Chatham Town’s recent love affair with the Velocity Cup ended with the final game of 2025 on a cold Crowborough evening as the hometown Athletic produced an upset to see out the year.

A solitary goal from Brady Ayoola on the half hour taking full advantage of a rare mistake from Chatham keeper Nathan Harvey proved to be decisive as the visitors failed to capitalise on numerous first half chances as a much-changed side finally saw the Club’s recent hectic schedule catch up with them on a bitterly cold night in Sussex.

With perhaps one eye on the weekends trip to face Isthmian Premier League leaders Folkestone Invicta, the Chats starting eleven showed seven changes from the side beaten by Dartford on Christmas Saturday, but you wouldn’t have known that as the visitors flew out of the blocks. Twice early on the home side were indebted to keeper Charlie Holmwood for denying Kofi Anokye-Boadi’s efforts.

In a hugely enjoyable end-to-end first half, chances came at both ends – Harry Forster went close for the home side and Rushaar Samuel-Smikle did have the ball in the net after a great break from Ayoola, whilst at the other end, Ben Allen drove the ball across the face of the Crowborough goal before the same player touched home a ball from the left only to be “beaten” by the assistants flag.

What proved to be the only goal of the game arrived in thirty minutes and was a goal that Harvey won’t want to see again, as the keeper slipped outside his box whilst trying to find a teammate. The ball fell to Ayoola just a handful of yards inside the Chats half, and as the keeper tried to recover, the Crowborough man lofted the ball goalwards beyond a stranded Harvey for the third goal of the season.

The home side could have then doubled their advantage as the magnificent Harrison Mayhew powered a header just wide of Harvey’s left post, before Ayoola almost turned villain as he lost possession to Chaynie Burgin on the edge of the home box, but Holmwood produced another smart save to deny the Chatham man.

The visitors went close in first half stoppage time – a corner into the home box was scrambled away before a Burgin shot was deflected and looped narrowly wide.

The second period began with Crowborough on the front foot as the underfoot conditions became more treacherous. Tom Pearson was caught in two minds when sprinted away and in the end the ball drifted wide in neither a shot nor cross before Forster’s deflected effort was really well held low down by Harvey.

As the game wore on, the home side were forced further and further back but Kevin Hake will be so frustrated that his side didn’t test Holmwood more as Harrison Mayhew and Will Puffette swept up so much of the Chats pressure at the heart of the home defence.

Jordy Robbins fired over as did Matt Macarthur; following some brilliant skill from Anokye-Boadi, Macarthur’s overhead kick looped comfortably into Holmwood’s arms; Sam Sene-Richardson’s pile driver was inches too high before Holmwood pulled off a smart save at the base of a post to keep out the same player.

The Chats just couldn’t find a way through and even with the last kick of the game Stanley Oldfield blazed over as after reaching the final in each of the last two seasons, Chatham’s unbeaten run in the Velocity Cup (away from the Final) that dated back nearly three years is over as Crowborough moved into the last eight and a home tie with Redbridge.

CROWBOROUGH ATHLETIC – Holmwood, Goldsmith, Reid, Puffette, Harrison Mayhew, Pring, Ayoola, Lambdon, Samuel-Smikle, Forster (Jack Mayhew), Pearson (Turner)

Sub – Boddy

CHATHAM TOWN – Harvey, Nelson, Sene-Richardson, Leathers (Macarthur), Cooper, Anokye-Boadi, Wenham (Evans), Olugbodi, Allen (Oldfield), Burgen (Fadahunsi), Christmas (Robbins)

REFEREE – Mr. Calver

Image courtesy of Luke Hawkes Photography