We are where we are because that's where we deserve to be, says Chatham Town's Keith Levett

Monday 18th February 2013

CHATHAM TOWN assistant manager Keith Levett says he wants to finish the season in the top ten.

The Medway side are presently in fifteenth-place in the Ryman League Division One North table with 31 points from 28 games.

Kevin Watson’s men have suffered home defeats to Witham Town (0-2) and struggling Ware (3-2) during the past week.

And with fourteen league games remaining, Levett wants to push his players into the top half of the table, despite being five points behind tenth-place Brentwood Town, who have only played nineteen league games.

”We’re a little bit similar to last year in a way,” said Levett.

”We’ve changed personnel but we make similar mistakes. We tend to play as well at times, we can play very well.

”We’d like to be higher, but everyone would like to say the same thing. We are probably where we are because that’s where we deserve to be, but we’re hoping in the last fourteen games we can see positive steps.

”We are also looking for a top ten finish but after that performance (against Witham) we’ll be lucky if we finish in the top fifteen.”

Chatham Town travel to leaders Maldon & Tiptree on Saturday. The Essex side have collected 64 points from their 27 games and are ten points clear of Thamesmead Town, who travel to Dulwich Hamlet to play their first ever Ryman League Cup Semi-Final on Tuesday night.

Maldon & Tiptree suffered only their third league defeat of the season at the weekend when they lost 2-0 at Cheshunt and they welcome Brentwood Town to Park Drive on Thursday before facing Chatham at the weekend.

”They’re doing very well,” said Levett. “They’ve had a few slips lately, which you probably expect because the way they were going they’d look like they’d go through the whole of the season without getting beat.

”They’re a good side, they’ve got a lot off good players, a lot of experience in their side and we have to make sure that we’re at our game because if we’re not they’ll find us out so we have to make sure we’re mentally and physically prepared for them.”

Chatham Town launched their new academy last week and Levett sees that as a positive step.

He said: “Steve Binks (director of football) has been working very hard behind the scenes with a number of other people to get the academy up and running.

”It’s a good partnership with a local school (Bishop of Rochester Academy, Magpie Hall Road, Chatham) which is excellent and the future to bring young lads locally through the local club is what it’s about really and having good community links and get people involved with the football club locally, which I think is all a positive.

”I’m very pleased for the club that they’ve managed to get that together so it’s all been very good, very positive.”

Visit Chatham Town’s website: www.chathamtownfc.net

Maldon & Tiptree v Chatham Town
Ryman League Division One North
Saturday 23^rd February 2013
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Wallace Binder Ground, Park Drive, Maldon, Essex CM9 6XX