It’s just one home win in nine now for Chatham Town, who suffered their heaviest defeat of the season less than 48 hours after losing their captain, Matt Solly, to a horrific injury on New Year’s Day.

Solly was in attendance to witness Chatham capitulate in the second half, as Aveley ran riot with goals on the counter attack.

Billy Holland struck a curling effort on 16 to give Aveley the lead, although Chatham spurned the chances to go into the interval at least level, if not with a comfortable lead. After the break though, Junior Baker doubled the lead, before Marcus Elliott’s brace gave the scoreline a lopsided look; Elliott’s goals either side of a nightmare moment for Tom Wellham, as his clearance rebounded into the net off Petrit Elbi.

Chatham’s manager, Kevin Watson, admitted he was embarrassed by his team’s performance, and that he has rarely felt like that in football. He explained “I’m as accountable as the players, but I don’t think it was through a lack of effort, just a lack of quality. Some of the players have been good in spells, but not at the desired level over 90 minutes. It’s not easy to get the right people in, and we have been trying. My feeling is that you shouldn’t be beaten like that by a team in your league; it was a poor, poor result.”

“We need to be braver in keeping and moving the ball better. Being brave isn’t just about getting stuck into tackles; it’s about the know-how, football intelligence. We had chances first half, but they didn’t seem like chances as the quality wasn’t good enough. There was good balls going into the box, and the one-on-one, but there wasn’t enough composure.”

“We spoke about certain things at half-time, one of them not giving Junior Baker space, but the message didn’t seem to get through. There are ways and means to go about chasing a game without leaving yourself open, and we showed a certain naivety in the way we approached the second half. It’s extremely frustrating, because you do feel helpless on the sidelines.”

If there was any hangover from the abandoned game at Thurrock on New Year’s Day, it didn’t show as Chatham started the game at the high tempo the manager had requested. Liam Hickey curled a long-range effort wide, and Kane Philip’s back post header couldn’t be directed on target.

In the conditions, it was understandable that players were trying shots from all ranges, and Aveley’s Billy Holland had a sighter on 11, driving a shot into the stomach of Tom Wellham from all of 30 yards. This range finder for Holland proved telling on 16, as Chatham failed to chase out Richard Davies’ clearance header. The ball was fed back into Holland, who curled a shot through a crowd of players, with Wellham unable to get a strong enough hand to stop the effort creeping in at his left hand post.

Theo Ola and Junior Kaffo exchanged long range shots that were both off target, but Chatham almost found a way back into the game on 22. Corey Holder lifted a ball over a stationary Aveley back-line, all appealing for an offside decision, which allowed Jamie Taylor to slip through. Taylor’s shot though arrowed over the bar, although Chatham’s players were convinced James Marrable got a touch.

As Chatham continued to press, Greg Benbow pulled a shot wide, while Davies brought a good save out of Marrable, diving away to his right side. Hickey then had a header from another Collins corner well blocked by Junior Baker, and the experienced defender did better to block a Taylor shot after a low cross from Philip.

For all Chatham’s pressure, it was Aveley who should have extended their lead, with Wellham pulling off two outstanding saves in the last 5 minutes of the half. Jack Stevenson’s raking diagonal ball allowed Ola to head the ball back across the area. Petrit Elbi was first to react, stabbing an effort goalwards inside the 6-yard area, but Wellham plunged to his left to turn the ball round.

Then, from a poor clearance kick, Stevenson found Elbi on the edge of the box, and Wellham turned the Aveley striker’s shot round the right post.

It took Aveley just seven minutes of the second half to double their lead. Spencer Harrison flicked Ahmed Deen’s freekick from the right wing on, and Baker found himself unmarked at the back post to head home across Wellham.

Holder saw a shot blocked by Marrable, who did better on 54 to anticipate where Carlton would place his shot, after the forward was sent through one-on-one. Chatham were made to pay for their profligacy, and were caught out by Elbi’s run into the right side of the area. Elbi pulled a low cross into the middle, where two Aveley players were sliding into the 6-yard box; Marcus Elliott with the telling touch.

The home side was now chasing the game, but still creating half-chances. Ola Rabiu and Taylor both had shots across goal that didn’t trouble Marrable, and Owen Kabodi had a shot deflect away off Matty Bakare’s challenge.

It took a moment of good fortune for the visitors for number four, as Elbi closed down a backpass to Wellham. The keeper tried to get under his clearance, but only succeeded in hitting the Aveley forward as he ducked, with the ball cannoning back into the Chatham net.

Then, with 16 minutes left to play, Aveley went nap, as Elliott found the net for a second time. With seven Chatham players inside the Aveley area, left-back Paul Preston found himself free on the right wing. The fullback went on a 70-yard sprint, chased by Rabiu, before pulling a low ball across the box, where Elliott arrived to side foot his shot back across the diving Wellham.

With the game well and truly sealed, Aveley were happy to sit back and frustrate Chatham, although Ola did fire a late shot into the side netting.

Watson summed up the day by adding “there’s a lot of people put in the effort to get this game on, and nearly 150 have paid to see this. The players have to realise how lucky they are – they get tracksuits, they get paid, alright not much, but for the first time I’ve said they are not getting paid after that. It’s my decision, not the club’s, and some of that money will go into a fund for Matt Solly.

CHATHAM TOWN: Tom Wellham, Joe Loft, Laurence Collins (Owen Kabodi 61), Jamie Taylor, Richard Davies, Liam Hickey, Kane Philip (Austin Edwards 61), Corey Holder, Junior Kaffo, Anthony Carlton, Greg Benbow (Ola Rabiu 54).

Subs not used: Lewis Knight, Lee Kidman.

Booking: Junior Kaffo 33.

AVELEY: James Marrable, Matty Bakare, Paul Preston, Junior Baker, Spencer Harrison, Ahmed Deen, Theo Ola, Billy Holland (George Essuman 63). Petrit Elbi (Steven Carvell 70), Jack Stevenson, Marcus Elliott (Arion Retkoceri 74).

Subs not used: Kyle Asante, Charlie Gregory.

Goals: Billy Holland 16, Junior Baker 52, Marcus Elliott 56 & 74, Petrit Elbi 69.

Booking: Spencer Harrison 33.

Attendance: 143
Referee: Mr Shaun Scott (Horley)
Assistants: Mr Shaun Ferrer (Reigate) and Mr Tim Hatt (Redhill)