It’s not often I do two games in two days for a variety of reasons, number one being the time to get these written up for all to enjoy! However, when it’s play off time you’ve got to make the most of it before the season ends and that’s it for live football until August.
After Tuesday night’s trip to Glebe it was back to Kent on Wednesday for the Isthmian League Premier semi-final between Chatham Town and Horsham. The last time I was at Maidstone Road the pitch was grass and the stadium a mere shadow of what it is today.
Horsham have enjoyed a fantastic season so far, record FA Cup and Trophy runs and a highest ever league position finish, the stuff of dreams but reality for the Hornets, could they go one better and keep a promotion dream alive, however?
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A dry and pleasantly warm evening compared to the previous with a chill in the air come the second half. But a game of few chances within the first half, the Chats controlled the early proceedings but once Horsham got into their stride the ball spent more time on the deck as they tried to find a way through the home side and not around them.
The home side did have the ball in the back of the net after just 10 minutes but Harvey Bradbury was correctly ruled offside.
The pace of Daneil Ajakaiye was a great outlet and a willing runner into the channels, the home side really struggling to get any traction, both sides conceding a lot of corners but defensively very sound in not allowing efforts on goal, not a surprise really to see a 0-0 scoreline at half time.
James Hammond had the best chance of the opening 45 minutes for the visitors with his shot coming back off the bar, neither side doing enough to take the lead.
The introduction of Chris Dickson at the interval seemed to spark Chatham into life a bit more at the top end of the pitch, but as per the first half early Chats pressure turned into Horsham possession once again, clear cut chances few and far between.
Chats did regain the upper hand in the final ten minutes but couldn’t force a breakthrough and a blank scoreline took us to extra time in an effort to break the deadlock.
And it finally happened on 116 minutes, a corner in from the left was headed back across and Kareem Isiaka turned it in at the far post. However, Horsham weren’t done and levelled soon after, just as the home side thought they’d done enough.
The Hornets were level on 112 minutes, Hammond picked a loose ball up 20 yards out and fizzed one past Mitchell Beeney who stood rooted to the spot, the cheering Lardy Army giving it their all behind the goal as parity was restored.
Neither side had time to find a winner and the dreaded penalties were coming to send one side into the final and of course it wasn’t without it’s drama.
Beeney took the first penalty and fired it high, wide and handsome, Lewis Carey the Horsham keeper then stepped up to fire home within the five taken. Beeney more than redeemed himself as he saved from Jack Mazzone and Jack Brivio which left Jamie Yila with the opportunity to send Chatham into the final and the lively winger duly obliged.
A capacity 3,000 crowd witnessed a late drama filled night of few clear chances to win the tie. The lottery that is the penalties is always a cruel way to end a season’s work but one that Horsham have put down a massive foundation to build upon.
For the Chats history to be made on Bank Holiday Monday afternoon if they can achieve a third successive promotion, I believe it’s not been done before in non-league but please correct me if I’m wrong?
The introduction of Dickson certainly gave more tooth to the Chatham attack, once Reece Meekums had run out of steam for the visitors and the withdrawal of X Horsham certainly slowed down their approach.
One thing to note here was how underprepared the club appeared off the pitch, a tea bar well understaffed for the amount of people inside the home end and just one small exit out of the ground isn’t anywhere neat significant when holding attendances of this size, a little bit of work to do here I feel if they are to be promoted.
However, the Bauvill Stadium does look very impressive including a sizeable sports bar in one corner and realistically plenty of space to fit everyone in the ground.
Great to spend the evening with Natalie Edwards and her dad Andy Yerlett and a few other Ebbsfleet fans, nice to have company at games and always someone there you know.
