Match Reports 2010/11

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Whitstable Town 2 Chatham Town 1

Chatham Town scored first at Whitstable Town on Saturday, but went on to lose the game and fall further into danger of relegation.

Chatham were able to recall James Tedder after a trip to Australia and Jason Dolby after first injury and then being bitten by a monkey, although they were without Rob Denness because of a registration issue. With both teams desperate for a win, the game started at a furious pace although there were no serious chances on goal. Unsurprisingly in such a crucial derby match, some of the challenges from both teams were robust, and twice Whitstable appealed optimistically for a penalty. After 15 minutes, a tangle between Anthony Hogg and Whitstable’s Peacock saw Peacock bring his man down and then kick him on the ground. It earned Peacock a straight red card, and then the game settled down a bit.

Whitstable closest approach to goal in the first half was a long distance shot from Harrington which took an unexpected bounce and forced Tedder into a save. Chatham’s best chance of the half came after 25 minutes when Billy Shinners on the left received a ball from half way, and his shot hit the far post. Kane Rice mishit a shot minutes later after receiving the ball from Shinners, and Shinners failed only narrowly to reach a long ball forward with the defence beaten, but the game was goalless at half time.

Three minutes into the second half, a Shinners free kick was blocked by the goalkeeper but only as far as Gary Ward. Ward’s shot too was saved, and within seconds Whitstable too went close. But with 63 minutes played, Chatham took the lead. Kane Rice made a good run down the right and then crossed. No Chatham player reached that cross, but it didn’t matter because it went over the goalkeeper’s head and into the far corner of the net.

1-0 to Chatham, and all of a sudden they were completely dominating the game. Shinners hit the bar two minutes later, and Chatham were chasing the second goal which would have moved them above Whitstable on goal difference. Jason Barton also went close on 72 minutes after an Anthony Hogg free kick, and the large crowd was very quiet.

But with ten minutes remaining, Whitstable were level with a well taken goal from the left foot of substitute Cornhill after a pass from former Chatham striker Ian Pulman. Worse was to come when Whitstable took the lead two minutes later; Tedder failed to take a high ball cleanly and Wisker was close by to score a simple goal.

Chatham continued to press forward, and might have had a penalty after a Shinners shot seemed to take a defender on the hand – but the referee thought otherwise. Chatham again went close with a series of headers with the goalkeeper well out of position, but Whitstable eventually managed to clear the ball and hung on until the final whistle.

Whitstable Town 2 (Cornhill 80, Wisker 82) Chatham Town 1 (Rice 63)
Team: Tedder, Parkinson, Laker, Dolby, Potter, Barton, Fuller, A Hogg, Shinners, Rice, Ward. Subs not used: Ibemere, J Hogg, Watson, Ticehurst, Molloy.
Cautioned: A Hogg, Potter.
Referee: Mr M O'Keefe (Kent).
Attendance: 245.

With four games to play, Chatham are now five points adrift of the safety of twentieth place. It now looks as though there may be six relegation reprieves available across the country rather than the four mentioned previously (two Southern League clubs have resigned from that league), but this cannot and must not be relied on.

Next Saturday, Chatham travel to Dulwich Hamlet, a ground where they do have a decent record. (NB As things stand I won’t be there, but I’ll try and cobble a report together one way or another.)

Chatham Town 0 Horsham YMCA 1

A 1-0 defeat at the hands of Horsham YMCA on Saturday did nothing to ease Chatham Town’s relegation worries, and kept alive the visitors’ faint hopes of avoiding the drop.

With both teams desperate for a win, it was unsurprising that the game began at a frantic pace. The first shot on target after five minutes was in fact from YMCA’s goalkeeper on the half way line. Three minutes later, Adam Molloy saved well from Youle who had made a good run, and YMCA began to shoot from distance at every opportunity – they might have done better to look to score from closer range.

Chatham too created chances, many of them involving Rob Denness, making his comeback appearance after signing for the club once again. Denness got on the end of a long ball forward midway through the half, and his cross seemed to take a defender on the hand, but no penalty was awarded. The ball ran out for a throw, and Denness shot on receiving the ball from that throw but his effort narrowly missed. Another claim for handball was rejected two minutes later, and then a Kane Rice shot from distance on the right went just wide.

Billy Shinners too went close, but YMCA’s Dudley came the closest to goal in the first half when his speculative effort from wide on the right dipped late and forced Molloy to tip it over the bar for a corner.

Four minutes into the second half, Shinners again went close when he received a cross from Denness. A good run from Ryan Laker ultimately came to nothing and Shinners went close once again – but if YMCA had shaded the first half, Chatham Town were looking the better team in the second period.

Midway through the half, a Chatham corner was cleared and YMCA broke quickly down field – but Molloy once again did well to keep them out. Shinners had two more chances within minutes, one of which had the keeper scrambling to keep the ball out of the far corner. But after clearing that attack on 74 minutes, YMCA at once took the lead. It was a scrappy goal, Dudley getting the last touch in a crowded goalmouth, but it meant that Chatham were behind.

