Redbridge 0-4 Chatham Town - I think we've underachieved, says Chatham Town boss Kevin Watson

REDBRIDGE  0-4  CHATHAM TOWN
Ryman League Division One North
Thursday 3^rd May 2012
Stephen McCartney reports from Oakside Stadium

CHATHAM TOWN player-manager Kevin Watson says his side have underachieved this season after completing their Ryman League Division One North campaign in a disappointing fifteenth-place.

They signed off their campaign with a clinical 4-0 win over sixth-placed Redbridge at a spare Oakside Stadium in Barkingside.

Redbridge manager Terry Spillane made six changes to his side that came away from Brentwood Town with a 1-0 victory twelve days earlier as goalkeeper Alexander Jennings, who was making his first start of the season, suffered a horrific night as Lee Hales (penalty), Garry Tilley, substitute Joe Fuller and Lloyd Blackman all scored on a good night for Chatham Town.

Chatham leapfrogged over Heybridge Swifts into fifteenth-place in the table, with 54 points from 42 games.

Watson, 30, said he was pleased with his side’s character shown during their much-delayed final game of the season.

“I think anybody who would say there’s nothing on the game would be misled,” said Watson, following his side’s sixteenth league win of the season.

“I know people would think there’s not a lot to play for, but it shows a bit of character from the players and it was something I wanted to see.

“It was a good performance.  They’re a decent team.  They’re where they are in the league for a reason and possibly we made them look average today.”

Playing this game at the fifth-time of asking, Redbridge started well and Danny Hopkins blasted a right-footed shot over from 20-yards after Joe Gardner miss-kicked on the edge of a crowded Chatham Town penalty area.

Chatham Town played some lovely slick passing throughout the game and they forced Jennings into making a fine block with his left-leg in the fourteenth minute.

Matt Newman played the ball inside to Hales, who released Tilley and his angled low left-footed drive was blocked by the outstretched leg of the Redbridge keeper.

Chatham keeper Tim Roberts made the first of his excellent saves when he flew to his left to tip Eddie Hart’s right-footed drive from 22-yards around the post after Shane Wyllie’s lay-off.

It proved to be a vital save as Chatham Town opened the scoring in the nineteenth minute, courtesy of leading goalscorer Hales’ thirteenth-goal of the season.

Harlow-based referee Wade Norcott had no option but to point to the spot when towering central defender Matthew Turpin tripped Tilley inside the penalty area.

Hales stepped up and confidentially drove his right-footed penalty into the bottom left-hand corner, sending the diving Jennings the wrong way from the spot.

Watson said: “He’s good in those situations. He’s confident in his own ability, without being arrogant and it was a good penalty.

“He’s ended up our top goalscorer this season, so it’s a part of his game and he does it well.”

Chatham grew in confidence after that strike and central midfielder Newman fed Hales but the finish was this time lacking as the striker lifted a left-footed shot over the bar from 25-yards.

Tilley, who caused left-back Michael Toner problems, was released down the right and he played the ball inside to Jack Jeffery, who spread play again to find Blackman on the left but the hard-working target-man looped a mis-hit shot wide with his left-foot.

A poor piece of defending from Chatham defender Kes Metitiri almost gifted Hart a goal, but Roberts dived to his right to make a fine block.

Chatham were denied a second when Jennings made an excellent flying save low to his left to turn Jeffrey’s right-footed half-volley from 20-yards, which bounced towards the far corner,  around the post.

Chatham doubled their lead in the 40^th minute and Blackman has to take credit for his industry just over the half-way line.

The Hythe-based target-man held the ball up and waited for support from left-back Jason Barton, who raced forward before sweeping the ball inside to Newman, who played a precise diagonal pass to pick out Tilley, who drilled an angled left-footed drive, which beat Jennings at his near post.

Watson added: “We’ve had a few bits of play leading up to that, that could’ve led to goals and opportunities and we have done that throughout the season.  We have created opportunities but we haven’t been as clinical as we would’ve liked.

“I suppose we were today because there were goals that probably weren’t even clear cut opportunities but we still managed to finish them.”

Roberts somehow pulled off a world-class double save before the break, which Redbridge didn’t recover from.

Striker Wyllie cut into the penalty area and cut the ball back and Gardner was destined to score when he only had the keeper to beat from eight-yards, but Roberts dived full-stretch to his left to make a fantastic block and the ball spun up and Hart’s downward header from close-range was caught by the agile keeper on his goal-line.

That knocked the stuffing out of Redbridge and they were just not the same side during the second half.

