Chatham Town gave manager/chairman Kevin Hake the ideal birthday gift with a come from behind win over Bromley that sealed the Chats place in the last four of the Kent Senior Cup. 

After Nathan Paul-Lavaly gave the visitors a lead at the break they possibly just deserved, the home side dominated the second period and after sub Ben Allen levelled with just over ten minutes left, there was only ever going to be one winner, and Simon Cooper duly obliged as he capitalised on a defensive mistake to give his boss the perfect fiftieth birthday present, in front of a capacity crowd at the Bauvill on a Christmas night where free entry meant a wonderful fundraising night for the Friends of the Wisdom Hospice. 

The game itself took a while to get going, which given the only player in the Bromley eleven with Football League experience was Lavaly was probably not surprising. 

Matt Macarthur went close with a free kick with the home side’s first chance that was well kept out by Rex Porter in the Bromley goal before Henry Molyneux pulled off a really smart save at the other end to deny Max Rope. 

The home side grew in confidence and only Macarthur will know how he missed Dapo Olugbod’s driven cross at the back post when it only needed a touch to open the scoring.

The Chats went even closer in their next attack as the hard-working Tope Fadahunsi raced onto a through ball, rounded Porter but was only denied by excellent covering from Freddie Taylor who cleared the ball off the line.  

Bromley then took the lead – a corner wasn’t cleared and when the ball was superbly recycled to the back post Lavaly brilliantly swept the ball home beyond a rooted Molyneux. 

Whatever Hake said to his charges at the break worked wonders as in the second half, Chatham were a different dominant side as Bromley wilted. 

Fadahunsi drove inches wide, Kofi Anokye-Broad headed wide, Cooper snatched a shot high and wide as a corner wasn’t cleared. 

The introduction of substitute Ben Allen then gave the home side even more impetus in the middle of the park and Allen himself went close with a free-kick, but he and the Chats were not to be denied – finally levelling the scores eleven minutes from time.

Allen picked the ball up on the left, beat on defender and then fizzed an effort past a helpless Porter to send the majority of the sell-out crowd wild. 

Bromley were well on the back foot and not even the introduction of Jermaine Essien – son of former Chelsea legend Michael – could lift the Ravens as the Chats piled forward not wanting a shoot-out to decide who would host Tonbridge or Gillingham in the last four. 

Anokye-Broad had a header blocked, Allen had a shot blocked and with his first touch after returning from injury, Stanley Oldfield had a header magnificently clawed out by Porter with some of the home players and the crowd behind the goal, claiming the ball was over the line.

To give the assistant credit he was right up with play and wasn’t interested and in truth all three officials deserve credit to adding to the atmosphere and allowing the game to flow really well throughout! 

The winner came in the final moments and won’t be one that Porter will look back on with any satisfaction. Allen’s lofted free kick was spilled under pressure by the keeper and Cooper smashed the ball home to spark wild scenes of celebration as Chatham deservedly booked their last four place. 

CHATHAM TOWN – Molyneux, Aidoo, Robins (Christmas), Butler, Moynes (Allen), Macarthur (Sene-Richardson), Leathers, Cooper, Fadahunsi, Anokye-Broad (Oldfield), Olugbod (Wenham).

BROMLEY – Porter, Taylor, Patten, Moralee, Lee, Hilden (Essien), Penn, Pryzbylo (Borders), Ibrahim (Cockerill), Rope, Lavaly.

Subs not used – Cassidy, Haines 

REFEREE – Mr. Dempster 

Pictures supplied by Chatham Town.