Chatham Town became the third Kent winners of the Isthmian League Cup with a 2-1 win over Hashtag United at Aveley’s Parkside ground. 

After being on the back foot for the opening half hour, Jordy Robins brilliantly put the Chats in front with a low drive that completely wrong footed keeper Josh Strizovic and whilst the Essex side levelled just five minutes into the second half, Kevin Hake’s side kept going and eventually in stoppage time came a moment of true brilliance from Jamie Yila which brought the trophy back across the Dartford Bridge. 

With important League games still to play, Hake would have been excused for “resting” players ahead of contests against potential Play Off opponents Horsham and Enfield respectively, but the team sheet showed that the Chats wanted the title for the first time in their history. 

But early on, it was Hashtag who seemed to hold the initiative with Sakariya Hassan tormentor in chief. He set up Max Cornhill for an early drive that went just past the Chatham post before missing an excellent opportunity himself when he blazed over at the back post when a long throw was flicked across the face of goal.

But arguably Hassan’s best chance came when he tamely headed a cross straight at Chats stopper Mitchell Beeney. 

Yila would have put the Chats ahead on 28 minutes but was denied by a really good challenge and block from Harry Haysom, but it was just the spur the Chats needed as just past the half hour, they took the lead as Kareem Isiaka caused a real nuisance of himself on the edge of Hashtag’s box and as the ball fell to Robins, he let fly magnificently into the net completely wrong footing the keeper. 

Hashtag came out of the blocks after the break the quicker and levelled on fifty minutes when after an impressive first run by Hassan was well blocked by Simon Cooper, the ball ran to the Hashtag man and his deep ball to the far post was headed home by Luke May-Parrott. 

Beeney then did really well to hold onto a stinging Hassan shot, but as the half wore on, Chatham got back into their stride and took the game to their opponents. Yes, Hashtag had chances, but Reece Butler and Sam Nelson repelled everything blue and yellow shirts threw at them whilst at the other end, Yila was causing increased problems. 

Yila did really well down the left and found Liburd, whose low shot was beaten out by Strizovic, and from Jack Evans’ corner, Yila’s header through the crowd was somehow kept out and the keeper grabbed the ball on the line. 

Yila was to have the final word… and how? 

Into stoppage time, the Chatham winger raced clear down the right and into the box. Holding off two defenders as he bore down on goal from the acutest of angles, he somehow managed to clip the ball past the keeper and into the net off the post, sending the big contingent of Chats fans behind the goal wild with delight. 

Not even twelve minutes of stoppage time was going to stop Chatham’s glory night as Butler and Nelson held firm and the final whistle signified that the trophy would be coming over the Thames for just the third time. 

CHATHAM TOWN – Beeney, Scarlett, Robins, Butler, Evan (Sene-Richardson), Yila (Beckwith), Dunne (Kedwell), Cooper, Isiaka, Liburd (Nzala), Nelson 

Sub – Bridle-Card 

HASTAG UNITED – Strizovic, Wooldridge, Smith, Anderson (Aromolaran), Haysom. Cornhill, Hassan, Carvalho (Restrepo), Cornish (Teniola), Kiangebeni (Halford), May-Parrot 

Sub – Djemaili 

REFEREE – Mr. Sangowawa 

Picture supplied by Chatham Town.