Chatham Town 1 Walton Casuals 2

Match 19/16/1327 - Monday, 22nd August 2016 - FA Cup Preliminary Round Replay

Chatham Town (1) 1 Gundry 19
Walton Casuals (2) 2 Pinnock 6 Summers 32
Attendance: 152

Entrance: £6 Senior
Programme: £1
Mileage: 32/2,109


Match Report

Alongside a fellow Gillingham supporter and far more dedicated groundhopper than I, Jim Case, we have often begged the question of Chatham Town (and clubs like them), "why do they persist in playing Tuesday night fixtures in competition with Gillingham and senior non-league clubs." Chatham Town haven't exactly listened to us because we didn't directly pose the question, but they are experimenting this season with Monday night fixtures and, so far, the results in terms of attendance are encouraging. Their opening home league fixture against Tooting and Mitcham drew an attendance of 239; whilst Tooting are well supported, on last year's figures this would be a good 100 up. This FA Cup replay, obviously arranged at short notice with no time to advertise the fixture managed 152, about 25 more than might have been expected on a Tuesday?

The teams were re-assembled at Maidstone Road after a thrilling 3-3 draw on Saturday in front of a meagre 43 people. Nobody likes to go out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle and the £1,950 prize money is gold dust to clubs entering at this stage.

Chatham Town can have few complaints that their Surrey opponents took home the money and a place in the First Qualifying Round.

Walton Casuals opened brightly and scored with their first attack after five minutes. A ball over the top sent the left winger clear and when he laid the ball inside to Sol Pinnock, his 20 yard shot found the net off the far post.

The visitors could have put the tie to bed before the elapsing of 10 minutes. Malachi Hudson, broke clear before ex-Tunbridge Wells' Lee Radford made a saving clearance and this was followed by Chatham loan goalkeeper from Gillingham, Henry Newcombe, making a point blank save to deny Hudson.

Chatham equalised on 18 minutes when Ricky Gundry won a challenge the Walton centre half and found the net with an accurate lob of the advancing keeper for a good finish.

The goal took nothing out of Walton's stride and they were back in front just past the half-hour mark when Dan Summers ran on to a long ball, cut in from the left and fired a low shot into the far corner. The home side had to be thankful to their young goalkeeper for keeping the tie alive at the break. Newcombe made good saves to deny Pinnock and Gabriel Odunaike.

Whatever plans Tony Beckingham laid in the dressing rooms at half-time went out of the window within a minute of the restart with the sending-off of Aaron Ruhle. From the width of the pitch it was difficult to see how bad a challenge it was that brought a second yellow.

Chatham didn't make a bad fist of 10 versus 11, but you felt from the sidelines that Walton were basically controlling the situation. Pinnock missed a couple of chances and Newcombe made another very decent save late on. Mark Patterson, the Gillingham Youth Team coach, who was sat alongside me, would have been pleased with his 18-year-old goalkeeper's efforts on the night.