Kentish Football 
Walton Casuals 2-1 Chatham Town - We have to start beleiving in ourselves - O'Brien
Wednesday 16th September 2009
WALTON CASUALS 2-1 CHATHAM TOWN (after extra time)
FA Cup (Sponsored by E.ON) First Qualifying Round Replay
Wednesday 16th September 2009
Mike Green reports from Waterside Stadium
ALEX O'Brien was far from happy after seeing his Chatham Town side squander a late lead and then succumb to a ten man Walton Casuals side as the Chats crashed out of the FA Cup on the banks of the River Thames.
O'Brien was not happy when he spoke to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after the game.
"One goal from five great chances" he said, "and they wonder why we're out of the Cup. We've created chances out there that we should have taken and then given them two soft goals."
O'Brien was particularly incensed at the Casuals winner in the first extra period.
"How he (the referee) can give a foul against Razor (Ray Powell) is totally beyond me, and then he books Avo (skipper Richard Avery) for dissent. But we still shouldn’t let the guy have a free header. Maybe he was trying t even things up (following the dismissal of Walton sub James Rose for violent conduct) - I just don’t know”
The Chats boss went on: "What I do know is that we should be in the next round but instead we're now heading to Merstham on Saturday week for a League game!"
Asked if he felt that keeper Richard Stroud could have perhaps done better with the two goals, O'Brien replied, "You'll have to ask him - I never played in goal!"
However, O'Brien was pleased though by the way his side dealt with the conditions that saw a cold wind blow straight down the middle of the pitch.
He said: "We dealt with it well considering they were a handful in the air, which makes it even moor galling that we've conceded the winner from a dead ball!"
And to be fair, O'Brien had the right to feel frustrated as his side dominated this game for long periods yet only had Brad Potter's 75th minute strike (his first goal for the club) to show for it.
By the time that Martin Grant spectacularly equalised for the home side on 86 minutes the tie should have been long over.
But the Chats were made to pay when former Gravesend and Northfleet central defender Nick Burton headed home on 104 minutes to send the Chats out and Walton into the Second Qualifying Round for the first time in their history.
The game started as tightly as Saturday's opening game had been yet on 24 minutes Lee Barnett missed a golden chance to break the deadlock.
Last season's top scorer was released on the edge of the box, but as he shot he was "beaten" by a horrendous bobble and he skied the shot.
On the half hour, Brendon Cass was then denied by a smart save from home keeper Chico Ramos (from Matt Solly's through ball) but the former Dartford hit man will have been disappointed not to score from such a promising position. Barnett then escaped down the right, but his pull back was disappointing and the chance was gone!
Walton finally had a chance on the stroke of half time when Burton had a free header from a corner that this time he sent high and wide - it was to prove a sighter for his heroics later on!
The second half began as the first finished with the Chats dominate - Cass shot horribly wide when perhaps he should have done better and then Barnett sent a shot into the side netting from the angle of the box.
Justin Ascheri, who was a danger to the home side for long periods of the 90 minutes down Chatham's right, was then denied by a brave Ramos save on the edge of his box after a fine Potter through ball, before on 61 minutes Barnett saw a curling shot grabbed under the bar by Ramos.
The goal that the visitors deserve finally came with just 15 minutes left - and in hindsight was the one bit of luck the Chats had in front of goal all night!
A corner from the right was met by a powerful Cass header which Ramos could only block, and the ball fell to the feet of Potter to gleefully rammed the ball into the roof of the net.
Within two minutes the home side were reduced to ten men after substitute Rose clashed with Ben Payne after Casuals had wasted yet another ball into the Chatham area.
Rose lashed out at the Chatham defender and was seen to grab Payne around the neck - what preceded that only referee Eamonn Smith could have seen and determined but the official had no hesitation in pulling out the red card.
The referee was again the central figure on 81 minutes when the Chats thought they'd sealed their progress.
Cass and Ramos challenged for a high ball which neither reached and as the ball looped back into the box, it was bundled over the line only for the official to give the home side a free kick. At the time it seemed a strange decision, and with hindsight it seems even stranger.
On 84 minutes, Ramos literally kept his club in the FA Cup with a sensational save to deny a Cass scissor kick - again a right wing corner caused chaos, and as the ball dropped, Cass whipped it goal wards in a flash only for the Casuals keeper to somehow pull off a block that was to turn the game, as within 90 seconds of that and with only four minutes remaining, the home side scored out of absolutely nothing.
