Hawks go second as Chats away day blues continue

With two meetings scheduled over a period of two and a half weeks, Whitehawk and Chatham Town were about to get very well acquainted. With only eight matches to go before the end of the season and both sides firmly ensconced inside the top five, there was a possibility of a third meeting before the end of April, too. Tonight’s match at The Enclosed Ground (which, by the way, isn't quite enclosed enough to stop the wind whistling in from the sea, but we suspect that ‘The Exposed Ground’ wouldn’t have tripped off the tongue quite so well) was important not just because it pitted second against fourth, and not only because a home win could see the Hawks replace the Chats in second place, but because it might just give the winners an important psychological edge over the next six weeks.

The visitors, four points behind leaders Ramsgate with a game in hand, had seen their promotion charge slow to a canter with a run of two wins from eight matches- and it had been their away record which had been the handicap all season, every one of their six league defeats prior to tonight coming on the road. Whilst all of our promotion chasers had dropped points of late, Whitehawk had dropped fewer- five wins from their previous six matches seeing them open up a four point gap over the chasing pack and close to within three points of their second place opponents. It was no wonder that the atmosphere before kick off tonight was a mixture of tension and excitement, with the added odour of burger and liniment.

The sides arrived on the pitch to the echo of “We Are Whitehawk” by the aptly-named Whitehawk Isolators- and echo it did, as someone has boosted the volume on the PA massively since our last visit, and the stand vibrated to the sound. A coin was tossed, and the sides changed ends, which suggests that Chatham won it as the hosts would have to kick up the slop in the second half. The Hawks got us underway, and their drummer began to hammer out a lonesome beat, the rest of his brethren still making their way from the bar. He was soon joined by a cowbell, and began to sound rather like an Art of Noise tribute band. Playing an eighties festival near you this summer- the Art of Noise, although Hawks fans could ask to support Ali Campbell in Stanmer Park. Given he’s lost the rest of UB40, if they know the words to Rat in me Kitchen, they’re in.

The hosts had the best of the opening stages, and the first attempt on goal in the seventh minute, a powerful drive from twenty yards pushed away by Nathan Harvey. More pressure followed, without really troubling Harvey a second time- but he was troubled on eleven minutes. A run down the left, a cross from Luke Robinson, and the ball clearing the Chats keeper and entering the net. It may have got a touch from the someone, and it looked to be the visitors Reece Butler, but he won’t want it. The hosts gave it to their number nine, so all hail Kris Oti! “We are Whitehawk, we are Whitehawk, super Whitehawk, from Whitehawk,” came the celebratory refrain, composed by the winners of the ‘how many times can you fit the name of the club into a sentence,’ competition.

A box to box run from Robinson caused consternation in the visiting defence on twenty minutes, and a moment later the ball was in the net, before the Assistant’s flag went up with out the benefit of VAR. He appeared to be correct, despite being viciously serenaded with a rendition of “the Lino is a Lino” by the masses behind the goal. An O’Toole header was pushed away by Harvey, and the hosts had entirely dominated the first quarter of the game.

As we approached the twenty five minute mark, the visitors earned their first corner. Could they finally test the home defence? Indeed they could, a shot from someone who was entirely obscured behind a floodlight stanchion cleared off the line. If someone ever invents a transparent floodlight stanchion, surely a Nobel prize is guaranteed. The visitors finally awoke, and a shot from Callum Peck, who worked his own space before firing it in, had to be touched around the post by a diving Luke Glover.

With twelve minutes to go in the first half, a foul on Charlie Harris between the box and the corner flag gave the Hawks number eight the chance to deliver a cross into the box. He did his job very well, and up went Luca Cocoracchio, unmarked, with the goal at his mercy. His header, luckily for the visitors, was far more merciful than he intended, bouncing wide of the post with the keeper beaten.

The half came to an end with the Hawks still a goal to the good, and deservedly so, but this wasn’t a classic- so far, at least. The hosts were determined to get the ball into the box or towards a willing runner in the attacking third almost the second it came into their possession, whilst the visitors passed it around at the back and then tended to think that they should try the same tactic as the Hawks, but weren’t quite as good at finding a willing recipient.

The Chats kicked off the second half, during which they would have the added benefit of extra gravity steering the ball downhill towards the Hawks net. They had the ball in the box almost immediately, but it came to naught, and the opening stages were rather scrappy, until a Chats corner in the fiftieth minute saw Luke Glover do his best seagull impression, flapping at the ball before dropping it. It was lifted towards the top corner, but headed off the line, as the hosts stayed ahead- just. A shout for a penalty, waved away, but the visitors remained on top, Peck just failing to connect with a cross fired in by the impressive Ike Orji, the right back suddenly delivering pace and power down the wing.

An injury to Glover followed, bringing with it a lengthy stoppage and causing great concern at the back of the stand. After significant treatment he gingerly got back to his feet, and the home faithful breathed once more. We reached the hour mark and the football was very much a carbon copy of the first half, only with the roles reversed- the Chats firmly in control.

The home faithful tried to rouse their side. “Attack, attack, attack,” they yelled, and Robinson tried to do it all on his own, charging forward, taking on defenders, and finally firing in a shot which was scrambled clear. It was the first positive move of the half for the Hawks, but the ball was soon back with the visitors, who, sadly for those fans at the bottom of the slope, couldn’t find a killer pass. At the other end, danger for a moment, Oti setting up himself for an overhead kick, but again, back down the slope we went, and a free kick was headed just over the bar by Ashley Nzala.

As we approached the last quarter of an hour we had that rare sight- a spell of Hawks pressure. Oti had departed, and his replacement, Stefan Wright, was putting himself about. A little excitement, and then we were back up the other end, to continue playing the game of ‘Can the Hawks hold out until full time,’ or perhaps, ‘Can the Chats actually find a killer pass?’ Into the last ten and the visitors earned a corner, and, via a calamitous shot and unfortunate deflection, another. They finally found the head of one of their own, and the net rippled- but it was the outside of the net, and we had seven minutes left. “You’ll never walk alone,” sang the home faithful, finally settling on Gerry and the Pacemakers via Taylor Swift and The Beatles. We were later advised that they were actually singing, “You’ll never Hawk alone,” creating a new verb in the process. Someone tell Susie Dent.

With two minutes left the hosts decided it was their turn to attack once more, and O’Toole sent a fine ball to Harris, who thumped it goalwards and forced a fine save from Harvey. The, at the other end, and the ball gently thumped the top the bar with the keeper looking rather surprised. Added time, a Chats corner, and even Harvey in the Hawks box, although the home defence made such a hash of the clearance that he had time to saunter back- indeed he had time to check his watch, blow his nose and pick his lottery numbers had he been so inclined.

One minute gone, two minutes, and a Hawks attack- or not, Harris taking the ball into the corner before Robinson somehow got himself offside and gave it away. Six added minutes came and went, and the home fans began to jump up and down- but it wasn’t yet time to celebrate. Two more minutes, however, and the celebrations could begin in earnest.

This certainly wasn’t a match that will be long remembered for its quality. Both sides have played much better this season. But at the end, the win may turn out to be vital for the Hawks. Up to second, four points behind the leaders, and perhaps just as importantly, seven clear of sixth place Sevenoaks.

As for Chatham, they need to find a way to solve their away day blues, as their inability on the road may well thwart their ambitions if it continues.

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