Three points for the Chats- and one each for two of our draw specialists

Chatham Town welcomed Hastings United, and let in a crowd of one thousand, one hundred and seventy five for free, with the hope that they would give a donation to the Air Ambulance Service- and we suspect that they all did just that. The sides also paid tribute to United fan Chris Taylor, and we send our love and sympathy to his family. 

The Chats started the night in fourteenth, relatively comfortable but with their promotion hopes looking rather remote; whilst United had entirely different problems, ten points from safety and having gone eight games without a win.

The hosts went ahead on twenty seven minutes, Kian Garlinge scoring his very first goal of the season to give them the lead. Try as they might, the visitors couldn’t find an equaliser, and just after the hour a more familiar name wrapped up the points for the Chats, Freddie Sears taking his tally for the campaign up to twenty one. Chatham climb into the top ten, whilst Hastings, still ten points away from safety, find that the mountain they have to climb has got just a little steeper. 

Fourth place Cray Valley PM had hit a bit of a bump in the road, five matches without a win- although they had included three draws. Their visitors, Hendon, had found that their bump in the road had become unfeasibly large, and they started the evening five points from safety and without a league win since November 26th. The Millers went ahead midway through the first half, Freddie Parker keeping his cool from the spot, but the visitors levelled sixteen minutes from time, Stephan Langley earning them a point. 

The Millers have now drawn four of their last five, the Dons four of their last six, and both sides need to find a way to turn one point into three. That’s eleven draws for the season for Cray Valley, and ten for Hendon- only Lewes, with twelve, have drawn more. 

Image- we suspect- from Romana Rule.