A long bouncing ball seemed to be dealt with be Avery and Payne (who were both colossal all game long) but Grant had other ideas, and Walton’s number nine made himself some room and the curled a stunner beyond Stroud and into the far corner of the net!
And so to extra time, yet despite be cock a hoop the home sides only chance of the first period (with the wind at their backs) Burton's goal on 104 minutes.
The central defender rose highest to meet a long free kick yet his header seemed dot drift beyond Stroud's right hand and nestle into the corner of the net - a goal that sparked wild celebrations for the ten men!
And because they were a man down, and quite rightly too, Walton then shut up shop and challenged Chatham to break down a wall of orange in the remaining 15 minutes.
Sadly the equaliser just wouldn’t come and it’s Walton who now host Sussex County League side Selsey in the next round.
For O'Brien and his assistant Lew Watts (for whom this was not the birthday present he wanted) now must lift their troops ahead of Saturday's visit of Leatherhead to the Maidstone Road Sports Ground in Ryman One South - a game that www.Kentishfootball.co.uk will be covering.
"We've got on paper two of the best strikers in this league and we've got some fantastic footballers here but they need to start believing in themselves; they need to do their job, and more importantly" O'Brien concluded "they need to get on with it starting Saturday!"
Walton Casuals: Chico Ramos, Gavin Bulger, Michael Cayford, Craig Lewington, Richard Orlu, Nick Burton, Michael Barima, Scott Harris, Martin Grant (Christan Webb 109), Leon Yarnie, Anthony Gale (James Rose 60).
Subs: Jack Watkins, Don Wothington.
Booked: Craig Lewington 85, Scott Harris 90, Michael Cayford 94
Sent Off: James Rose 77
Goals: Martin Grant 86, Nick Burton 104
Chatham Town: Richard Stroud, Ray Powell, Ashley Proberts, Matt Solly, Richard Avery, Ben Payne, Justin Ascheri, Brad Potter, Brendon Cass, Lee Barnett, Mark Green (Tom Davey 64).
Subs: Jim Lyons, Dan Ellis.
Booked: Ray Powell 74, Richard Avery 103
Goal: Brad Potter 75
Attendance: 114
Referee: Mr Chris Wicks (Reading, Berkshire)
"One goal from five great chances" he said, "and they wonder why we're out of the Cup. We've created chances out there that we should have taken and then given them two soft goals."
O'Brien was particularly incensed at the Casuals winner in the first extra period.
"How he (the referee) can give a foul against Razor (Ray Powell) is totally beyond me, and then he books Avo (skipper Richard Avery) for dissent. But we still shouldn’t let the guy have a free header. Maybe he was trying t even things up (following the dismissal of Walton sub James Rose for violent conduct) - I just don’t know”
The Chats boss went on: "What I do know is that we should be in the next round but instead we're now heading to Merstham on Saturday week for a League game!"
Asked if he felt that keeper Richard Stroud could have perhaps done better with the two goals, O'Brien replied, "You'll have to ask him - I never played in goal!"
However, O'Brien was pleased though by the way his side dealt with the conditions that saw a cold wind blow straight down the middle of the pitch.
He said: "We dealt with it well considering they were a handful in the air, which makes it even moor galling that we've conceded the winner from a dead ball!"
And to be fair, O'Brien had the right to feel frustrated as his side dominated this game for long periods yet only had Brad Potter's 75th minute strike (his first goal for the club) to show for it.
By the time that Martin Grant spectacularly equalised for the home side on 86 minutes the tie should have been long over.
But the Chats were made to pay when former Gravesend and Northfleet central defender Nick Burton headed home on 104 minutes to send the Chats out and Walton into the Second Qualifying Round for the first time in their history.
The game started as tightly as Saturday's opening game had been yet on 24 minutes Lee Barnett missed a golden chance to break the deadlock.
Last season's top scorer was released on the edge of the box, but as he shot he was "beaten" by a horrendous bobble and he skied the shot.
On the half hour, Brendon Cass was then denied by a smart save from home keeper Chico Ramos (from Matt Solly's through ball) but the former Dartford hit man will have been disappointed not to score from such a promising position. Barnett then escaped down the right, but his pull back was disappointing and the chance was gone!
