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Boss Kevin Hake admitted the first goal in Chatham’s derby with Dartford was always likely to be key during their defeat on New Year’s Day.
The sixth-placed Chats were beaten by Ady Pennock’s Darts for the second time this season, losing the Isthmian Premier encounter 2-0 in front of a record crowd of 3,006 at the Bauvill Stadium.
Defender Reece Butler miscued a cross into his own net just before the hour mark and, with Chatham looking for a way back in the game, substitute Eddie Dsane doubled Dartford’s advantage on a wet and miserable afternoon.
Hake reflected: “Happy New Year to everyone!
“It wasn’t nice conditions and not nice to lose what is a local derby to us now. It was a game of half-chances, really.
“The first goal is very important in any game like that. They have put a quality ball into the box, which was difficult to deal with, and Buts has put it in the back of his own net.
“It has put them into the ascendancy. Then, you’re looking to push on and try to get back into the game.
“But having more than 3,000 people here was an unbelievable advert for football at this level and we’ll dust ourselves down.”
Butler could count himself slightly unfortunate to see his attempted clearance from away defender George Whitefield’s right-wing cross flash off his boot and past goalkeeper Joe Wright to find the far corner on Butler’s return to the team.
Hake, who was without experienced defender Simon Cooper (groin) and teenage forward Sam Sene-Richardson (illness) said: “He’s gone to clear it with his left foot and, unfortunately, it’s just found its way into the back of the net.
“What can you do? It was a heck of a volley!
“You want to see decent goals, to be fair, and not the slightly more silly ones like that.
“But sometimes, that’s just football.”
It was Chats who had started superbly and easily could have taken the lead in the first five minutes. Visiting goalkeeper Jacob Marsden tipped over a shot from striker Rowan Liburd before winger John Ufuah dragged inches wide.
The Medway side didn’t threaten enough after that, though, and then succumbed to a counter-attack as striker Dsane got a game-clinching second for the Darts.
“We’re always a management team that are going to go for it and try to play on the ascendancy,” said Hake. “Unfortunately for us, we weren’t able to create a good enough clear-cut chance.
“We did have a whole series of half-chances that I’d expect us to do better with but, with that being said, we have not worked their keeper enough - apart from in the first 90 seconds when he (Marsden) put one over the crossbar from Rowan.”
Chatham will visit Chichester on Saturday.
The teams are level on points but Miles Rutherford’s seventh-placed men, who were 4-1 victors at basement boys Bognor Regis on New Year’s Day, have played a league fixture more.
