Chatham Town can be a match for anyone at their level if they can believe in themselves, says boss Kevin Hake.

Chats went out of the FA Cup at the hands of Walton & Hersham on Tuesday night in the Second Qualifying Round, facing a two-goal deficit in the tie for the second time.

The Surrey visitors won the replay 3-1 after slow-starting Chats gave them a two-goal headstart again. On Saturday, they had to fight back for a 2-2 draw to take the tie back to Maidstone Road.

Reacting to the defeat, Hake said: “I said to the boys, if we turn up, we win a game, I would give them a bit of grace if we drew an EFL side (in the competition) and said ‘okay, we won’t play our own game’, but as you could see when we turn it on. nobody gets near us. That is what the boys have to believe in, believe themselves, they will then take it to teams and we will go and win games.

“I am looking for a reaction Saturday and the fans are owed a performance over 90 minutes. Hopefully they will respond.”

Chatham are in FA Trophy action at home this Saturday, playing Isthmian North side Stowmarket Town.

But their FA Cup run is over for another season after an entertaining game at the Bauvill Stadium.

Slow-starting Chats once again found themselves two goals down and, although Reece Butler got one back and Josh Ogunseye twice hit the woodwork during a thrilling finish, the visitors hit a third on the break to win the replay 3-1, earning themselves a trip to Taunton Town in the next round.

The closest Chats got to an equaliser came from Ogunseye, rattling the crossbar with a shot that bounced out from the underside of the woodwork. It was a night that started with a minute’s silence in memory of the player's sister Shai, who died the week before.

“With what he and his family have been through, you would have liked to think Lady Luck would have done it for him, but it’s not always the case in football,” said Hake.

Ogunseye also hit the post in an open finish to the game, with Chats pushing men forward to level the tie. It meant leaving themselves open and the visitors struck the frame of the goal twice themselves.

“We are really disappointed to have lost the game,” said Hake. “The third goal came as we were chasing the game. Second goal killed us, it was a bit against the run of play because we had the ascendency, but first half performance wasn’t good enough for me, second half I think we dominated but it was just a shame we couldn’t have won it infront of the fans who were great as always.

“Those fans were in good voice and we just have to repay them on Saturday now with a win in the FA Trophy."

The match was watched by a crowd of 911.

“We have had two great games" Hake continued. "We will analyse it and see where it went wrong, as for an advertisement for football at this level, it was another entertaining game. The crowd won’t be pleased with the result but they can’t say they haven’t had value for money over the last two games.”

Hake wasn’t blaming the officials for the result but, having had a penalty disallowed in both games and fouls not given, it was a frustrating one.

He said: “Anyone can give the pushes on the halfway line, but when it actually matters in the box, there was certainly one stonewall in the first half (on Ike Orji). Why would he fall through on goal?

“You can’t talk to them, you can’t do anything. I make mistakes, clearly, I have to justify it, but there doesn’t seem to be any justification from them which is a shame. We all make mistakes. You would rather they hold their hands up and say, ‘you know what, it was a pen’. You don’t get feedback.

“There was a straight-leg challenge, completely out of control (on Fabio Saraiva) and nothing at all. The linesman backed him up. Twenty-five years ago in my day that’s a great challenge but that now is reckless.

“We are not blaming the referee but if you are drawing 2-2 you are not chasing the game to concede the third. We are not looking to the referee (for an excuse) because we weren’t good enough first half. They dominated first half and we dominated second and just didn’t have enough to get it over the line.”