Report by Andrew Finch

As we enter the business end of the season and points become more important than performances the win was secured without the Moles ever really getting out of second gear.

Goals from Rob Sheridan and Stafforde Palmer at the start of each half were enough to see off Chatham, and the game should have been sewn up long before Khari Oriogun pulled one back on the hour.

Dre Grobler and Tom Windsor were the only changes from the side that lost in the last minute to Three Bridges last week, and it was Grobler’s through ball that set up the game’s opening chance, with Charlie Samuels’s effort deflected wide by Chatham keeper Jack Bradshaw.

From the resulting corner Bradshaw dropped Lewington’s set piece at the feet of Sheridan, who poked home from inside the six yard box.

Samuels then set up Palmer, who struck the outside of the post, and Bradshaw made amends for his earlier error with saves from both of Molesey’s front two in quick succession.

Chatham had offered very little, but nearly grabbed an equaliser out of nothing when Jack Jeffrey’s shot was turned around the post by Molesey’s latest centurion, Liam Allen.

The second half was only moments old when Palmer capitalised on a defensive mistake but rolled his effort wide, but the Moles didn’t have to wait long for a second.

Again both Lewington and Sheridan were involved, with Lewington’s free kick being chested by Sheridan into the path of Palmer, whose scuffed volley took a wicked deflection and looped over Bradshaw.

Bradshaw again denied Palmer and Samuels as the Moles looked to put the game to bed, but Chatham halved the deficit when Allen and Joe Pratley-Jones got in each other’s way at a set piece, and the ball fell kindly for Oriogun to finish from close range.

Chatham sensed an unlikely point, and very nearly got it when Ricky Gundry’s effort from the angle of the box kissed the crossbar on the way over, whilst Grore Humber hit the side netting from a tight angle.

Whilst not at their best, anything other than three points would have been grossly unfair on the Moles, however, they will have to learn to kill teams off if they are to follow up last season’s championship win with a play-off berth.