Chatham Town 2-0 Thamesmead Town - Chats' new boys impress during derby day delight

CHATHAM TOWN 2-0 THAMESMEAD TOWN
Ryman League Division One North
Saturday 27^th December 2008
John Crow reports from Maidstone Road

WITH three players making their home debut at Maidstone Road today, there was a new look about Chatham Town.

And they sent their fans home happy with a slightly belated Christmas present, after bringing to an end Thamesmead Town’s five-match unbeaten run - with a victory even more convincing than the scoreline would suggest.

Before the game, Thamesmead boss Keith McMahon had boasted that while the game would be a “big match “ for Chatham it was “just another game” for Thamesmead who he fully expects to finish in the top ten of Division One North of the Ryman League, despite currently being only one place above the Chats in 17th. After the game, it was a different story.

The last time that the two teams had met in a competitive fixture was May 2001, when Chatham’s 2-1 victory at Bayliss Avenue clinched the Kent League championship - and promotion to the Southern League.

This time, with both clubs at the ‘wrong end’ of the League table, the game was no less important.

The first chance of the game actually went to the visitors, as with less than a minute gone Byron Walker sent a shot looping over the crossbar at the Maidstone Road End from just outside the penalty area.

Since quitting the Chats, Walker has now returned to his old home ground with three different teams - but has still yet to find the back of the net, growing increasingly frustrated as this game went on.

If anyone thought that this was the visitors giving evidence of their intentions towards the game, then they were to be sadly disappointed as - for a side with only one defeat in their last eight outings - they were surprisingly bereft of ideas, and had little to offer at the back against the pace of the Chatham forwards.

The home side, meanwhile, were keen to build upon the win at Ilford the week before - and it took them just 12 minutes to get on the scoresheet.

One of the new faces for the Chats was Lee Barnett, and he it was who was the first to react when Thamesmead ‘keeper Tony Kessell blocked a powerful header from Brad Potter on the goal line.

Before anyone else could reach the loose ball, Barnett pounced to force it over the line - much to the obvious delight of the bulk of Chatham’s biggest crowd of the season.

By now, the Chats were firmly in control of the game - particularly on the wings, where Potter and Tom Davey - the latter making a welcome return to the side during his vacation from University - were running the Thamesmead defence ragged.

Matt Solly came agonisingly close to extending Chatham’s lead in the 26th minute, with an attempt which curled just over the top left-hand corner of the goal, from some 20 yards out on the right of the 18-yard box - much to the relief of Kessel, who clearly had not spotted the danger.

Two minutes later, though, Chatham did add to their lead - and once again questions could be asked about both Kessel’s positioning, and the mysterious absence of the defence.

Barnett was again the man on target, winning the ball just outside the penalty area on the left - and being given all the time in the world, before curling his effort neatly into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal with the ‘keeper seemingly rooted to the spot.

It made a pleasant change to see the entire 90 minutes pass without Mr Wilde feeling the need to produce a card.

The one blot on his otherwise faultless performance came shortly before the interval, though, when Simon Austin was clearly brought down from behind just outside the penalty area by Lew Watts with the ball at his feet and only the ‘keeper in front of him.

Although his assistant immediately raised the Flag to indicate a foul, the referee waved away Chatham’s appeals - luckily for the offender, who would probably have found his participation in the game coming to an abrupt end, if the man in charge had been better placed to see what he had done.

At the other end, meanwhile, Martin Grant was having an impressive home debut in the Chatham goal - dealing comfortably with the occasional hopeful ball lofted goalward by the Thamesmead forwards, even if he did run out before the game wearing a Tonbridge Angels top!

Having dominated the first half, the Chats came out for the restart clearly determined to add to their lead.

In the 53rd minute, Potter again went desperately close - with a header across the face of goal, that Kessell was this time able to hang onto on the left post.

Then on the hour mark, Solly set up another great chance for Potter - whose diving header was somehow blocked by Kessell, who did not seem to know too much about this one.

Three minutes later and Potter turned provider again, with a great ball in from the right that Barnett unselfishly set up for Austin.

Once again, however, the former Dartford ‘keeper was just able to hang onto the rasping shot from the edge of the 18-yard box.

Chatham made the first of their changes in the 71st minute, when Lee Farrell came on upfront in a straight swap for Austin, while a couple of minutes later Barnett was again denied his “hat trick” - when he rose high above the defence to connect with a cross by Davey on the left, only to be once again denied by Kessell.

Two more substitutions saw youngster Michael Scott replace Davey in the 78th minute, before Rob Denness made a welcome return to first team action a couple of minutes later when he took over up front from Burnett.

Denness has been on devastating form for the reserves recently, with six goals in three games since returning from his long injury lay-off, and was clearly relishing the return to Ryman League action.

Indeed, with almost his first touch of the ball he combined with Scott in the heart of the Thamesmead penalty area to set up a chance for Farrell - which saw Tom Hopkins come to the rescue of his ‘keeper, as he turned the ball over the crossbar at the expense of a corner kick in the 85th minute.

In the end, for all their efforts, the Chats were unable to add to their lead - but if they can maintain this kind of form, any danger of relegation will be a thing of the past pretty soon into the New Year.

The win leaves them still in 18th place in the Division, but they are now just four points behind Thamesmead - and still with a game in hand over them.

Chatham Town: Martin Grant, Tom Binks, Ashley Probets, Matt Solly, Richard Avery, Lee Hockey, Brad Potter, Alex O’Brien, Lee Barnett (Rob Denness 84), Simon Austin (Lee Farrell 71), Tom Davey (Michael Scott 78).
Subs: Dan Larkin, Mark Brrooks

Thamesmead Town:
Information not provided

Attendance: 189
Referee: Mr Nolan Wilde