Chatham Town got their season back on track with a well earned victory over Dulwich Hamlet. They deserved the victory but did make hard work of it and rose to eleventh in the table.
Chatham got off to a great start as in the second minute they opened the scoring, Harry Lodovica got to the by-line before his low cross was saved by Hudson Sands but only to Bradley Stevenson and from eight yards he shot home.
In the tenth minute in a rare attack from Dulwich they nearly equalised when Lonit Talla broke into the area and saw his shot pushed onto the post by Nathan Harvey’s legs.
The game went a little scruffy for a while with neither side able to create much then in the thirty first minute a Stevenson corner into the six yard box found James Wild but he could only head it over the bar.
In the forty second minute Dulwich stunned Chatham with an equaliser, Captain Nyren Clunes on his own in the area shot past Harvey from twelve yards.
The crowd were stunned and wondered if after their dominance they might concede more. The half time whistle went which gave Kevin Hake time to chat to his charges and get his team back on the front foot.
The second half started with Chatham in the ascendancy and in the fiftieth minute Stevenson on the left wing received the ball went forward cut inside and from twelve yards his shot was saved by Sands.
Three minutes later Chatham restored their lead when a corner to the back post saw Lodovica firstly miskick his shot but he reacted quickly and his second shot from an acute angle was smashed into the net leaving Sands no chance.
Dulwich nearly equalised when Luke Wannadio looking off side raced through on goal but his shot was saved by Harvey’s legs.
In the seventieth minute Jordi Robins passed to Wild on the edge of the area and he turned the defender went into the area and saw his shot finger tipped onto the post by Sands.
Three minutes later another lung busting run from Ollie Evans was nearly rewarded with a goal, a long pass out to him saw him chest it down and go into the area but under pressure shot wide but in the eight fourth minute Chatham won the game when Ben Allen’s corner to the the back post was bundled in by Reece Butler from one yard.
The final whistle went and Chatham got what they derved which was three points.
CHATHAM TOWN:
- N.HARVEY 2. O.EVANS (87) 4. J.ROBINS 5. R.BUTLER 7. B.STEVENSON (56) 9. J.WILD (73) 11. H.LODOVICA 14. A.LEATHERS (90+2) 16. J.TURNER 24. O.HOBDEN (90) 26. A.GILES.
SUBS USED: 8. K.MOYNES (56) 17. B.ALLEN (73) 3. B.COKER (87) 23. D.OLGBODI (90) 12. K.GARLINGE (90+2)
SUBS NOT USED: ALL USED
BOOKINGS: 17. B.ALLEN (84)
DULWICH HAMLET:
- H.SANDS 3. T.CHAMBERS (64) 4. J.WYNTER 5. M.CHAMBERS 6. L.TALLA 7. N.CLUNIS 10. L.WANADIO (75) 14. D.SMITH (67) 19. S.BONNETI-JOHNSON (67) 22. S. BAUGH 23. S.CARRUTHERS (57).
SUBS USED: 8. A.KASSARATE17. I.BANGURA (64) 2. K.McKAY (67) 9. D.MILLS (67) 15. O.OBI (75)
SUBS NOT USED: ALL USED
BOOKINGS: 14. D.SMITH (67) 8. A.KASSARATE (71) 4. J.WYNTER (76)
REFEREE: Mr H.CLARK
ASSISTANTS: Mr H.SAXTON & Mr B.MARSHALL
ATTENDANCE: 1128