Chatham Town are into the first round for the first time in 97 years, thanks to a three-one victory at Tonbridge Angels, and they are now dreaming of facing a football league side.
This was the classic a game of two halves as Tonbridge were the better in the first while the second saw Chatham come out of their shell and now wait for the draw on Monday, Kevin Hake in his post-match comments said that ‘he did not care who they got and this was for all the supporters who had endured the bad times and now the good times are coming to Chatham’.
The game was only seven minutes old when Tonbridge took the lead when Brody Peart running down the right wing cut inside and passed to Eddie Simon who laid it into the path of Scott Wagstaff. He then put Marcus Sablier in and from ten yards saw his shot deflect and loop over Henry Molyneux.
Four minutes later and it should have been two when Peart on the right wing crossed to the back post where Simon was and his downward header from eight yards was cleared off the line by Reece Butler.
The Chats had their first and only half chance in the fifteenth minute when Sam Sene-Richardson got to the by-line and his cross evaded Jacob Adams but went just past the post. In the eighteenth minute another half chance came when Simon twelve yards out on his own saw his shot saved by Molyneux and a minute later Sablier on the edge of the area saw his goal bound shot blocked by Kasim Aidoo and cleared.
Tonbridge were in control of the game at the time but were probably frustrated that they hadn’t scored more. As the half went on Chatham started to get a lot more possession but without making any chances.
The half time whistle went, and Alan Dunne the Tonbridge manager would have been pleased but wanted a bit more for the second half while Kevin Hake the Chatham manager would have to do another half time talk to get his team fired up.
The second half was only two minutes old when Chatham equalised when the ball in the area came to Tope Fadahunsi and from eight yards he shot into the net.
Chatham were now in charge and looked the more likely to score. In the 52nd minute Kian Moynes tried his luck from thirty yards, but it went wide. Then in the 65th minute Chatham took a deserved lead when a corner into the area saw Adams flap at it and Butler on the far post trying to get to it was fouled and a penalty was given; up stepped Stanley Oldfield and he smashed into the top left-hand corner.
The Tonbridge players and crowd were shocked by this and there only half chance to equalise came in the 69th minute when Brad Williams saw his twenty-five-yard shot go wide.
Two minutes later Oldfield had the chance to seal the game when his twenty-yard shot went just past the post. Tonbridge huffed and puffed looking for an equalise and in the 97th minute Chatham secured the victory when Dapo Olugbodi running from halfway went into the area twisted and turning passed into the path of Adam Leathers who shot into an empty net from five yards.
The final whistle went, and wild celebrations went on with the Chatham players and supporters.
Tonbridge Angels:
- J.Adams 2. B.Williams (74) 4. S.Wagstaff (74) 6. A.Penney 8. J.Higgs (90+6) 9. E.Simon
10. M.Sablier(56) 11. B.Babajide (56) 18. N.Bakrin 21. B.Peart 27. B.Akehurst
Subs Used: 14. M.Taylor-Crossdale (56) 17. B.Unwin (56) 3. M.Warren (74) 7. B.Pierrick (74) 5. S.German (90+6)
Subs Not Used: 13. M.Foley 16. T.Omole
Bookings: 3. M.Warren (83)
Chatham Town:
25. H.Molyneux 3. O.Evans (87) 3. K.Aidoo 4. J.Robins 5. R.Butler 8. K.Moynes 10. S.Sene-Richardson (83)
12. K.Garlinge (70) 18. S.Oldfield (80) 19. T.Fadahunsi (90+3) 26. A.Giles
Subs Used: 14. A.Leathers (70) 20. K.Anokye-Boadi (80) 23. O.Olugbodi (83) 15. S.Cooper (87) 6. S.Nelson (90+3)
Subs Not Used: 1. N.Harvey 28. B.Allen
Bookings: 5. R.Butler (34)
Referee: Mr S.Hughes
Assistants: Mr J.Oxenham & Mr S.Parbery
4th Official: Mr G.Heron
Att: 1463
Image courtesy of Chatham Town FC