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Chatham Town 3 Walton & Hersham 0
By David Pritchard
Chatham Town ended their miserable slump in style as they beat Walton & Hersham to sign off at Maidstone Road with a long overdue victory.
A brace from Ray Powell sandwiched Rob Denness’ effort as the Chats posted their first win for more than a month, which ended the visitors’ hopes of making the play-offs.
Town were without Chris Henry, who was recalled last week by parent club Ebbsfleet United to help in their efforts to avoid relegation from the Blue Square Premier.
With just one point taken from a possible 24, the Chats propped up the Ryman South’s form table and were in danger of finishing the season with a whimper. Despite their recent form, the hosts made a bright start, with Ryan Laker seeing his well-struck shot deflected wide.
The Swans tested Chats goalkeeper Dean Ruddy from distance, before Brad Potter hooked a good chance wide at the other end. The miss was not costly and with their next attack Town opened the scoring. A long punt upfield by Ruddy was unintentionally flicked on by a Walton defender, allowing Powell to run free and slide the ball underneath goalkeeper Delroy Preddie.
A hard, bumpy pitch made it hard for both sides to keep the ball, but the chances continued to come at both ends. Ruddy was called upon several times before the interval, while Daryl Hollington and Richard Avery spurned opportunities to double the lead.
There was little to choose between the sides, until the Swans were punished for an error just before the hour mark. A poor clearance fell to Powell, who laid off to Denness 20 yards out and the striker made no mistake with a vicious shot which beat Preddie at his near post.
The Swans threw bodies forward but Ruddy had relatively little to do in the closing stages. On the one occasion the Chats’ stopper was beaten, the crossbar came to the home side’s rescue when substitute Michael Charles unleashed a thunderbolt from just outside the area.
Given Chatham’s recent record they could have crumbled if their defence had been breached, but instead they grabbed a third goal eight minutes from time. Bobby Dixey, on as a substitute, kept the ball in at the by-line before beating a defender and pulling the ball back to Powell, who finished from close range.
Chatham complete their Ryman South campaign away to Ashford Town on Saturday. It could be a crucial game for the home side, who are still in need of points in their battle against relegation.
POSTED: 21/04/2010 09:00:00