They continued to create chances though. Anthony Hogg, playing his first game on return from a serious facial injury, shot on the turn and forced a corner, but that corner was cleared. At the other end, an excellent Molloy save from a YMCA break on 87 minutes kept Chatham in the game. Four minutes of injury time were played, and in those added minutes a long ball forward found Shinners – but good defence prevented him from getting a shot away.

Chatham Town 0 Horsham YMCA 1 (Dudley 74)
Team: Molloy, Rice (J Hogg 63), Laker, Parkinson (Tshikaya 83), Potter, Barton, Fuller, A Hogg, Shinners, Denness, Harris. Subs not used: Bradshaw, Packer, Watson.
Cautioned: Barton.
Referee: Mr J Magill (Essex).
Attendance: 96.

Notes. As things stand, it seems likely that only two of the six 21st placed teams in the Step 4 leagues will be relegated – this is because of spaces created by the various clubs across the country which have dropped out during the season. Chatham Town currently have the second best record of the six relevant clubs, which might earn a reprieve – but this is all subject to confirmation by the FA after the end of the season, and we absolutely don’t want to have to rely on it.

Next Saturday sees Chatham Town make the short trip to Whitstable Town. This is a crucial game – if Chatham win it by more than one goal, we will move above Whitstable into the all important 20th place.

Then the last four fixtures are:

16 Apr v Dulwich Hamlet (A)
23 Apr v Walton Casuals (H)
25 Apr v Eastbourne Town (A)
30 Apr v Bognor Regis Town (H)

Chatham Town 1 Whitehawk 6

Chatham Town took the lead after just two minutes at home to Whitehawk on Saturday, but struggled to compete with the visitors from Brighton for the rest of the game.

With two minutes played, Chatham had a period of pressure in the Whitehawk penalty area. A first shot was blocked by the goalkeeper, as was a second shot by Billy Shinners, but the ball was cleared only as far as Brad Potter who headed over the keeper’s head and into the net.

Whitehawk soon began to look lively though, and within ten minutes Adam Molloy saved well from leading scorer Tate. Chatham continued to push forward whenever they had the ball, but with 17 minutes played Whitehawk were level. They won a free kick just outside the penalty area, and Jones’s shot went straight into the top right hand corner of the net. Molloy made three more good saves within the next ten minutes, while at the other end another header from Potter was saved, but with 35 minutes played Gargan headed Whitehawk into the lead. It became 3-1 just before half time – another Jones free kick, this time into the top left hand corner.

Chatham had the first attack of the second half, and Jason Barton found himself in space inside the penalty area. He passed when he might perhaps have shot himself, and the opportunity was lost. Whitehawk punished the missed chance within a minute when substitute Akhurst headed their fourth, and it was five on the hour when Jones completed his hat trick. Molloy did well to save a shot seconds earlier, but could only parry the ball into Jones’s path.

Chatham did see more of the possession in the last half hour of the game. A good diagonal run from Kane Rice saw him take the ball into the penalty area, although his shot was comfortably saved, and Rice had another shot with a free kick five minutes later. But Whitehawk continued to look threatening whenever they had the ball, and Armstrong added their sixth on 80 minutes. They missed badly three minutes later, and it was Chatham who had most of the possession in the closing minutes. A Joe Fuller shot from distance went just over the bar, but that was as close as Chatham came, and the final whistle left the visitors from Brighton comprehensive winners.

Chatham Town 1 (Potter 2) Whitehawk 6 (Jones 17, 44, 61, Gargan 35, Akhurst 49, Armstrong 80)
Team: Molloy, Rice, Laker, Parkinson (Packer 57), J Hogg (Tshikaya 63), Harris (Hunt 84), Fuller, Barton, Shinners, Bradshaw, Potter. Subs not used: Ward, Ticehurst.
Referee: Mr N Baker (Kent).
Attendance: 109.

Bottom club Horsham YMCA visit Maidstone Road next Saturday, and then on 9 April Chatham make the short trip to Whitstable Town.

Chipstead 2 Chatham Town 2

Despite being the better team for long periods, Chatham Town needed an injury time equaliser to secure a point at Chipstead on Saturday.

The game opened quietly, but Chatham soon began to dominate the possession. Chipstead did go close after 11 minutes, but Kevin Watson cleared the danger. A frantic period of play in the penalty area midway through the half saw Chatham threaten the goal repeatedly, but Billy Shinners’ effort was blocked and a defender who thought he had put the ball into his own net saw it go just wide for a corner.

There was a double blow late for Chatham late in the first half when both Watson and Uche Ibemere were forced off the pitch through injury; Brad Potter, himself just recovered from injury, and Kane Packer, making his senior debut, came on to replace them. Moments later, Kane Rice hit the ball narrowly over the bar after a good run down the right; it was Chatham’s best attempt on goal so far. Chipstead too had their best attempt so far as the half went into injury time; after a corner, it needed a last ditch clearance from Rice to keep the teams level with the goalkeeper beaten.

