Wingate & Finchley 2 Chatham Town 0 (Sat.29th April 2006)

Not for the first time this season, Chatham Town looked much the better team in the first half without making the their superiority count, writes Neil Sanders.

Rob Denness had a shot saved as early as the second minute after a quickly taken free kick, and Andy Larkin headed over from a corner a minute later.

A fine run by Byron Walker deserved to be finished with a goal, but his shot hit the side netting.

Chatham continued to create the openings throughout the half with Walker and Hicham Akhazzan twice, narrowly missing the target.

The home side didn't manage a single shot at goal before half time.

However, after the break the pattern continued with Akhazzan hitting the outside of the post, before Wingate & Finchley finally got into the game.

Their 6' 5'' centre forward Simon Patterson create space for himself but fired in a tame shot straight at Louis Green.

Former Tonbridge Angels midfielder Darren Smith then made a vital tackle with Dean Williams about to shoot.

Chats best chance of the second half came with 12 minutes left as Luke Coleman's header from a rebound hit the woodwork.

However, Wingate & Finchley stole the lead in the 80th minute, when Williams did well to get into the Chatham box and fire a low ball across the goalmouth for Patterson to finish from close range.

From the restart Denness tried his luck from the halfway line and had keeper Ed Thompson scrambling back to make the catch right under the bar.

But the home side made the game safe with six minutes remaining. A free kick from the right was floated in by Jon Ellis and Louis Green saved well from Billy Amarteifio, but could do nothing to stop Craig Ellis scoring from the rebound.

A disappointing end to a season where Chatham had looked serious playoff contenders up until the new year. Manager Steve Binks summed up the game and the season at the end, in that Chats played some good football, had their chances, but missed too many and then got punished.

Chatham Town: Green, Binks, Bourne, Boyle, A.Larkin, Searle (Lyons 78), Smith, Akhazzan (Coleman 71), Harvey, Denness, B.Walker (Brooks 64)