Chatham’s dreams of making the play-offs suffered as they lost contentiously to play-off rivals Chichester and in doing so lost for the second game in a row after Wednesday’s cup final defeat.

Chatham started the game on the front foot and nearly took the lead after 25 seconds when Harry Webster in the area saw his shot from 10 yards pushed out by Kieran Magee but only to Freddie Sears who from five yard smacked into the net, but the Assistant’s flag went up for offside.

In the sixth minute they nearly scored when a ball out to Sears in the area saw his low cross find Jack Evans who from five yards saw his shot on the run superbly saved by Magee.

The game then went into a lull as Chichester tried to get into the game. In the 27^th minute another great chance went a begging when Simon Cooper’s cross into the area found Jamie Yila on his own but from six yards he headed wide.

Chichester had their first chance of the game in the 39^th minute when Isacc Bello 25 yards out tried his luck, and Henry Molyneux pushed it away for a corner. In the 42^nd minute Chichester took the lead in contentious manner when a long ball forward saw Reece Butler and Jordy Robins leave it for each other and Bello ran on into the area and lobbed Molyneux into the net but everyone in the ground was waiting for the flag to go up as it appeared he was well offside, but the referee gave it.

Three minutes Chatham nearly equalised when an Evans corner into the area found Sears and his flicked shot was saved by Magee for a corner. Half time arrived and it seemed that Kevin Hake would have to give his team a good talking too while the Chichester boss would say more of the same.

 The second half started with Chichester on the front foot and in the 53^rd minute they should have been two up when Bello was put through on goal but from an angle 15 yards out, he shot across the goal when everyone thought he would score.

In the very next minute, another decision went against Chatham as John Ufuah was put through and seemed to be fouled in the area, but the referee said no this seemed to be Chatham’s season in a shot.

Another chance came in the 59^th minute when a cross into the Chichester area was cleared but only to Webster and his shot with the outside off his foot forced Magee to tip it over the bar.

Chichester up to now were having a charmed life and then in the 63^rd minute Lloyd Rowlett in the area turned quickly and from eight yards his shot was saved by Molyneux.

You could tell this was not to be Chatham’s day when in the 71^st minute Yila won the ball back of a defender and ran into the area and his shot from 10 yards was pushed out by Magee but only to Sears and his shot was blocked and cleared. 

Chatham were now throwing everything at Chichester trying to get at least an equaliser as in the 81^st minute Evans saw his 25-yard effort saved, then three minutes later in a breakaway Mo Jammah beat 3 defenders before a stretching Oliver Munt in the area saw his shot go wide.

In the 86^th minute a free kick was flicked on by Yila and Butler retrieved it and crossed back into area for Lewis Chambers but his header from 12 yards went over the bar.

In the second minute of added on time Ufuah in the area jinked past the full back and his shot was pushed away by Magee and in the fourth minute off added on time a ball forward was flicked on by Rowan Libard for Sears who raced onto it, but his lobbed effort was saved by Magee.

The full-time whistle went, and you see the disappointment in the Chatham faithful as the play-offs looked out of reach so another season the Premier League.

     Chatham Town:

1. H.Molyneux  2. H.Webster (67)  3. K.Aidoo (76)  4. J.Robins (45)  5. R.Butler  8. J.Evans  10. F.Sears

11.  J.Yila  14. L.Chambers  15. S.Cooper (65)  20. J.Ufuah

Subs Used:  9. R.Libard (45)  7. K.Isiaka (65)  17. J.Mongoy (67)  16. D.Romer (76)

Subs Not Used: 12. B.Sangare

Bookings:  11. J.Yila (76)

        Chichester City

1. K.Magee  2. R.Davidson  3. R.Hutchings  4. J.Clarke  5. C.Da Costa  6. B.Pashley  7. I.Bello

8.    E.Dunn  9. L.Rustall (72)  10. L.Rowlett  11. M.Jammeh

Subs Used: 18. O.Munt (72)

Subs Not Used: 17. J.Moore  19. C.Bennett  14. J.Scrimshaw

Bookings: None

Referee: Mr G.Heron

Assistants: Mr B.Al-Shaikh & Mr P.Agyei-Tabi

Att: 1286

Images courtesy of Chatham Town FC