dean Ruddy saves kept the home team out as finally the Casuals showed some signs of life.  There were loud appeals for a Chatham penalty midway through the half as Gaisie caused a problem for the home side, before the Chats were indebted to some fine defending from skipper Richard Avery to keep the home side at bay.

The games only goal finally arrived in the final five minutes.  The visitors were awarded a free kick just inside the home sides half.  Ashley Probets drilled a long hanging ball into Walton’s penalty area and as the ball was nodded down big Cedric Ngakam, up from the back, buried the ball in the back of the net to score his first goal for the club and sealed the Chats three much needed points and the morale boost of a win and a clean sheet to take them into the important Christmas period.

Only problem was that an overturned vehicle on the M25 meant that the journey back to the Medway Towns took more than two hours.  Ah well it was worth the wait!

Team: Ruddy, Hall, Probets, Solly, Avery, Ngakam, Lyons (Scott), Wilfort, Cass, Gaisie (Ascheri), Green (Rowe). Subs not used: Walker, Stroud.