Chatham Town 1 Hastings United 2

TOWN took plenty of positives from their final pre-season game, despite falling to another narrow defeat against a higher opposition side.

There were no real surprises about the starting eleven for Chatham, with boss Steve Binks still without the services of first-choice 'keeper James Tedder, as well as a couple of other players who sat out the game owing to minor injuries.

Once again the Chats started the brighter of the two teams, though their fluid passing game was not helped at times by conditions underfoot, from the constantly falling rain.

Brad Potter and Justin Ascheri on the wings were a constant threat to the Hastings defence, and Potter came close to giving Chatham the lead midway through the half when he got on the end of a Darren Smith free-kick, with a spectacular overhead kick that flew past a startled Gregg Nessling only to slip just wide of his left upright.

A minute later Hastings threatened at the other end with Adam Day unleashing a piledriver from 25 yards, which James Smith somehow got across to pluck the ball out of the air.

Smith was called into action again on 26, and this time it was to rescue his team from a situation of his own creating after a mis-hit clearance fell straight into the path of Frankie Sawyer.

Once again, though, Smith was equal to the task, pulling off a great one-handed save.

Four minutes later the opening goal was scored and it fell to Chatham.

It came from a clever Darren Smith free-kick, who rather than opting to have a go himself from 22 yards, played the ball neatly to the feet of Steve Hafner.

Hafner turned, and from 12 yards out shot low to the left the of the keeper.

Rather than making a number of changes at half-time, as in the previous matches, manager Binks opted to stay with the eleven that had started. And it almost paid off as they almost added a second 12 minutes into the second half, when Matt Solly saw his 25-yard effort scrape the top of the crossbar.

A minute later, though, and the visitors had drawn level.

A brief spell of pressure saw Chris Greatwich put the ball over from wide on the right with Rhys Whyborne beating Smith to the ball to head over the advancing 'keeper into the net.

Midway through the half the Chats finally opted to make some changes, Jim Lyons and Craig Govey taking over from Dave Botterill and Ascheri respectively up front, while promising youngster Michael Scott came on for Ross Finn in defence.

The changes almost paid off shortly after as Lyons and Potter combined well on the right to set up another good chance for Hafner, only for defender Padraig Cody to throw himself in the way of the powerful header.

With the game starting to look as if it might be heading for a draw, another free-kick from Smith on the right edge of the area, again saw Hafner going desperately close. This time his shot was turned over the crossbar by Hastings substitute Ben Radley.

Then, just four minutes later, the visitors struck to claim what proved to be the decisive goal - Scott Marshall firing the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of the Chatham goal from the edge of the box.

Chatham: J Smith; Binks; Finn (Scott 66); Solly; Avery; Larkin; D Smith; Potter; Hafner (D.Elmes 78); Botterill (Lyons 66); Ascheri (Govey 66).