Blues settle for draw at Chatham (From Brentwood Weekly News)

Blues settle for draw at Chatham

10:53am Monday 9th March 2009

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Brentwood returned with a point from their first ever visit to Chatham, but they were disappointed not to have taken the chances that would have secured the win.

Despite having more of the game and the better opportunities to score, Blues’ Billy McMahon was the busier of the two goalkeepers, making some fine saves in a very entertaining match against the Kent side that has shown some good form recently.

Sherwin Stanley had the first effort on the home goal in only the second minute, but he shot wide of the far post from a good position inside the penalty area.

McMahon made his first save in the tenth minute when Lee Barnett hit a dipping left foot shot from 20 yards which the keeper turned over the crossbar.

Blues put the Chatham defence under a lot of pressure midway through the first half. Ben Payne blocked a shot from Mitch Hahn and as Brentwood forced a number of corners another goalbound shot from Lee Perry was also blocked.

Steve Good also saw a shot cleared off the line, by Michael Dodsworth, five minutes before half time.

The visiting defence had a scare in the 52nd minute when Steve King’s back pass was picked up by Chatham’s James Lyons, but McMahon came out and made a good save at the feet of Lyons.

Blues strengthened their attack by bringing on Sam Higgins in the 55th minute as they tried to break the deadlock.

In the 65th minute Stanley’s fine cross field pass found Hahn who went past a defender but shot wide with only home keeper James Platten to beat.

Stanley received a knock in that move and was replaced by Anthony Aylett, the former Harlow and Dagenham forward, who was making his debut for Blues.

McMahon made a terrific close range save from Byron Walker following Barnett’s corner in the 70th minute. Then at the other end, Higgins lifted the ball over the Chatham bar after he latched onto Gareth Street’s pass.

Barnett and Walker looked a dangerous combination up front for Chatham and Barnett put Walker clean through in the 76th minute, forcing McMahon to make his best save of the afternoon.

Despite the goalmouth action, the game looked to be heading for a goalless draw until both sides found the net in quick succession with less than ten minutes remaining. In the 81st minute Barnett got past Good on the left and his cross looked certain to be converted by first Walker, then Steve Best, and then by Barnett himself. McMahon made three point blank saves but the ball fell to Barnett again who finally forced the ball home.

It was the eighth match in succession that Barnett had scored for Chatham.

Brentwood hit back within a minute when Higgins found space to head across Platten into the far corner from Steve King's pinpoint cross.

Brentwood then pressed for the winner but they were denied by another goal line clearance, and then by Platten, who made a good save from Higgins.

Brentwood Town: McMahon, King, Glozier, Good, Blewitt, Street (Parratt 77), Ashby (Higgins 55), Symons, Stanley (Aylett 67), Hahn, Perry. Unused subs: Stokes, Buckfield Attendance: 157

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