Chatham hoping it's third time lucky - EXCLUSIVE

Chatham Town manager Phil Miles has admitted his side were too defensive when they played Dulwich Hamlet last Tuesday night, writes Stephen McCartney.

The South Londoners completed the double over the Medway side with a 3-0 win at Maidstone Road after they scored the only goal of the game at Champion Hill on the last day of October.

Miles’ side gave Wayne Burnett’s side too much respect, allowing them to play their slick passing game.

“I’m going to start by saying they are the best footballing side in the league,” Miles admitted EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk:  “At least we don’t have to play them again.

“I just felt first half, yes the formation was defensive, yes I know that.

“I would take the responsibility that we went out a bit defensive against them at home, but it worked well for us away but what let us down in the first half was our work-rate.

“Our work-rate was poor and we didn’t get close to them.

“The intention was to play one up front. I gave the two wide players the responsibility to get forward as much as possible but where we sat off them we showed them too much respect first half.

“At half time I said to them “you have to give it a go and get amongst them”, which we did and created numerous chances but our usual story is we can’t score goals.

“On chances we had as many good chances as they did but they had that little bit more quality to put the ball in the net, which we haven’t got.”

Chatham’s game at the weekend was postponed as Whyteleafe’s Church Road pitch - like many others - was waterlogged.

But they welcome Dover Athletic for the third time this season, looking to make amends in the first round of the Kent Senior Cup on Tuesday night.

Dover have come away from Maidstone Road with two victories in the space of seven days in September, winning a Westview Cup second round tie 1-0 and then bagging three Ryman League Division One South points in a 2-1 win.

“Disappointed that the Whyteleafe game was cancelled as we could have got something from them,” said Miles.

Third time lucky? Miles replied: “I hope so. I will be going as strong as possible as we need to be playing.

“I imagine Dover’s weaker side will be a strong side, whatever team Clive Walker puts out.

“I’m going to try to win the game as it will be nice to be in a cup after Christmas but we’ll see.”

Mark Brooks (knee) and Steve Best (back) have both been ruled out.

www.chathamtownfc.net

Chatham Town v Dover Athletic
John Ullman Kent Senior Cup First Round
Tuesday 28^th November 2006
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Maidstone Road, Chatham, Kent