Chatham Town’s rampaging charge up the SCEFL Premier Division table continued with another clinical performance as Scott Lindsey’s side hit the summit in some style after a 7-2 road win against Canterbury City at Salters Lane.
Fresh from their 8-3 drubbing of AFC Croydon Athletic at the weekend, The Chats’ irresistible form continued as they went top of the table on goal difference from Corinthian – incredibly the Medway side are already plus fourteen ahead on goal difference after just nine games.
On this particular night, you really had to feel for Chris Woollcott’s young side who were a goal down almost before they started; were four down at the break, but for a while more than matched the leaders in the second period before finally succumbing as Chatham’s power going forward in the end proved too much.
The visitors were ahead almost within seconds of the start – the referee pointing to the spot after Jack Evans had been fouled on the edge of the box, and Evans himself hit home the spot kick past keeper Charlie Wealands.
It was nearly two almost immediately but Dan Bradshaw’s super header from Mikey Dalton’s cross crashed against the bar. But the large Chatham contingent in the crowd didn’t have long to wait as Luke Rooney superbly robbed a defender before finding Evans whose low drive nestled in the corner.
Again Bradshaw was to go close from arguably the move of the opening half when Evans and Rooney ripped a huge hole in the home defence for Bradshaw to race round the keeper only to see Harry Brown slide in to clear off the line.
It only delayed the inevitable though as from the corner, Matt Bodkin was on hand to sweep home Reece Butler’s knock down.
Evans missed a great chance for his hat-trick just before the break – heading over Ryan Hayes’ pinpoint cross, before on the stroke of half time it was four nil when Dalton somehow smuggled in a near post corner.
Dominant in the opening half, and with the greatest respect to the home side, it was a surprise when Adam Woollcott brilliantly beat Chatham keeper Patrick Lee low from the edge of the box just a handful of minutes after the break.
Chatham’s four goal lead was re-established when the hard-working Bradshaw grabbed his tenth goal of the season with a shot into the corner. Back came Canterbury just four minutes later as Enock Soganile bundled the ball over the line.
But that was as close as Canterbury got as the visitors upped the tempo again. Evans fired over after Hayes’ cross had only been half cleared; Wealands had to be alert to keep out Butler’s header – the keeper almost stepped too far backwards after grabbing the defender’s header, before Evans’ last act was to complete a glorious hat-trick as he advanced almost unchallenged from half way to drill the shot home.
There was still time for Hayes to add a sublime seventh with a delicate chip over the keeper (after substitute Andy Pugh was denied) which clipped the underside of the bar and bounced down – behind the line according to the assistant’s flag!
Canterbury’s night was summed up in the closing stages as Danny Rumbol thundered a header against the Chats bar, whilst at the other end Bradshaw was inches away from netting the eighth but couldn’t get enough on the shot.
Fifteen goals then for Lindsey’s side in four days and forty-eight in nine games with the next to try and stop the juggernaut that is becoming Chatham’s season is Erith Town at the weekend.
For second bottom Canterbury, they’ll be hoping that their weekend opponents Punjab United won’t enjoy the same scoring touch as they did on Wednesday putting five past K Sports!
CANTERBURY CITY – Wealands, Amoah, Brown, Rumbol, Woollcott, McVie, Walder, Horton, Soganile, Smith
Subs – Wood, West, Grieson, Onu, Odlin
CHATHAM TOWN – Lee, Ajayi, Butler, Lawal, Bodkin, Dalton, Robins, Hayes, Rooney, Evans. Bradshaw
Subs – Sheminant, Orji, Pilbeam, Brown, Pugh