Chatham Town made it seven wins from eight SCEFL matches as they brushed aside local rivals Lordswood at Martyn Grove on Tuesday night.
After a rampant first half that saw the visitors raced into a three-goal lead, the home side did at least steady their sinking ship briefly in the second half, but the Chats dominance ended up running out 5-1 winners.
The first period was one way traffic towards the Lords goal and in truth Chatham could have gone in at the break leading by more than the three that they did.
The opening goal came after just ten minutes as Jack Bradshaw hammered the visitors into the lead and it was doubled three minutes later as Tommy Smith thumped home a header past Lordswood keeper George Bentley from Jack Evans delightfully flighted free kick.
The Chats next chance came from Jon Pilbeam who couldn’t convert Ryan Hayes’ centre at the far post, but it only delayed the inevitable for a matter of moments. Ike Orji made a terrific run down the right and was only denied a wonderful goal by Bentley. Unfortunately for the Lords keeper, the ball rebounded straight to Evans who hammered home from ten yards.
Bentley then came to the home sides rescue again with a fine full length save to keep out Jack Palmby’s drive and from the corner Smith was denied his second by a goal line clearance. The home side’s best chance of the opening half fell to full back Josh Gilbert, but his shot was skied high and wide which summed up a disappointed and hugely frustrating opening half for Lordswood.
Sad for Neil Hunter, things didn’t get any better in the opening stages of the second period as the home side conceded a fourth on the hour as sadly Bentley turned from hero to villain as he fumbled Evans’ corner straight to Bradshaw who bundled the ball over the line.
The home side made changes and one of them – Caleb Bearman-Dyce – injected some much-needed fight and pace up front and from one of his runs down the left, the ball was turned in at the far post by Gilbert with a quarter of an hour left.
Chatham though could have extended their lead further before they eventually did in stoppage time. Another Orji charge forward found its way to Andy Pugh and when his shot was blocked, Harvey Brown shot narrowly wide before Matt Bodkin went even closer with a great angled drive that smashed of the underside of the bar and the inside of the left post but stayed out.
The win was finally sealed in the 90th minute when Pugh picked himself up and drove the ball past a despairing Bentley to put the icing on Chatham’s cake with the fifth from the penalty spot.
Chatham’s win takes them to within four points of early leaders Glebe – who themselves won 5-1 on the night against Rusthall – whilst for Lordswood they’re left anxiously looking over their shoulders in 18th…
LORDSWOOD – Bentley, Gilbert, Bush, Creed, Taylor, Hunter, Smith, Collings, Gill, Carter, Rayner
Subs – Gorse, Sibley, Courtman, Muir, Bearman-Dyce
CHATHAM TOWN – Walker, Orji, Dickens, Robins, Smith, Ajayi, Hayes, Evans, Bradshaw, Palmby, Pilbeam
Subs – Mayer, Bodkin, Lawal, Brown, Pugh
REFEREE – Mr Zachwieja