Chatham Town belatedly got their SCEFL season up and running with what was in the end a comfortable win over Canterbury City.
After Saturday’s washout at Deal, goals early and late – from Liam Friend and Luke Rooney – sealed the Chats 2-0 win but City will have returned to Canterbury wondering what might have been if a couple of first half chances could have been taken.
That said, it was down to a combination of excellent second half keeping from the visitors Tom Benham and some incredible misses from the home side that the Chats first win of the season was “only” by two!
Friend struck for the home side just four minutes into his Chatham debut as he smashed home after Benham had done brilliantly to deny Dan Bradshaw – the Chats striker was to have “one of those nights” when he was to be denied time and again and was left wondering how he didn’t get on the scoresheet.
To be fair after Friend’s early opener, the home side failed to take advantage and Canterbury grew more and more into the game and could and perhaps should have been in front before the break. Jordan Casey was denied by a fabulous block from Reece Butler before home keeper Henry Newcombe made a smart save from Dan Keyte following the resulting corner. Adam Turton then came agonisingly close to levelling on the stroke of half time as his deflected effort had Newcombe scrambling as the ball looped just wide.
Only Bradshaw will know how he just couldn’t reach Ryan Hayes’ cross in the opening seconds of the second half as Hayes enjoyed almost the dream start after the break. Shortly afterwards a mazy run and piledriver came back off the underside of the City crossbar before the former Dartford man turned provider again as his pinpoint cross was met by Matt Bodkins header, which beat Benham only to crash off the inside of the post and rebound to safety.
Yet despite the hosts dominance early in the second half, Canterbury should have been level as Remell Grieson ghosted in at the back post unmarked but could only thump a powerful header over Newcombe’s bar.
The home side just couldn’t find the crucial second as the chances came and went; Benham pulled off a stunning point blank stop to deny Bradshaw, the keeper then was quick to block an effort from Jordi Robbins after Bradshaw had played a Hayes pull back into his path, and then Bradshaw shot straight at the keeper from three yards after a great ball from Jon Pilbeam, before the securing second finally arrived ten minutes from time from the spot. Flying sub-Ike Orji was felled in the box and Rooney drove the spot kick beyond Benham.
Bradshaw’s night was complete in stoppage time when somehow, he put a header wide from Orji, but the home faithful will know that their main striker will surely come good just as their team did on opening night!
CHATHAM TOWN – Newcombe, Lawal, Friend, Robbins, Butler, Rooney, Hayes, Brown (Martin), Bradshaw, Bodkin (Orji), Pilbeam
Subs – Dickens, Josh Stroutts, Dalton
CANTERBURY CITY – Benham, Stevens-Toomey, Penny, Keyte, Grieson, Nelson, Rob Lawrence (Jacob Stroutts), Turton, Casey, Lawford (Longland), Rogers (Lawton)
Subs – Williams, Sam Lawrence
REFEREE – Mr Williams