Walton finally had a chance on the stroke of half time when Burton had a free header from a corner that this time he sent high and wide - it was to prove a sighter for his heroics later on!
The second half began as the first finished with the Chats dominate - Cass shot horribly wide when perhaps he should have done better and then Barnett sent a shot into the side netting from the angle of the box.
Justin Ascheri, who was a danger to the home side for long periods of the 90 minutes down Chatham's right, was then denied by a brave Ramos save on the edge of his box after a fine Potter through ball, before on 61 minutes Barnett saw a curling shot grabbed under the bar by Ramos.
The goal that the visitors deserve finally came with just 15 minutes left - and in hindsight was the one bit of luck the Chats had in front of goal all night!
A corner from the right was met by a powerful Cass header which Ramos could only block, and the ball fell to the feet of Potter to gleefully rammed the ball into the roof of the net.
Within two minutes the home side were reduced to ten men after substitute Rose clashed with Ben Payne after Casuals had wasted yet another ball into the Chatham area.
Rose lashed out at the Chatham defender and was seen to grab Payne around the neck - what preceded that only referee Eamonn Smith could have seen and determined but the official had no hesitation in pulling out the red card.
The referee was again the central figure on 81 minutes when the Chats thought they'd sealed their progress.
Cass and Ramos challenged for a high ball which neither reached and as the ball looped back into the box, it was bundled over the line only for the official to give the home side a free kick. At the time it seemed a strange decision, and with hindsight it seems even stranger.
On 84 minutes, Ramos literally kept his club in the FA Cup with a sensational save to deny a Cass scissor kick - again a right wing corner caused chaos, and as the ball dropped, Cass whipped it goal wards in a flash only for the Casuals keeper to somehow pull off a block that was to turn the game, as within 90 seconds of that and with only four minutes remaining, the home side scored out of absolutely nothing.
A long bouncing ball seemed to be dealt with be Avery and Payne (who were both colossal all game long) but Grant had other ideas, and Walton’s number nine made himself some room and the curled a stunner beyond Stroud and into the far corner of the net!
And so to extra time, yet despite be cock a hoop the home sides only chance of the first period (with the wind at their backs) Burton's goal on 104 minutes.
The central defender rose highest to meet a long free kick yet his header seemed dot drift beyond Stroud's right hand and nestle into the corner of the net - a goal that sparked wild celebrations for the ten men!
And because they were a man down, and quite rightly too, Walton then shut up shop and challenged Chatham to break down a wall of orange in the remaining 15 minutes.
Sadly the equaliser just wouldn’t come and it’s Walton who now host Sussex County League side Selsey in the next round.
For O'Brien and his assistant Lew Watts (for whom this was not the birthday present he wanted) now must lift their troops ahead of Saturday's visit of Leatherhead to the Maidstone Road Sports Ground in Ryman One South - a game that www.Kentishfootball.co.uk will be covering.
"We've got on paper two of the best strikers in this league and we've got some fantastic footballers here but they need to start believing in themselves; they need to do their job, and more importantly" O'Brien concluded "they need to get on with it starting Saturday!"
Walton Casuals: Chico Ramos, Gavin Bulger, Michael Cayford, Craig Lewington, Richard Orlu, Nick Burton, Michael Barima, Scott Harris, Martin Grant (Christan Webb 109), Leon Yarnie, Anthony Gale (James Rose 60).
Subs: Jack Watkins, Don Wothington.
Booked: Craig Lewington 85, Scott Harris 90, Michael Cayford 94
Sent Off: James Rose 77
Goals: Martin Grant 86, Nick Burton 104
Chatham Town: Richard Stroud, Ray Powell, Ashley Proberts, Matt Solly, Richard Avery, Ben Payne, Justin Ascheri, Brad Potter, Brendon Cass, Lee Barnett, Mark Green (Tom Davey 64).
Subs: Jim Lyons, Dan Ellis.
Booked: Ray Powell 74, Richard Avery 103
Goal: Brad Potter 75
Attendance: 114
Referee: Mr Chris Wicks (Reading, Berkshire)
Assistants: Mr Chris North (Guildford, Surrey) and Mr Richard Hailstone (Aldershot, Hampshire)
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