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Chatham Town manager Kevin Hake made the most of his touchline ban on Tuesday night.
Hake spent the game among spectators at Cray Wanderers’ Flamingo Park and watched as his side won 4-1.
Freddie Sears bagged his first hat-trick for the club to the delight of Hake and much of the watching crowd.
Hake said: “We must have taken nearly 300 Chats fans to Cray on a cold, windy Tuesday night. Their support levels are amazing and that really makes a difference.
“I had the pleasure of mixing with them due to a touchline ban and it was great to hear their passion and words of encouragement first-hand.
“The lads put in a good shift and it was nice to come away with the win.
“Cray have been somewhat of a bogey team with us over the last two years and although performances have been good that’s the first time we have overcome them.
“It’s never easy to get a win away in this league so to do it in the manner we did was great.
“Rightfully so, Searsy will get the plaudits after his first hat-trick for the club, but I thought the team was excellent on the night and some great performances were put in as we look to threaten in all areas of the pitch.
“Defensively we were resolute and new partnerships are beginning to form and flourish.
“We accept if we don’t win every week then the outside world thinks the wheels have fallen off. However, internally we just keep a level head, work hard and keep applying the consistency that is required for growth.”
Isthmian Premier Division table
Chats had taken just one point from their previous four games in the Isthmian Prem.
Hake’s men had been without a game at the weekend and they went 1-0 up on Tuesday with a goal from Sid Nelson. Within five minutes they had scored twice more through Sears.
Cray got one back before the break but Chats restored their three-goal advantage shortly after the restart as former West Ham and Ipswich player Sears made it 4-1. That’s the way it stayed.
Chatham handed a debut to John Ufuah in the midweek game, the 25-year-old winger joining from Slough Town having been an influential figure for Billericay Town and Hastings United last season.
On Saturday, Chatham return home to play Potters Bar Town in the league, a side who have won back-to-back league games either side of an FA Trophy victory against Whitehawk.
“We will need to put in a similar shift as we did on Tuesday if we are to get anything from the game,” Hake added.
