Chatham boss Kevin Hake bemoaned the missed chances at Dartford on Monday as his men saw their first-half lead slip away.

Chats started well enough and led 1-0 at the break through Jamie Yila but Darts got an early goal in the second half and finished strongly to win 3-1.

Report: Dartford 3 Chatham 1

“We started well but it’s how you finish, isn’t it?” said Hake.

“The third goal (a stoppage-time penalty), I will take that because we were chasing the game. I don’t think there was an awful lot in the game. They came out on top and that’s what you get in derbies. We didn’t take our chances and they did.

“We scored a good goal. I thought we had the first half and they had the second. They took their chances better than we took ours. You know you’re not going to get a flurry of chances and you have to take them. If you take them you win a game, if you don’t take them you don’t win.”

Yila slid home the opener on 33 minutes after Brad Sach played him in. Sam Sene-Richardson laid on another chance late in the half for the goalscorer but keeper Matt Kerbey saved. It was a golden chance missed.

Once Sam Odaudu fired home from outside the box for Dartford the hosts were back in it. Both teams had chances and Hake turned to his bench first, looking for different attacking options.

But it was Callum Jones who put Dartford ahead six minutes from time after Chatham failed to clear the danger and Eddie Dsane slotted in a penalty to seal the points.

Hake said: “Had we gone in 2-0 I don’t think anyone would be complaining there but that’s football. It’s always going to be tight margins in games like that.”

A crowd of 1,408 were there to watch the Bank Holiday match - the first league meeting between the two sides in 17 years,

Hake said: “It’s what you are in football for, these types of games, but we are used to these crowds now which is testament what we have done but we have to compete in these games and we have to go to places like Dartford and get some result if we are going to stamp our authority on the league. We didn’t, we came away with absolutely nothing. It wasn’t a good day at the office.”

Most teams have played five games in the Isthmian Premier Division with both Dartford and Dover among the early front-runners. It’s a division that on paper certainly looks stronger than in previous seasons.

Lewes lead the way with the only 100% record.

Hake said: “The league is going to be stronger this year and to go and emulate what we’ve done is going to be tough. We have to dig deep.

“We’re five games in and we would like to have put more points on the board but it’s a long, long season and we need to remember these moments and learn from it.

“We wanted more than three points over the weekend but it is not the end of the world. We have to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves down for the FA Cup on Saturday and I will be looking for the response for the lads.”

Chats had beaten Dulwich Hamlet 3-1 on the Saturday thanks to goals from Yila, Freddie Sears and a first for Sene-Richardson.

An impressive showing from Sene-Richardson on the Saturday led to him starting Monday’s game, playing in behind striker Sach. It was another solid outing from the young prospect.

“He has done great and he’s been worthy of the start,” Hake said.

“He did really well. He blew up a little bit on 75 but that’s to be expected, he is only a young kid but he’s doing really well for us.”

Chats are away to Isthmian South Central side Westfield on Saturday in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup.

“It will be a tough game,” Hake predicated.

“It’s away from home and its’ never going to be easy in the FA Cup.

“We have had them scouted, we know bits and pieces about them and we just have to get our game plan together, train in the week and pick ourselves back up and get into the next round of the FA Cup.”

Chatham Town FC Football Medway Sport Non League Ryman League Luke Cawdell