Men 3 (0) (0) 1 Boys

I like to display scores in the old school format, with the half time scores in brackets.

Last night saw the visit of Dagenham and Redbridge to the hallowed theatre of slapstick comedy, and rather predictably, they sent a youth team. I can't say I'm all that surprised by the lack of inclusion of full time heavily insured professional assets, but nonetheless, it was pleasurable to see what were in effect full time athletes at the Sports Ground.

Chatham's starting eleven featured the returning Brendon Cass, and it from the off it was apparent that this could be the first choice eleven (minus the injured Lee Barnett) for AOB for the coming season (now less than a fortnight away) American goalkeeper Dean Ruddy made his first start in Chatham colours (rather comically in a two years out of date John Whitehouse hand me down Ward Homes sponsored shirt - there were genuine cries of "we've lost the keepers jerseys" being bandied about by club officials), and Justin Julie Ascheri started again in place of the injured Barnett, with Rob Denness kept very much to a half time warm up cameo.

From the off, it was apparent that Chatham were not treating this as a friendly. Steve Hafner, back under the new management, had immense hunger on the right, left and just about everywhere, as Chatham tried to keep the ball down and run at their youthful opponents. On a fine pitch that is a credit to whoever has maintained it over the summer, Chatham took the game to Daggers from the off, and it was something of a surprise that the first half ended goalless, Chatham's best chance being an acrobatic overhead scissor kick from Brendon Cass that failed to find the net. To their credit, Dagenham's young side were not unduly intimidated and tried to play good neat football, but were undone by a Chatham midfield of the ever confident Brad Potter, and the industrious Matthew Solly. That said, the Dagenham Dave's only decent chance was a thunderous shot that saw that rarest of things in football these days, a flying save that resulted in the ball being caught, yes caught, not parried, by Ruddy, to the applause of everyone in the ground. The save must have done Ruddy's confidence the world of good, having earlier had some problems with his distribution - perhaps some of John Whitehouse's notorious kicking inability had rubbed off on the old shirt.

Come part two, and Chatham very much took off where they left off. There were run outs for Mark Green, Ray Powell and Notaspeckofdirt Jim Lyons, but the undoubted highlight of the half was the opening goal. A lovely diagonal ball to the far side of the box found Steven Hafner unmarked, who took one touch to control the ball before half volleying it across the keeper inside the far post. One nil Chatham.

Chatham's second was from a Hafner set piece, with Brendon Cass showing all the ability that makes him such a deadly fox-in-the-box striker, his dummied run leaving him unmarked for the easiest of headers and a two nil lead.

Dagenham underook a flurry of substitutions, with no less than seven off to be replaced at once, including the smallest goalkeeper seen at Maidstone Road since the 1987 u-13s cup final. The energy of these changes, and clear difference in fitness made for a more competitive final twenty minutes, where they pulled one back with a neatly worked goal where if we're honest the defence could have done better, but the Chats restored their two goal advantage when Justin Ascheri, who had been running at the Dagenham and Redbridge defence all night to great effect caused chaos in the box, and was rewarded with a simple effort after selfless work from Cass, who chose to set up his strike partner rather than have a go himself.

All in all, a good work out for the Chats, proving that their may be an embarrassment of riches and some problems for AOB keeping four decent forwards in Barnett, Cass, Ascheri and Denness happy and hungry for first team football this coming term.

Highlights: The first performance of Brendon Cass in the red and black for three and half years. Any concerns about pre-season fitness washed away, and he still wears his shirt like Hoddle did in the eighties. A commanding experienced performance from a man Chatham must get on contract if we're to fulfill our potential this season.

Lowlights: Hard to moan, but would have been nice to see Rob Denness get a run out with Cass, personally, I think he offers more than Ascheri with his all round game and ability to hold up play.

The referee: From Strood. Did an anonymous enough job, but had a pointless argument with Hafner over a quickly taken free kick that no one else really had a problem with.

Conclusion: A useful lesson for both teams. Would have done Chatham's confidence no end of good, but in reality it should be no surprise that a team that featured former professionals in the form of Probets and Hafner should have done so well against youthful inexperienced opposition.

Pointless fact: Dagenham's Charlie Hurlock is the son of 80's all round professional journeyman pro Terry Hurlock.


Chatham line up; Ruddy, Binks, Probets, Avery, Payne, Solly, Potter, Davey, Hafner, Ascheri, Cass.

Dagenham and Red line up; Come on.... let's face it, even most Daggers supportes wouldn't know, but their number 8 was very impressive and must have a future in the game.
MOTM - Cass.