Chatham Town 5-1 Royal Engineers - It's always nice to score goals, says Kevin Watson

CHATHAM TOWN  5-1  ROYAL ENGINEERS
Pre-Season Friendly – 130^th Anniversary Trophy
Sunday 22^nd July 2012
Stephen McCartney reports from Maidstone Road

CHATHAM TOWN player-manager Kevin Watson says he was pleased with his side’s clinical finishing after they kicked off their 130^th Anniversary Trophy tournament with victory over Royal Engineers.

Royal Engineers, who played in the first ever FA Cup Final in 1872 when they were defeated 1-0 by Wanderers at Kennington Oval, before lifting the iconic piece of silverware just three years’ later, had no answer to Watson’s Ryman League Division One North side.

Watson, who played in the second half alongside Sam Groombridge at the heart of defence, was delighted that his summer signing, Frenchman Jean-Michel Sigere, 35, scored two goals on his home club debut.

Lee Pleasance, Rodrique Ndiane and Syd Kamara also got on the Chatham Town scoresheet, while Mark Green scored the visitors’ only goal of the game.

Watson said: “It’s pre-season at the end of the day. There’s several things that you want to get out of it. Fitness is one of them but it’s nice to score some goals.

“They were good opposition. They played some nice stuff.  It’s a little bit disjointed because both games today we’re putting out two different teams and a mixture of first team, reserves and trialists so by no-means one team is stronger than the other, but I think the lads’ are starting to get to know eachother from training and games and some big positives have come out of it.”

Royal Engineers started the game well and the outcome could have been very different had Alex Stacey found the far corner with a right-footed drive from 20-yards, which flashed past the post after he cut across Chatham Town midfielder Matt Solly.

But Chatham Town opened the scoring, against the run of play, inside eleven minutes.

Ndiane’s diagonal pass released Kelvyn Williams hurtling down the right flank and he cut the ball back to Sigere, whose right-footed flick at the near post looped into the far corner from six-yards.

Watson was delighted that the much-travelled former Margate and Tonbridge Angels striker scored in the tournament.

“It’s always nice for a forward to score goals,” said Watson.  “It breads confidence and he’s done well.  Like I said when I signed him, he’s a bigger part of things. He’s got some experience, which we lacked a little bit last year and if he can pass it on to the other ones – he’s still ambitious. He still wants to play. He’s still got that active element which is important.”

Royal Engineers almost levelled when Green played the ball into Sean Prince’s feet and got the ball back off the advanced left-back but Green sent a right-footed shot sailing over the crossbar from 25-yards.

Chatham Town swiftly doubled their lead in the fourteenth minute and Sigere played a big part.

Sigere stroked a left-footed shot towards goal, which was blocked by visiting keeper Dean Love and the ball floated towards Pleasance, who comfortably caressed a left-footed volley into an empty net from ten-yards.

Watson said: “Lee done well to follow up to be fair. If he’s going to play in that position, that’s important for him.  All the goals were pleasing and good actually.”

The visitors’ were denied a penalty when Groombridge was clearly seen handling the ball inside the Chatham penalty area but their appeals fell on deaf ears when referee Valentine Anekewe bottled it.

Prince delivered a cross towards the far post and the impressive Green smashed a right-footed volley just wide of the near post after he ghosted in unmarked at the far post.

But Chatham Town were clinical in front of goal and goal number three arrived in the 19^th minute.

Solly played a delightful through ball to release Ndiane through on goal and the Chatham midfielder opened up his body and placed a low right-footed shot across Love to find the bottom far corner with a quality finish.

Watson praised the goalscorer, by adding: “He’s taken it well. He’s had a good game. He needs to learn the way that we play, but he’s got a lot of raw talent. He done very well today.”

Chatham missed a decent chance to increase their lead further before the break when Ndiane intercepted Gyrwin Griffiths’ pass and his through ball put Williams through on goal but all he could do was fire his shot low into the side netting from a tight angle.

All three games were 30 minutes each way and the three match officials took it in turn to be the man in the middle.

Royal Engineers created the first chance of the second half when Green outmuscled Watson before cutting into the box from the left and his cut back was driven just past the foot of the near post by Alan Taylor, aided by a deflection.

Royal Engineers, the only Kent side to win the FA Cup, never gave up and to their credit they pulled a goal back in the 41^st minute.

Stacey played a low centre in from the right and Green stabbed his shot across Chatham keeper Tim Roberts and the ball trickled into the bottom far corner.

Watson admitted he wanted to open the tournament with a clean sheet.

He said: “One of our aims at half-time was not to concede any goals and we conceded one so that’s disappointing, but we went on from there and we scored another goal.”

The pacy Kamara, a Chatham Town substitute, beat Justice Glover for pace as he sprinted down the right flank before he sent over a powerfully struck cross to find Williams at the far post and his downward header clipped the foot of the far post.

Chatham Town made it 4-1 in the 48^th minute when Sigere received the ball inside the penalty box and with his back to goal he played the ball inside to Kamara, who had time and space to pick his spot, sweeping a right-footed shot across keeper Love to find the bottom far corner.

Watson said: “Again, he’s played a part in the goals and he’s done well. He’s a fit lad and he looks after himself so that’s important, but what’s good today, they’ve got 60 minutes which is a good amount of time for most of them to get at this stage of pre-season because we’ve only had one game previous to this and we’ve got games coming up now.”

The visitors’ went close to adding to their tally when Sammy Lawson released Green through on goal but the diving Roberts was relieved to see the ball flash across him and bounce agonisingly past the foot of the far post.

Chatham Town completed the goalscoring in the final three minutes with a fine team goal worked on the training pitch.

They were awarded a free-kick some 30-yards from goal and Solly sent a hanging free-kick over to the far post where Watson nodded the ball across goal towards the far post where Kamara nodded the ball back where it came from and Sigere headed the ball over the line from one-yard out.

When asked how he felt getting 30 minutes under his belt, Watson replied, “I played 45 minutes the other day and 30 minutes today.  I didn’t play a lot last season so I’m just trying to manage everything. It was enjoyable, the weather’s nice, the pitch is looking nice.  Everybody wants to be playing.”

Chatham Town: Tim Roberts, Ali Musa, Mark Lewis, Matt Solly, Sam Groombridge, Sten Mayunga (Kevin Watson 31), Lee Pleasance (Syd Kamara 38), Jamie Lawrence (Rodrique Ndiane 46), Jean-Michel Sigere, Rodrique Ndiane (Billy Higgins 26), Kelvyn Williams.

Goals: Jean-Michel Sigere 11, 57, Lee Pleasance 14, Rodrique Ndiane 19, Syd Kamara 48

Royal Engineers: Dean Love, Dean Ellis, Sean Prince (Justice Glover 26), Alan Brown,  Gyrwin Griffiths, Alan Taylor, Scott Roy (Rob Ridley 51), Alex Stacey, Sammy Lawson, James Hubbard, Mark Green.

Goal:  Mark Green 41

Attendance: 135
Referee: Mr Valentine Anekewe (Bromley)
Assistants: Mr Tim Burman (Greenhithe) & Mr Chris Myatt (Dartford)