Chatham are still looking for their first win of the season whilst Cray kept up their unbeaten record, Cray deserved the win as they passed the ball better and took their chances.If the truth be known they could have had more while Chatham just need to eradicate individual mistakes as boss Tony Beckingham stated in his programme notes.

In this Kent derby Cray started the quicker and nearly took the lead in the second minute when a free kick into the area was half cleared to Karl Dent & from 10 yards his shot was saved by Henry Newcombe’s body & cleared.

Chatham had their first half chance in the 7^th minute when Ricky Gundry received the ball 25 yards out and tried his luck but it went high and wide. In the very next minute Cray thought they had taken the lead when a free kick into the area was headed on by Jonte Smith to Jay Leader who headed back across the area for Karl Dent whose shot was stabbed in by Smith two yards out but the Flag went up, offside given.

Another chance for Cray came in the 18^th minute when a corner to the back post found Paul Lorraine who headed back across goal for Smith who acrobatically shot at goal from 3 yards but Newcombe saved it, in the very next minute Chatham took a surprise lead when Gundry received the ball on the left wing and he then ran forward and across the eighteen yard line before shooting, it got a deflection and ended up at the feet of Luke Medley who tapped in from three yards.

Eleven minutes later and Cray got the equaliser when Taylor McDonagh passed out wide on the right to Brandon Scott who then went on a mazy run towards goal and from 18 yards he shot past Newcombe. It was nearly two when Grant Basey on the left ran onto a pass and from the by-line his low cross was half cleared but only to Dent whose first time shot was blocked on the line and cleared. The half time whistle went and both managers would have different views on the half, Chatham’s relief to get them in & start again whilst Cray’s more of the same.

The second half was only seconds old when Cray nearly took the lead when Solomon Taiwo inside his own half sent a fantastic ball forward for Smith to latch onto and from 25 yards he tried to lob Newcombe but only managed to chip it into his arms.

In the 60^th minute Austin Edwards picked up a loose ball and from 25 yards saw his shot go just past the post, then two minutes later Cray did take the lead when  a Basey corner to the back post saw Lorraine head back across goal for Smith to stab in from 3 yards. Chatham nearly equalised seconds later when Edwards was through on goal and from 15 yards his shot was saved by Nick Blue’s legs, a minute later they could have equalised when Edwards running forward put Dane Luchford in the area but under pressure his weak shot was easily saved.

In the 65^th minute Scott on the left passed inside for Dent who went into the area and shot but it went wide. Chatham nearly equalised in the 71^st minute when the ball went loose & Medley picked it up and from 25 yards his shot whistled over the bar. Cray increased their lead in the 73^rd minute when a long clearance saw Jon Difford back peddling and his header back to Newcombe was short and Scott got to it and his shot was blocked by Newcombe but went sideways to Anthony Adesite who from 10 yards side footed into the empty net.

Chatham were in shock and in the 82^nd minute they had their last chance when Josh Bray saw his cross shot pushed over the bar by Blue. In the 86^th minute it should have been four when Max Williams put Smith in the clear and into the area he went going round Newcombe and his goal bound shot was cleared of the line by Difford, then in the 2^nd minute off added on time Blue’s long kick found Williams who tried to lob Newcombe but Newcombe caught it.

The final whistle went and for the neutral at the game you would have been impressed with Cray and would say they should end up in the top five if not win it for Chatham it’s back to the drawing board.

Chatham: Newcombe, Aboyage, Lyoubi (Gibson, 11), Kaffo, Difford, Hickey, Luchford, Edwards, Bray, Grundy, Medley

Subs not used: Trussell, Waters, Barnes, Lee

Cray: Blue, McDonagh, Basey, Leader, Lorraine, Dawson, Taiwo (Adesite, 54), Prescott, Smith, Dent (Williams, 84), Scott (Osibodu, 88)

Subs not used: Ledgister, McKinley

Referee: D Skipper

Assistants: Battye, Stanley

Att 202

Images courtesy of Keith Last