If chances were few in the first half, the second half was altogether more entertaining. Six minutes into the half, Packer won the ball in midfield, ran down the left and shot, but his effort was well saved by the Chipstead goalkeeper Martin Grant (who played briefly for Chatham Town two seasons ago). A cross by debutante Tom Bradshaw a minute later found the side netting, and then a minute later Ryan Laker turned away in disgust after he thought he had completely mishit a shot from distance. But Grant briefly lost the ball in the low sun and it took an awkward bounce, and ultimately he did well to gather it safely.

Chatham were again dominating the game, and on the hour they took the lead. The ball was crossed to Packer on the left, who controlled the ball and then headed downwards towards goal. The ball ran agonisingly slowly into the net, but Chatham were ahead. Only for a minute though, when substitute Quarly got on the end of a cross and fired his team level.

The two goals brought the game to life, and Shinners went close five minutes later but was denied by the goalkeeper. Chipstead hit the post on 76 minutes and shot across the face of goal on 82, while Adam Molloy made a good save to deny Quarly a second on 84. Chipstead did take the lead on 88, although there was a suspicion of offside about the goal. James the scorer, putting into an empty net with Molloy on the ground after a save moments earlier.

Chatham refused to be beaten though, and five minutes into injury time they won a throw in close to half way. The ball was played forward to Jason Barton, who put it past the diving goalkeeper to secure a valuable away point.

Chipstead 2 (Quarly 61, James 88) Chatham Town 2 (Packer 60, Barton 90+5)
Team: Molloy, Rice, Laker, Parkinson, J Hogg, Watson (Packer 39), Fuller, Barton, Shinners, Bradshaw (Ticehurst 84), Ibemere (Potter 37). Sub not used: Foley.
Referee: Mr R Smith (Hertfordshire).
Attendance: 76.

Two home games for Chatham Town now. Third placed Whitehawk from Brighton are next week’s visitors, and then on 2 Apr the division’s basement club Horsham YMCA come to Maidstone Road.

Chatham Town 1 Worthing 1

In a game of few chances, both goals came from the penalty spot as Chatham Town collected a valuable point at home to Worthing on Saturday.

Chatham had much the better of the first half. With only five minutes played, Billy Shinners beat the defence to a long ball forward but was unable to get a cross into the area. An Uche Ibemere shot from the left edge of the penalty area seven minutes later went just wide, and both Shinners and Ibemere were to go close again during the half with headers from corners.

Chatham goalkeeper Adam Molloy was called on to make one save midway through the half, but otherwise was practically a spectator. The last twenty minutes of the half were rather scrappy, with a half-hearted penalty appeal apiece the main excitements.

The second half started more brightly. Just two minutes after the restart, a good run by Ibemere down the left saw him deliver a fine cross – but Shinners failed by inches to get on the end of it with the goal at his mercy. Ten minutes in, Worthing missed their best chance of the game. Molloy did well to save a shot from the right, but could only deflect the ball into the path of a striker, who missed a golden opportunity to give Worthing the lead.

Chatham continued to look the better of the team, with most of their attacking moves featuring Shinners down the right or Ibemere down the left. Midway through the half, one of Ibemere’s runs saw him take the ball right into the goal area; he might perhaps have shot himself but instead passed and the chance was missed.

On 73 minutes Worthing went close with a first time shot from the right, while three minutes later Ibemere was well tackled when again threatening down the left. It began to look as though the game would end goalless, but that all changed with 78 minutes on the clock.

Gary Ward on the edge of the penalty area passed the ball to Ibemere on the left, and Ibemere’s pass back into the centre was taken on the hand by a Worthing defender. A penalty was duly awarded, and up stepped Shinners to take it. Worthing’s Canadian goalkeeper di Bernardo saved two penalties in one game earlier in the season, but on this occasion he could do nothing about Shinners’ well placed spot kick. 1-0 Chatham.

Two minutes later, Molloy made a good save from Worthing substitute Gaskin, but with three minutes remaining Worthing too were awarded a penalty. Huckett made no mistake from the spot, and so the teams were level once again.

Chatham continued to press as the game went into injury time. Excellent work by Ryan Laker down the left won a free kick, and this led to Ibemere going just wide from close to the penalty spot. And then with the last action of the game, a Craig Wilkins header was saved by di Bernardo as the final whistle sounded.

With the other six teams in the bottom seven all losing, the point gained by Chatham is a valuable one.

Chatham Town 1 (Shinners 78p) Worthing 1 (Huckett 87p)
Team: Molloy, Rice, Laker, Parkinson, Watson, Wilkins, Fuller, Barton, Shinners, Ward, Ibemere. Subs not used: J Hogg, Hunt, Ashford, Ticehurst.
Referee: Mr N Wilde (Kent).
Attendance: 120.

Chatham travel to mid-table Chipstead next Saturday, and then in two weeks time are at home to title-chasing Whitehawk from Brighton.

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