It had been a long week at work and I didn’t want to travel too far today. I decided that a visit to one of my favourite grounds, the Bauvill Stadium would provide me with entertainment with a Kent derby, seeing the Isthmian Premier Division leaders Dover Athletic, travel to Chatham Town.

It has been a really mixed season for these two sides. Chatham Town came into the season on the back of a stellar first Isthmian Premier Division season in 2023-24, finishing second and losing a play off final against Enfield Town. Unfortunately in 2024-25 manager Kevin Hake has found it hard for his side to put a run of victories together, so despite Chatham Town coming into today’s match on the back of a six game unbeaten run, they have yet to secure a victory in that time so sit in sixteenth place.

Chatham Town’s goals this season have come from Freddie Sears (7 goals), Jack Evans (3 goals) and Rowan Liburd (3 goals). Last season’s leading goal scorer Jamie Yila has just two to his name this season but as Dover will have known coming into the game, he, along with the rest of the frontline for the Chats remained a potent threat.

Dover Athletic have turned things around after a dismissal three years which have seen two relegations taking them from the National League down to the Isthmian Premier Division. This season they surprised everyone but especially their Number 1 fan, Matt Gerrard, Co-host of the Kent Non-League podcast, by scorching away to lead the table with 29 points from 13 matches. Manager Jake Leberl has been blessed with a defence that has only conceded at an average of one goal a game, whilst up front his side have plundered 39 goals at a rate of three goals a game.

The goals thus far for Dover Athletic have come from, George Nikaj (13 goals), Ruben Soares-Junior (9 goals) and Luke Baptiste (8 goals). Chatham Town’s players and manager would have known they needed to seal off the fuel to the Dover Athletic attack if they were to win today.

Prior to kick off the Mayor, Tracy Crouch MP, and members of the armed services joined Chatham Town and Dover Athletic FC Staff and Players to observe two minute’s silence and play the last post, as the clubs remembered those who fell in service of their country.

The first half was uneventful, although Chatham Town had nearly all the possession and crafted some good chances, largely through the hard work of Jordi Robbins and the creativity of Jack Evans and Jamie Yila. despite both teams going close in the last ten minutes, at the half time whistle the sides were level with scores tied at 0-0.

In the 51st minute Chatham Town were ahead 1-0 when Jack Evans fired home after some great and persistent work by Jamie Yila on the right hand side.

On 64 minutes it was all square again when Dover Athletic’s top scorer, George Nikaj, found himself with space in the area to score and make it 1-1.

For the remainder of the second half it was Dover Athletic who looked the most likely to secure all three points, with attack after attack being repelled by last ditch Chatham Town defending.

At the death neither team could break the deadlock again, so the points were shared. For Chatham they knew they had matched pound for pound, the league’s top side, so hopefully this result will inspire their ascension up the table in the coming weeks.

Dover Athletic look like a confident and cohesive team, and will certainly think they’re on track for promotion back to the National League South, should they maintain this standard. The 1903 in attendance today knew they had seen a fierce battle between two decent teams.