By Kevin Redsull

Chatham manager Alex O’Brien says his side’s current goal drought is ‘heartbreaking’.

Tuesday’s 1-0 Kent Senior Cup defeat at Margate was the seventh time in their last 10 matches, including last month’s abandoned home game against Folkestone, that the Chats had failed to score.

And, according to O’Brien, pictured, Tuesday’s match was the same old story.

He said: "We created some good chances and Margate manager Mark Butler said to me afterwards that he was impressed by our performance.

"But we just can’t find an end product at the moment whereas other teams seem to pump the ball forward every now and again and get a goal out of it.

"It’s heartbreaking to watch but I have said to the players that if they keep working hard, then the goals are bound to come eventually."

Chatham are certainly not short of recognised goalscorers.

O’Brien added: "Players like Brendon Cass, Lee Barnett, Rob Denness and Justin Ascheri would get into most teams at this level but it’s just not happening for them at the moment."

Whitstable will be hoping that Chatham’s scoring problems continue on Saturday when the sides meet at The Belmont.

O’Brien will be without two of his defenders, Matt Rowe and Michael Scott, who are both unavailable. Rowe is on holiday while Scott will be on international duty for the England Under-18 side.

Chatham’s run of away games continues on Tuesday against Burgess Hill, whom they beat 3-2 in their first home game of the season.