Today the weather and a visit from my parents meant my Dad and I came together to Whitehawk FC in Brighton in bright winter sunshine, to watch the Hawks host Chatham Town of the Isthmian Premier League.

The Enclosed Ground, home of Whitehawk FC is in an ambitious programme of redevelopment, which will see it transformed into a modern new stadium. The ground proves good clubhouse and refreshment opportunities and has a large bank of seating behind each goal as well as a covered grandstand.

Whitehawk FC came into a double header with Chatham Town which could turn their season around. They play them today and then again at the Bauvill on Tuesday night and two wins would move them to within three points of their opponents with a game in hand as the Hawks push for play off places from the tenth place they currently occupy. Goals this season for Whitehawk have come from Charlie Lambert (15 goals), Harry Bridle (7 goals) and Harry Lodovica (6 goals). Manager Shaun Saunders will have welcomed the arrival of one of the Isthmian Premier Division’s big teams today as a platform to motivate his side.

Chatham Town’s manager and owner, Kevin Hake, will have wanted his side to cement their play off places in the same two back to back fixtures. He has seen his side create record this season, reaching the first round of the FA Cup before narrowly losing to Buxton before reaching the FA Trophy fifth round for the first time, losing by a single goal to Southend United, having beaten Carlisle United in the previous round. Goals this season have flowed from the boots of Tope Fadahunsi (15 goals), Ben Allen, Kian Moynes, Stanley Oldfield and Sam Sene-Richardson (all 8 goals). However inconsistent spells have seen Hake’s side drop from the tile race and came into today’s game in fourth place.

The game started with both sides struggling to control the ball on a heavy pitch, which was further complicated by the Whitehawk slope!

On 29 minutes the game changed when Chatham Town’s midfield dynamo, Jordi Robbins, was dismissed for an uncharacteristically reckless tackle, right in front of the dugouts.

Whitehawk stepped up to put pressure on the Chats but at half time the teams went in with the scores tied at nil-nil.

Whitehawk FC exploited the height and strength of Charlie Lambert up front to put pressure on the Chatham back line. In the sixty fifth minute the best chance of the game was cleared off the line by Simon Cooper.

The effort of playing as ten men began to weigh on Chatham as the game progressed. They began to hold on desperately as Whitehawk threw everything into attack.

At full time it was Chatham Town who came away with the balance of pride from this draw. They played two thirds of the game with a player less and in the end a point was well earned. Whitehawk’s players knew they had been presented with a real chance to steal the points today, which they had been unable to capitalise on. Nonetheless this was an entertaining goalless draw and both sides gave their all.