Chatham Town 5 Cheshunt 1

by John Crow

LEE Barnett struck for the ninth game in a row, but it was Justin Ascheri who grabbed all the headlines from Maidstone Road on Tuesday night. He stepped up from the reserves and registered a hat-trick to help confirm Chats are back in business.

However, not everything was peachy, because central defenders Ben Payne and Richard Avery limped from the game, while Brad Potter, Rob Denness and Danny Larkin were all kept out of the squad by various health problems.

Chats might have been in front as early as the fourth minute, when Byron Walker broke away on the right and fired into the arms of Joe Taylor.

The Cheshunt goal didn't survive unbreached for much longer, though, since with nine minutes gone Ascheri beat the offside trap, took his time and blasted an unstoppable shot into the back of the net.

Barnett went close in the 20th minute and within a few moments Ascheri won the ball on the halfway line and, having swapped wings with Walker, hared away up the right before setting up a chance for the latter that was saved on the goalline.

The visiting defence was reeling under the onslaught and it came as no surprise when Chats doubled their lead in the 23rd minute.

Binks started the move, Jim Lyons carried it on and unselfishly set up Walker who made no mistake.

Barely had the ecstatic fans drawn breath than it was 3-0 to the Chats. Once again Binks was instrumental in the move, playing the ball to the feet of Ascheri, who was then promptly brought down.

Up stepped Barnett to take the resultant penalty and while keeper Taylor guessed the right way he was unable to hang on and Barnett hit his 11th goal in six weeks from the rebound.

The second period followed in precisely the same way and after Richard Avery went close to adding to their lead in the 52nd minute, they finally were able to claim goal number four on the hour mark.

A fine solo effort by Ascheri, this, as he took the ball through from almost the halfway line, leaving Matthew Crooks trailing in his wake, before unleashing a shot that whistled into the roof of the net past the advancing Taylor.

Ascheri had a golden opportunity to complete his hat trick midway through, when Barnett brought the ball up the left before unselfishly rolling it into the path of his teammate in the middle. Unfortunately, Ascheri was left with a face as red as his shirt after slicing his shot out of play for a throw-in on the right, behind the point at which it had started!

Ola Akinawo pulled one back with a shot which hit a divot and bounced up and past the startled Platten, but with time fast running out, Mark Brooks lost his marker on the right to fire a ball into the centre, from which Ascheri completed his treble and the scoring at the far post.

BARNETT was the scorer as Chats shared a 1-1 draw with Brentwood Town on Saturday.