Chatham are through to the 3rd Qualifying Round for the first time since 1991 when they defeated a stubborn Whyteleafe team with a 90th minute winner.

The game was started late due to the late arrival of one of the officials due to traffic problems on the M25 as well as this reporter.

The first 20 minutes were hectic as both teams tried to take control without causing any problems.

In the 30th minute came the first chance for Chatham when Kieron McCann saw his low cross deflected for a corner & from the resulting corner into the penalty area found Lee Hales who headed forward for Billy Bennett whose header goalwards was cleared off the line by Aaron Johnson then in the 34th minute Chatham took the lead when the ball bouncing around the Whyteleafe area came out to McCann who fired in from 10 yards.

Whyteleafe came back quickly as in the 36th minute a free kick into the area found Roscoe D’Sane & Taylor Smith alone in the area & D’Sane got to it first but his flicked shot on the stretch went over the bar but two minutes later they equalised when Ryan Fowler & D’Sane combined on the edge of the area for Fowler to be free 10 yards out & his shot goalwards was deflected over Jack Bradshaw.

Chatham came out with purpose in the 2nd half & in the 51st minute a long diagonal ball to the back post was controlled by Alfie May who cut inside but then blazed his shot high & wide.

Three minutes later Taylor McDonagh on the right saw his low cross evade everyone.

In the 59th minute May intercepted a pass went forward passed to Hales whose pass into the path of Bennett & his shot from 15 yards was tipped over the bar by Sheikh Ceesay.

Whyteleafe were playing some nice football on the break but were not troubling the Chatham defence & in the 74th minute Hales on the left cut inside & passed to Andy Constable 15 yards out but he shot wide.

In the 80th minute May received the ball wide on the right & he got to the by-line & his cross shot was parried away by Ceesay. Another chance came in the 88th minute when a corner into the area saw Cessay under pressure punch clear but only to Bennett but he shot wide from 15 yards.

Chatham in the 90th minute scored the winner when Bradshaw’s long free kick found Constable on his own & got to the by-line crossed low into the path of May who controlled it & smacked into the empty net.

The final whistle went & the Chatham players were ecstatic.

WHYTELEAFE:
1. S.CEESAY 2. A.JOHNSON (78) 3. T.SMITH 4. A.LEACOCK 5. C.ABRAHAM 6. J.THOMPSON
7. R.FOWLER 8. J.GRANT (58) 9. R.D’SANE 10. T.SMITH 11. B.GRAHAM

SUBS USED: 12. T.PRATT (78) 14. G.WILLIAMS (58)
SUBS NOT USED: 15. M.HYNES 15. J.READ 17. D.BURNETT

BOOKED: 1. S.CEESAY 3. T.WILLIAMS 5. C.ABRAHAM

CHATHAM TOWN:
1. J.BRADSHAW 2. K.MORATH-GIBBS (11) 3. L.HICKEY 4. M.SOLLY 5. B.POTTER
6. C.HOLDER 7. L.HALES 8. B.BENNETT 9. A.GACHERU (71) 10. A.MAY 11. K.McCANN (78)

SUBS USED: 12. A.CONSTABLE (71) 14. T.McDONAGH (11) 17. R.ANDRE (78)
SUBS NOT USED: 15. L.MAY 16. D.CRUSH 18. J.ALDERMAN 20. L.KIDMAN

BOOKED: 6. C.HOLDER

Referee: Mr. G.KANE
Assistants: Mr M.BARNES & Mr S IDRIS

Attendance: 166