It was victory on the road for the Blues on Saturday, as a first league clean sheet of the season helped us to a 2-0 win away at Whitehawk. Tuesday night sees us return to the Maurice Rebak Stadium for our fourth home match of November so far, with two more still to come!
Our Opponents
The Chats are currently at their highest position in their 140-year history after back-to-back promotions; promoted as champions from the Isthmian South East division in 2022/23 after also being promoted from the Southern Counties East Premier Division (step 5) in 2021/22. Off the field, Chatham Town have also made great strides in recent years, winning the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in recognition of their outstanding community service in 2022 and awarded the Non-League Paper’s Community Club of the Year in 2020.
Chatham Town had an excellent first season in the Isthmian Premier last year, and were 90 minutes away from making it three promotions in three seasons. While Hornchurch ran away with the title with 100 points, Chatham were "best of the rest", finishing in second place with 79 points; two places and three points above the Blues as we took 4th position. In the playoffs, Chatham beat Horsham on penalties after they could not be separated in 120 minutes in the semi-final, but the Chats could not get past Enfield Town whose excellent second half display saw them win the final 3-0 in front of a bumper crowd at the Bauvill in May.
This season, Chatham are 12th of 22 teams with 18 points from 14 games (W4 D6 L4). Despite a slightly disappointing start to the season, with four defeats in their opening eight games, which put them in 17th position on 1st October, the Chats have since gone on an unbeaten run throughout the rest of October and November so far, winning two and drawing four of the next six games, to push the Medway side up into mid-table, only eight points behind the playoff spots.
Head to Head
Last season we had a home victory apiece, with Chatham securing a 2-1 win at home thanks to a 90th minute winner after Anointed Chukwu had netted an equalising penalty. Meanwhile the Blues' 4-2 triumph at the Maurice Rebak Stadium on a wet Tuesday in February was arguably one of the standout performances in an excellent season last year, Elliot Long and Ruben Carvalho both netting a brace on that day.
We have faced the Chats so far this season too, a narrow 1-0 defeat in the FA Trophy Third Qualifying Round, Jordy Mongoy with the only goal of the game.
Last Time Out
After knocking the Blues out of the FA Trophy, Chatham also beat Bowers & Pitsea to set up a Second Round tie with National League South side Slough Town on Saturday. Again Mongoy got the goal for the Chats, but Slough equalised in the 92nd minute and eventually progressed to the Third Round on penalties, both teams being reduced to ten men in the process. In the league, Chatham's last game was a 2-0 win over Horsham, goals in the 82nd and 85th minute securing a home victory in a repeat of last season's playoff semi-final.
Players To Watch
Chatham have got EFL experience in their squad in the form of forward Freddie Sears, who burst onto the scene for West Ham, scoring the winner on his debut in the Premier League back in 2008 as a teenager. He went on to make over 50 appearances for the Hammers before two spells at Colchester either side of a long stint at Ipswich Town, for whom he made over 200 appearances. So far this season, Sears has seven goals in all competitions, including a hat-trick against Cray Wanderers in the league last month.
Another attacking option for the Chats is St Kitts & Nevis international Rowan Liburd. Liburd's career started at this level with Billericay Town where a breakthrough season saw him signed by Reading, before spells with Wycombe, Stevenage and Leyton Orient in the EFL. A return to the non-league pyramid followed, with him signing for Chatham Town in January 2024. Internationally, he has four goals in his 15 appearances, including a hat-trick against Belize back in 2019. He was part of the St Kitts & Nevis squad that appeared in their first ever CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2023.
For the Blues, some may have spotted a familiar name on the teamsheet at Whitehawk, as Yanick Kissi made a return to the Blues side. The left-sided defender played 11 times for the Blues in the curtailed 2020/21 season, before spells with a couple of clubs in Luxembourg as well as playing for Walthamstow and Phoenix Sports. Welcome back Yanick!
Meanwhile, Zack Newton's hard work paid off on Saturday, as his closing down of the goalkeeper forced a mistake which gave Zack his first goal of the season, and no less than he has deserved. Check out the goals from last week below.
We look forward to welcoming you to the Maurice Rebak Stadium on Tuesday night. Our bar will be open from 6pm, and hot food will be served, including our new gourmet hot dogs; 'The Smokey Joe' and 'The Cow & Cask'. Cash and card is accepted throughout the stadium and tickets can be bought in advance here, or on the gate on matchday.
Photos courtesy of Martin Addison.
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