Chatham Town 3-2 Merstham - Cass is getting back to his best, says O'Brien

Saturday 16th January 2010

CHATHAM TOWN 3-2 MERSTHAM
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 16th January 2010
Mike Green reports from Maidstone Road

LEE BARNETT’S seventh goal of the season five minutes from time gave Chatham Town their first home League win since mid October, to edge out Merstham in what in the end was a five goal thriller as Maidstone Road incredibly hosted a Ryman League game just 24 hours after being completely covered by more than an inch of snow.

On Friday the Chats issued a statement saying that there was just a 20 percent chance of the game being on, yet thanks to a near miraculous thaw over night, the playing surface was in remarkable condition.

Chats boss Alex O'Brien was a happy man afterwards, especially after these three points was the first home win that the Chats had secured in the league since Whitstable were beaten 2-0 on October 13th.

O'Brien told www.kentishfootball.co.uk: "To be honest, its been a long time coming and in the past I think that have been games at home that we could and should have won but didn't. And though we made it hard work today after the break and teams not playing it was nice to get three points."

The Chats could have been behind in the opening seconds, when keeper Dean Ruddy was unable to hold onto a greasy ball in a quagmire of a goal mouth, and as Craig Carley looked certain to score Michael Scott cleared the danger.

Scott was only in the side because David Hall had withdrawn earlier in the day.

The home side opened the scoring on 13 minutes when Brendon Cass scored his 9th goal of the season with a brilliant looping header over keeper Ian Chatfield from the edge of the box after a great ball in from Ashley Probets.

"It was nice to see Brendon back on the score sheet," his manager agreed. "I've said before that he's brought more to his game since joining us and he works extremely hard - puts goals on for others and it was nice to see Cass doing what Cass does best and that's scoring goals."

Barnett then went close with an angled drive, before Rob Denness (who made an encouraging first appearance of the season) did well down the left before finding Barnett who's shot this time fizzed inches wide of the right post.

The visitors upped the tempo after the break and first Wes Goggin curled a shot wide before Craig Vernon blazed high over at the back post when a corner broke to him.

At the other end, Denness and Cass combined brilliantly only for Matt Rowe to get a horrible bounce and is chance was gone!

The game really was end to end at this stage and only a smart save from Ruddy with his legs denied Carley an equaliser when the former Dartford striker beat the offside trap.

But disaster struck moments later for the visitors as Tristan Frontin got in a horrible mess when Justin Ascheri knocked the ball past him, and as Ascheri went down, the defenders day was done as referee Parker pulled out the red card from his top pocket.

Full credit though must go to Merstham for the fight back they put up with 10 men as within six minutes of the dismissal the visitors were level.

David Scott fired in a shot that Ruddy could only parry and in the ensuing scramble the ball ran to Carley who walked the ball into the empty net!

Twelve minutes from time the home side were back in front when Probets whipped in a terrific left footed free kick from the right wing and the ball just eluded a flying Cass, but flew into the corner of the net beyond a despairing Chatfield.

O'Brien admitted afterwards that, "He's (Probets) a great dead baller and we spoke to him today at half time about the ball that he's putting in being OK. But Ash being Ash, he knows that he can deliver an excellent ball and I think the goal was an excellent ball and an excellent goal..."

But back came Merstham again and substitute Billy Marshall hit a second spectacular equaliser for the visitors with nine minutes left. Smith again was involved - this time his long right wing cross found its way to the substitute who brilliantly hooked the ball over his shoulder and into the net.

The game was so open now that you wouldn't have bet against a winner and it duly arrived on 85 minutes when Barnett got the goal that his performance deserved - albeit with a bit of luck.

Jimmy Lyons (who was excellent throughout) combined with Scott and the ball found its way to Barnett who let fly from 30 yards. With the ball destined for the bottom corner Vernon stick out a foot and the ball looped high over the statuesque figure of Chatfield in the Merstham goal and almost apologetically dropped into the net.

"You make your own luck," O'Brien said later, "and I think Lee deserved it for some super play in the lead up to it with a nice shot on the turn - yes it did take a deflection but how many of those have we had this season that put it the wrong side of the post, or even in the back of our net. So all in all I think the boys worked very hard toady and thank god for three points!"

"We've always installed that you need to be fitter than your opponent at all times and that was how we set up pre season. Now some boys didn't like that but we slowly got them round and our fitness today was good. even during the recent weather when we had the opportunity to train we took it and I know that some other clubs didn't - even if we had just a 20 minute blow or a run - we even cleared an artificial pitch to enable us to train - but it was all part of our training as the players forget as they lose match fitness. They work ever so hard to get it but it only takes a two week break like we've just had and you lose it!"

Chatham Town: Dean Ruddy, Michael Scott, Ashley Probets, Matt Solly, Richard Avery, Brad Potter, Matt Rowe (Luke May 75), Jimmy Lyons (Daryl Hollington 90), Brendon Cass, Lee Barnett, Rob Denness (Justin Ascheri 65).

Sub: Richard Stroud

Booked: Matt Rowe 55, Jimmy Lyons 62, Luke May 80, Dean Ruddy 90

Goals: Brendon Cass 13, Ashley Probets 78, Lee Barnett 85

Merstham: Ian Chatfield, Tom Jelley (James Hancock 69), Sam Hewitt, Tristan Frontin, Craig Vernon, Neil Lampton, Matt Males, Wes Goggin (Mu Mann 87), Craig Carley, Carl Gibbs (Billy Marshall 59), David Smith.

Subs: Adam Moriarty, James Deacons

Booked: Sam Hewitt 34, David Smith 46

Sent off: Tristan Frontin 66

Goals: Craig Carley 72, Billy MArshall 81

Attendance: 129

Referee: Mr Andrew Parker (Stanford-le-Hope, Essex)

Assistants: Mr Graham Atkins (Southend, Essex) & Mr J Masson