RESULT | WHITEHAWK 0 CHATHAM TOWN 2
Hawks failed to score for the first time in the league since Shaun Saunders return as manager in going down to a 2-0 home defeat by Chatham Town.
Hawks showed just one change from last week’s defeat to Wingate & Finchley, with Billie Clark starting on the right wing in place of the injured Andrew Briggs. Manny Mensah moving to the centre of the park. Kian Nandhra was on the bench alongside his twin brother Josh, with Rob O’Toole ruled out.
With just four minutes on the clock, Chat’s keeper Henry Molyneux mis-kicked an attempted clearance after a back pass by Reece Butler and then collided with Harry Bridle inside the with the box. Referee James Kerten turned down the striker’s appeal for a penalty and despite Billie Clark following up, the ball was eventually cleared.
Kicking downhill the visitors has the best of the early possession, looking to exploit their aerial prowess with long throw ins from Lewis Chambers and they took the lead with nearly 20 minutes gone. The ball bounced around in the box after being launched long by Molyneux, and when a Rowan Liburd shot came back off Stefan Wright and then Archie Johnson, John Ufuah bundled the ball in at the far post.
Two minutes later Bridle couldn’t direct his header on target from a Jordan Maguire-Drew cross. The Chats were then denied by an excellent block tackle from Geof Okonkwo on Karrem Isiaka, when they broke away after ex-Hawk Jordy Mongoy had got the better of Stefan Wright down the right.
The Chats continued to present an aerial threat and Charlie Walker had to be on hand to stretch and turn away a ball that dropped in the six yard box with Ufuah lurking at the far post, after Liburd had headed on a Chalmers long throw. Ufuah then curled his shot wide on 33 minutes after the ball had dropped for him on the edge of the box following more pinball in the danger area.
At the other end, Molyneux tipped a Charlie Walker cross shot away at full stretch, before in added time having to be at his best to deny Clark’s right foot shot from around the penalty spot, after he’d been picked out by Imran Kayani.
With ten minutes gone in the second half Joseph Osaghae did well to block a shot from the ever dangerous Ufuah before diving at Mongoy’s feet to collect the follow up.
Despite playing downhill the Hawks found consistent possession and chances hard to come by. After 68 minutes Imran Kayani fired over after being put through in the inside left position under a challenge from two defenders.
Chatham put the game to bed five minutes from the end of normal time when Sam Sene Richardson looped the ball into the net from close range after a mazy run along the by-line by fellow sub Jamie Yila.
Hawks: Osaghae, Wright, Johnson (Barlow 84’), Mensah, Okonkwo, Watson, Clark (J Nandhra 67’), Maguire-Drew (Lambert 66’), Kayani, Walker, Bridle
Chats: Molyneux, Webster, Aidoo, Butler, Nelson, Isiaka (Sene Richardson 74’), Liburd, Garlinge, Mongoy (Yila 67’), Chambers, Ufuah (Bryan 89’)
