The gulf in league position between the two clubs seemed to be closed in the first half, as the Field looked the better side, with young 19-year-old forward Lui Edwards having the best two chances of the half when he flashed a shot just wide of the post, which was then followed by a great one-on-one opportunity after he was slipped through by Jack Beadle, but an excellent save by Chatham ‘keeper Brad House denied him from opening the scoring.

The second half saw a turn in the fortunes of the away team. A contentious free-kick which should’ve been a penalty saw the visitors take the lead as Akehurst managed to sneak the ball under the out stretched Sobte on the 50th minute mark.

Things went from bad to worse for the Field as Chatham doubled their lead on the hour mark, with former West Ham forward Freddie Sears finding himself in acres of space in the box, which allowed him to comfortably slot his goal into the bottom corner.

The Field showed signs of getting back into the game in the last 15 minutes, but their attempts on goal were thwarted by a resilient Chatham defence, who held onto their lead to allow them progress into the Second Qualifying Round.