DIVISION ONE NORTH: Chatham Town 0 Hillingdon Borough 1
A hitch over signing a new player worked in Steve Hale's favour as the new manager played a big part in securing Hillingdon Borough's second league win of the season.
Hale wanted to bring in Alex Costa from Maidenhead's Capital League side but there was a question mark over whether the left-back needed international clearance, having played in Brazil.
Costa's name was not on the FA's list of players needing such clearance but Hale did not want to take the risk for the game with Chatham Town and although he never intended to be a player-manager, he decided to shoulder the responsibility himself.
"We needed a full-back so I played," explained Hale, who was a striker in his playing days but has been known to fill in as an emergency goalkeeper. "I can't walk today but considering I haven't played 90 minutes for about two-and-a-half years I'm surprised I'm still standing!
"I was motioning to get me off but Pete (Wharton) didn't sub me and luckily he didn't because it was my cross that set up the goal.
"If you think I was smiling last week after losing 4-0 you can imagine me after winning."
"Everyone did their bit and it's just a shame we haven't got a game this Saturday."
In a game that could have gone either way Chatham probably created the better chances but they were also the more wayward in front of goal.
They could have been 2-0 up in the first five minutes but David Botterill and Matthew Solly both blazed wide when clean through.
The main response came from Dan Campbell who had several efforts - two wide, one cleared off the line and another stinging shot which the keeper spilt but the ball was cleared to safety.
Towards the end of the first half Chatham missed two more great chances when Solly rounded keeper Ben Harris but missed the vacant net and then Darren Smith shot wide when clean through.
Boro matched their hosts' finishing after the break as former Harefield United midfielder Tom Lewis, signed from Leyton, shot over at the end of a fluent Boro move from defence.
Chatham's Mark Brooks lobbed over and Solly squandered the best chance of the game when he failed to connect with a cross from only a yard out.
The decisive moment came five minutes from time when Gerald Kelly nodded on Hale's cross and Adrian Allen got a faint touch to divert the ball into the corner. Chatham threw everything at Boro in the closing minutes but they withstood the onslaught to claim their first points in five games, against one of their rivals near the bottom of the table.
HILLINGDON: Harris, Hale, Fongho, Turner, St Hilaire, Edwards, Williams, Warrell, Kelly, Campbell, Lewis. Subs used: Powles, Allen, Glynne.
Goals, Chatham: None. Hillingdon: Allen 85. Attendance: 133. [25a0] Boro are waiting to hear if there will be any further repercussions from their game at East Thurrock United after being fined for arriving late for the fixture and for not fielding a full team.
Rob Burton could only field 10 play-ers including himself and two injuries meant they ended the game with just eight.
The Ryman League wants to speak to Burton over an allegation that he threatened to take the team off the pitch if Thurrock added to their 4-0 half-time lead.
Former manager Burton refuted the allegation both to Gazette Sport and to chairman Gamdoor Dhaliwal in the days following the match.
