Chatham Town manager Kevin Hake speaks of FA Cup first-round ambitions after 3-0 win at Ashford United in second qualifying round

Kevin Hake spoke of his desire to take Chatham to the first round proper of the FA Cup after beating Ashford.

Chats won 3-0 at Homelands in the second qualifying round on Saturday thanks to early goals from Stanley Oldfield and Tope Fadahunsi and a clincher from substitute Kofi Anokye-Boadi.

They’re two wins away from a place in the main draw - uncharted territory in well over a century.

“That’s the ambition every season - you want to get to the first round,” said Chats manager Hake.

“You see teams doing it and a lot of local teams in Kent have done it. It would be really nice because I think the one thing missing is a really good FA Trophy or FA Cup run.

“We haven’t had it at the club for a long time - over 100 years.

“The FA Cup is a special competition. It’s cliched, everyone says it, but it genuinely is the best cup competition in the world.

“We’ll always give it the respect it needs to try and progress into the next round.

“To be fair, we haven’t been given the greatest of draws over the years, so fingers crossed we get a half-decent one.

“A nice draw at home, you’d like that, but I don’t fear anyone, not in these divisions, and even up to the National League.

“There’s giant-killing games that can easily be done and if we play anyone on our day, I rate us, if we turn up.”

Chatham, among the fancied sides in the Isthmian Premier this season, were favourites to progress against an Ashford team with promotion ambitions in the league below.

They ensured there were no slip-ups with Oldfield’s sixth-minute opener followed by a Fadahunsi header on the quarter-hour.

Anokye-Boadi made the game safe before fellow substitute Dapo Olugbodi was sent off in the closing minutes following an off-the-ball incident.

Report: Ashford