The game took a while to get going & the first real chance of the game came in the 18^th minute when Ade Yussuff 18 yards out saw his shot deflected up in the air but easy for Chico Ramas to collect.

Nine minutes later Chatham came inches away from opening the scoring when Yussuff on the right saw his low cross in the area find  Joe Loft whose flicked shot came off the post & Austin Gacheru pounced on it but shot into the side netting.

Tilbury’s only chance albeit a half chance came in the 35^th minute when a corner was half cleared to Tim Wood who knocked it back into the area for Emiel Aiken but his flicked shot went wide of the post.

The half time whistle went & both sides trudged off knowing that they could play better.

The second half again was slow to start but in the 51^st minute Yussuff chested down a pass into the path of Lee Hales who’s shot from 25 yards went over the bar.

Another glorious chance came in the 61^st minute when Gacheru put Yussuff in the area & his first shot was saved by Ramas & came back to him & his second shot was saved & came out to Loft whose shot was blocked & then cleared.

In the 62^nd minute the ball went across the Chatham area where Jack Caruse was & his side foot effort went just wide.

In the 65^th minute Tilbury took the lead when firstly a cross to the back post found Wood whose header was pushed away for a corner by Lee Kidman & from the resulting corner to the near post Jack West headed in.

Two minutes later Chatham nearly equalised when a short corner to Jamie Lawrence whose cross to the back post found Liam Hickey but his header went into the side netting.

Chatham were now chasing the game & started to play some good football but didn’t really create any meaningful chances & in the second minute of added on time they nearly conceded a second when Aiken on the right fizzed his cross across the area where Lawrence was & his attempted clearance went over the bar.

 

CHATHAM TOWN:

1. KIDMAN 2. J.LAWRENCE  3. G.BENBOW  4. M.SOLLY  5. L.HICKEY 6. P.HAWKINS (79)  7. L.HALES
2. C.HOLDER 9. A.GACHERU 10. A.YUSSUFF  11. J.LOFT (66)

SUBS USED:

2. K.PHILIP (66) 14. J.TAYLOR (79)

SUBS NOT USED: 15. K.MOSAKU  16. K.WATSON  17. T.WELLHAM

 

TILBURY:

1. RAMAS 2. J.POOLEY  3. E.JOHNSON (56)  4. T.WOOD  5. S.WEST  6. J.CHRISTOU  7. R.FLACK
2. J.CARUSE 9. J.WEST  10. N.MARTIN LOPEZ-DEPENA (84) 11. F.BABOLA (27)

SUBS USED:

7. E.AIKEN (27)  12. A.WATERS (56)  14. D.ALDWINCKLE (84)

SUBS NOT USED:

5. B.VAUGHAN 16. B.HUNT

BOOKINGS:  9. J.WEST (70)

 

REFEREE: Mr R.BLOY

ASSISTANTS: Mr E.AMIR  & Mr P.CRUISE

ATTENDANCE: 151