Chatham Town 2-0 AFC Hayes - We've got more in the locker, says Chatham Town boss Kevin Watson

CHATHAM TOWN  2-0  AFC HAYES
The FA Carlsberg Trophy First Qualifying Round
Saturday 19^th October 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Maidstone Road

CHATHAM TOWN manager Kevin Watson says he will not be given a larger playing budget on the back of the club’s two cup runs. 

The Medway side are in the bottom four in the Ryman League Division One North table with 11 points from 11 games, but they have gained the cup specialist tag this season.

Next Saturday they look to reach The FA Cup First Round for the first time in 84 years when Calor (Southern) Premier League side St Albans City visit Maidstone Road.

Chatham Town comfortably booked their place in the Second Qualifying Round of The FA Carlsberg Trophy with a comprehensive 2-0 home win over an AFC Hayes side that arrived in Kent sitting in eighth-place in the Calor Division One Central table with 16 points from 11 games.

Chatham Town had the game won courtesy of two first half goals in sixteen minutes as central defender Brad Potter and right-back Kalvin Morath-Gibbs both scored their second goals of the campaign to ease past physical opponents who lacked any threat in the final third.

“I didn’t think we started that well but after that I thought we got a foot hold in the game,” said Watson, who held his post-match press conference inside Terry Groom’s physio room.

“It was a comprehensive performance. I thought defensively we was very solid. We showed a will to win and a desire and yes it was pleasing. There wasn’t loads wrong today.”

It is so easy for players to be thinking about next Saturday’s FA Cup showdown against St Albans City – who knocked Skrill South Tonbridge Angels out in the last round of The FA Cup – but Watson ensured that did not happen today.

“This was the big one,” insisted Brentwood-based Watson.

“Ultimately we’ve probably got a better chance of progressing further in this competition so to a certain extent every game is a big game at the moment. We need to do better in the league and obviously we want to stay in the cups especially after Wednesday (when we drew 2-2 at Romford) because it was a little bit disappointing in several aspects so I was delighted with people’s attitudes.”

AFC Hayes, the artist formerly known as Brook House, created the first chance of the game inside the opening five minutes.

Left-back Charlie Crane threw the ball in from the left and the ball came out to striker Lawrie Shennan, whose left-footed shot on the turn flashed just wide of the right-hand post from 20-yards.

But Chatham Town went close with a sweeping move inside ten minutes.

Matt Solly swept the ball out to wide to Kieran McCann, who played the ball back to left-back Greg Benbow, who played the ball inside to Solly, who clipped the ball up to target-man Austin Gacheru, who knocked the ball down to Lee Hales whose right-footed drive flashed wide of the left-hand post from 20-yards.

Chatham Town goalkeeper Jack Bradshaw was called into action in the 17^th minute when Charlie McKey played the ball into Lee McManus, who teed up central midfielder Jake Cass who swept a right-footed shot from 30-yards, which was gathered at the second attempt by the former Erith & Belvedere keeper.

AFC Hayes came within inches to grabbing the lead 78 seconds later with their best chance of the game.

Winger Romayne Thomas whipped in a cross from the left towards the far post and striker Shennan ghosted in and sent his downward header across Bradshaw and Potter was on the line to knee the ball over his crossbar.

Watson said: “I thought they were dangerous early on.  They looked very solid but I thought once we got our game going and our passing was better today we was creating things so that was pleasing because on Wednesday night we didn’t pass the ball well enough at all.”

Watson was pleased that graft on the training ground paid off as his side opened the scoring inside 22 minutes.

Benbow swung in a left-footed corner from the right and the ball sailed over a crowd of players and Potter rose at the far post to head down and across goal to find the far corner from inside the six-yard box.

“Greg’s deliveries from set-pieces are very good,” added Watson, who left himself out of the sixteen-man squad.

“Their goalkeeper’s kind of gone for it and several set-pieces were pleasing today because again that’s been a criticism – that’s something we work on and I thought we done quite well with set-pieces today, throw-ins, corners and free-kicks.”

AFC Hayes created a couple of half-chances after the half-hour mark when Crane once again threw in the ball and Thomas floated in a cross from the left and Shennan’s free header looped into Bradshaw’s gloves to make a comfortable save.

McManus then cut in from the right and stroked a left-footed shot flashing narrowly wide of the foot of the near post.

Chatham Town sealed their place in Monday’s Second Qualifying Round draw at Wembley Stadium, courtesy of former Dulwich Hamlet right-back Morath-Gibbs in the 38^th minute.

Solly once again started the move by playing the ball to Gacheru, who played an excellent diagonal pass which cut past Crane to release Alfie May down the right.

The former Corinthian striker raced to the by-line before cutting the ball back to Morath-Gibbs, whose right-footed shot was blocked by AFC Hayes goalkeeper Ben Goode, who did well to block Gacheru’s rebound, but Morath-Gibbs poked the ball into the back of the net from close range to the delight of his manager.

Watson said: “He done well because he followed it in. We want to get our full-backs higher up the pitch and be at the right place at the right time. It was a decent ball in and obviously it showed people on their toes in the box. We’ve said a few times games are won and lost in both boxes and we need to be a little bit more alert in both and I thought we were today.”

Watson was pleased with the way things were going at half-time and said: “At half-time there was a few tactical elements. Again we had to get territory early on.

“We expected them to come out quite fast and furious. We certainly had a game plan. 

