Chatham Town got back to winning ways with a dogged performance against Wingate & Finchley and their Wembley dream continues as they are in the draw for the first round of the FA Trophy on Monday.

The Chats came out of the traps quickly as they wanted to put the last few performances behind them and in the first eight minutes they could have scored three times. In the third minute a clearance half cleared came to Stuart O’Keefe and from 25 yards his shot went just past the post.

Three minutes later a Bailey Akehurst cross to the back post found Simon Cooper, his header was turned around the post by Charlie Grainger. A minute later a corner into the area bounced around and Sid Nelson saw his flicked shot go just past the post.

In the eighth minute Cooper passed into the path of Jordy Mongoy and from 15 yards his shot went over the bar. After this onrush of pressure Wingate & Finchley finally got going and for the next 15 minutes, they dominated possession, culminating in the 18^th minute when a ball into the Chatham area saw a shot cleared of the line by Mongoy.

In the 23^rd minute against the run of play Chatham took the lead when Jamie Yila was fed the ball on the left wing, he went into the area and his low cross to the back post found Mongoy who stabbed it home. 

Goals change games as they say and Chatham were now on top and in the 38^th minute Yila was put through on goal, he went round Grainger but from an acute angle his shot was cleared away then in the third minute of added on time Rowan Libard was put through and he saw his 20-yard shot go agonisingly wide.

The second half saw Wingate take total control of the game as they looked for an equaliser and in the 54^th minute Anronicos Georgiou saw his 25-yard effort come back off the post.

Chatham were now relying on counter attacks. All the pressure that Wingate had were repelled by the dogged defence of Chatham and Joe Wright had only to pick some crosses out of the air. In the sixth minute of added on time Wingate should have equalised when a free kick into the area saw Ben Frempah head back across the area for Ogo Obi who from six yards lashed his shot across goal and out for a goal kick. The final whistle went and the Chatham players and supporters celebrated a very hard earned victory.

        Chatham Town:

1. J.Wright     3. B.Akehurst   5. R.Butler  6. S.Nelson  7. S.O’keefe (80)  8. J.Evans

10.  F.Sears (89)  11. J.Yila (69)  12. J.Mongoy (60)  15. S.Cooper  17. R.Libard (76)

Subs Used: 14. S.Sene-Richardson (60)  18. K.Anokye Boadi (69)  20. O.Bello (76) 16. C.Naylor (80)

• M.Scarlett (89)

Subs Not Used:

Bookings: 8. J.Evans (27)  7. S.O’keefe (77)  14. S.Sene Richardson (82)

        Wingate & Finchley:

1. C.Grainger     2. W.Cracknell  3. T.Byron  4. M.Achuba  5. B.Frempah  6. J.Drakes-Thomas (67)

7.    R.Garrett-Douglas  8. L.Deslandes (67)  9. O.Obi   10. A.Georgiou (75)  11. M.O’donoghue (59)

Subs Used:  12. L.Hernandez (59)  14. R.Lowe (67)  16. Z.Newton (67)  17. D.Oladipo (75

Subs Not Used:  15. B.Webb

Bookings: 10. A.Georgiou (42)  4. M.Achuba (45)

Referee: Mr R.Joss

Assistants: Mrm.Charles & Mr M.Stoichitoui

Att: 537

Image courtesy of Chatham Town FC