Toner launched a long diagonal ball out of defence and Wyllie cracked a first-time left-footed shot high over the near post after just 22 seconds into the second half.

Chatham almost increased their lead further in the 58^th minute when Tilley swung in a corner from the right and the ball was headed back to him by a Redbridge defender at the near post.  Tilley whipped in the second ball and skipper Brad Potter who was lurking at the far post shouted out his name and planted a header towards goal from eight-yards, which was tipped over by the Redbridge keeper.

Chatham were now dominant and just over two minutes later Hales’ through ball put Blackman through on goal but his rising right-footed drive was tipped over by Jennings.

Seven minutes later, Tilley swung in a corner from the left, which Jennings flapped at and the ball dropped to Fuller but the substitute looped his shot over from six-yards.

Redbridge substitute Joe Bricknell powered a header straight at Roberts after Jamie Haywood had time and space to whip in a corner from the right in the 75^th minute.

Fuller, who was playing as a lone striker, pulled off a moment of class when he made it 3-0 in Chatham’s favour just two minutes later.

Fuller picked the ball up and from 35-yards saw Jennings had strayed off his line and he clipped a right-footed lob over the flat-footed keeper’s head and the ball dropped down into the middle of an unguarded net to score his ninth goal of the season.

Watson said: “He was playing up there on his own, which is difficult and you go through fazes and it’s hard to come on as sub, I think, in any position and he took a little while to get into the game.

“Anybody would be happy with that goal at any standard of football. He spotted him off the line. There’s one thing to have the vision but then to be able to execute it as well, so I’s pleasing for Joe because he probably hasn’t scored enough goals this season as he would’ve liked.”

Turpin was finally booked for a foul on Blackman, who wrapped up Chatham’s victory with nine minutes remaining.

Blackman stepped up and stroked a right-footed free-kick from 25-yards, which looped over the wall and curled into the top near corner, leaving Jennings rooted to the spot.

Watson joked: “In all fairness, I’ve turned round on the bench and said “I don’t’ think he’s got that in the locker,” probably because it was on a bad pitch!

“No, in all fairness, it was a well-executed free-kick! They’re the sort of things we maybe would’ve liked to score more goals from those opportunities earlier on in the season.”

Roberts maintained his clean sheet when he produced yet another top save, diving high to his right to deny central defender Glen Golby scoring with a bullet header after he came up for a corner.

Chatham went close a couple of times towards the end of the game.  A cross from substitute Chris Davies found Blackman at the far post, whose downward header bounced just wide of the far post and Fuller hooked over after Jennings made a meal out of Hales’ in-swinging corner from the left.

Watson was delighted with his side’s performance – it’s just a shame that only 45 people were there to see it!

He said: “I still back us.  I still think we’ve got a lot of quality in the dressing room and I still think we’re a good side.

“We’re naive at times and there’s still a lot missing that we need to work on, but I do feel we’ve got the basis of a decent team that can challenge higher positions in this league.

“I think we’ve underachieved. I think the players feel we’ve underachieved. Although it’s an improvement you could say on last season in terms of league position (when we finished second-from-bottom in Ryman League Division One South), I wouldn’t by no means say we need to be better going forward than we have across the whole of the season.”

Watson, who revealed that he has enjoyed his first season in management and that he would like to play a bigger part on the pitch next season, added: “It’s nice to finish on a result like that at the end of the season. It’s been an up and down season.  There’s been some positives and a lot of negatives but certainly to finish on a result like that was pleasing.”

Redbridge:  Alexander Jennings, Jamie Haywood, Michael Toner, Matthew Turpin, Glen Golby, Danny Hopkins, Joe Gardner, Lewis Dark, Shane Wyllie (Joe Bricknell 55), Eddie Hart, Ashley Wackers-Kyriano (Mitchell Das 46).
Subs: William Sendall, Perry Burns

Booked: Michael Toner 23, Matthew Turpin 80

Chatham Town:  Tim Roberts, Ryan Laker, Jason Barton (Chris Davies 61), Matt Solly (James Lawrence 55), Brad Potter, Kes Metitiri, Lloyd Blackman, Matt Newman, Jack Jeffery (Joe Fuller 61), Lee Hales, Garry Tilley.
Sub:  Kevin Watson

Goals: Lee Hales 19 (pen), Garry Tilley 40, Joe Fuller 77, Lloyd Blackman 81

Booked: Ryan Laker 22

Attendance: 45
Referee: Mr Wade Norcott (Harlow, Essex)
Assistants: Mr Peter Zuffa (Walthamstow, London E17) & Mr Mateux Filipiak (Stratford, London E15)