“I felt in the second half it was hard for them to get out because there’s a slight slope on the pitch and probably the wind was going that way as well and it was just about people not being too arrogant or complacent just because we had a 2-0 lead and 2-0 is a very good result and scoreline for us because we’ve kept a clean sheet and we’ve shown that we can cause damage at the other end.”

Chatham Town went close to extending their lead inside the opening four minutes of the second half when Hales clipped the ball across goal from the right by-line for Gacheru to plant his header agonisingly wide of the near post from a good position.

AFC Hayes had no quality up front - and a ball forward by Cass sailed into McKey, who flicked the ball over his shoulder and Bradshaw collected the bouncing ball comfortably.

McCann feed Alfie May who drilled an angled right-footed shot from sixteen-yards, which forced visiting keeper Ben Goode to dive to his left to push around his near post in the 58^th minute.

Reflecting on the 12-goal striker’s chance, Watson said: “That was a decent strike. He caused problems today Alfie.”

Chatham Town squandered another chance to increase their advantage when good play from left-winger McCann saw him cut the ball back to Hales.  Watson was heard shouting “that’s the one!”, less than a second before the shot, but looked on in agony as Hales stroked his first time shot narrowly over the bar with his right-foot.

Watson pushed Benbow up front towards the end of the game and Chatham Town created a couple of chances inside injury time.

Benbow hit AFC Hayes on the counter attack before playing the ball to McCann, who sent his right-footed shot sailing over the crossbar.

And a fine dinked pass from substitute James Alderman gave fellow substitute Andy Constable a chance to score his seventh-goal of the season.

The striker chipped the ball over the goalkeeper and the ball dropped down and agonisingly clipped the foot of the far post.

Watson added: “I think Andy Constable was really unlucky towards the end – that was a very intelligent finish and it’s just hit the post.

“Lee Hales had a good chance and that move involved something that we spoke about at half-time so that was really pleasing that players took that on board.”

When asked about being in Monday’s draw, Watson added: “I don’t mind. We’ll wait and see.  Like with The FA Cup, everyone’s always sceptical about who we’re going to get and people asking ‘who would you like?’

“We’ll just see who comes out of the hat. It was a good draw for us when (we got) AFC Hayes because we’ve now gone and beaten them so I see how we get on and see what result we get and then comment whether it was a good draw after.

“We’re just concentrating on ourselves to a certain extent and try and make improvements and we’re a long way off to where we can be and that’s pleasing in terms of we’re picking up results.

“We’ve got more in the locker but there’s still work to be done.”

Chatham Town have collected £22,125 in prize money after beating Erith & Belvedere, East Preston, Whyteleafe and Horsham in The FA Cup and beating Redbridge and AFC Hayes in The FA Trophy.

Watson insists he is not in a position to flash the cash to improve on their disappointing league position.

Watson said: “Can it be noted please – I’m no financially better off over it!

“My job is to bring a certain amount of stability to the club and I can’t make any promises financially because I haven’t got the resources personally to put money into the club.

“It (the prize money) helps. The chairman’s comments in the week, it’s money that we don’t account for so it’s a bonus but it does balance certain books.  My playing budget won’t be extended for example because it just upsets some of the costs that we had last season, in this season and maybe next season.”

Meanwhile, there was a collection at the game for defender Corey Holder, who has had his spleen removed.

“Terrible news. It’s been a difficult one for the squad because we’ve got a tight squad and it’s a hard one for us to take but we’ll be there for him,” insisted Watson.

“There’s been some great support. Mark Lindlop, the president, has been very generous for his support. We’re doing some collections. By no means the finances are any consolation for what he’s going through.

“Some of the lads were up the hospital last night, some went up there this morning and it really shows that unity.”

Chatham Town go into their winner-takes-all FA Cup clash against St Albans City on the back of a seven-match unbeaten run.

“It is pleasing because that’s been one of our faults over the last few seasons in terms that we haven’t been consistent enough and certainly that’s the statistical view of looking at that consistently.”

With Gillingham travelling up to Port Vale in League One next Saturday, it would be a kind gesture for Gills’ fans that are not making the trip up north to flock through the turnstiles of Chatham Town to watch their local Ryman League club create some history.

The last time Chatham reached the First Round was back in 1928-29 when they suffered a 6-1 defeat away to Norwich City. 

A good omen for Watson and his side is that Chatham beat St Albans City 3-1 at home in the first round back in 1926-27.

Chatham did reach The FA Cup Quarter-Finals back in season 1888-89, but they suffered a 10-1 home defeat to West Bromwich Albion.

Chatham Town: Jack Bradshaw, Kalvin Morath-Gibbs, Greg Benbow, Matt Solly, Brad Potter, Drew Crush, Lee Hales, Luke May (James Alderman 55), Austin Gacheru (Andy Constable 71), Alfie May (Liam Hickey 66), Kieron McCann.
Subs: Billy Bennett, Taylor McDonagh

Goals: Brad Potter 22, Kalvin Morath-Gibbs 38

Booked: Austin Gacheru 4, Luke May 52, Liam Hickey 89

AFC Hayes: Ben Goode, Jerome Eccleston, Charlie Crane, Dan Bailey, Charlie Goode, James Walters (Paul Underwood 56), Lee McManus (Tashan Jordan 56), Jake Cass, Lawrie Shennan, Charlie McKey, Romayne Thomas (Michael Vincent 75).
Subs: Steve Loveridge, Jamie Watkinson

Booked: James Walters 45

Attendance: 109
Referee: Mr Thomas Ramsey (Chelmsford, Essex)
Assistants: Mr Richard Carter (Loughton, Essex) & Mr Dean Skipper (Rainham, Essex)