BALTI HOUSE 4 GILLINGHAM TOWN RES 0

GRANT Chance scored an impressive hat-trick to give Balti a three-point lead at the top of the league.

Having given the home side a one-goal lead at the break, Chance’s second-half brace, as well as a late strike by Ethan Devaney, capped a strong performance.

Balti did not have things all their own way and it took a man-of-the-match display from goalkeeper Andy Nott to neutralise early pressure.

Speaking afterwards, Balti boss Marco Nott recognised the threat the visitors posed in the opening stages.

He said: “Gillingham gave us plenty of problems but we managed to weather the storm, and once we found some rhythm we got the ball down and starting knocking it about like we can do.”

The match took a while to find its rhythm and it was Gillingham who dominated much of the early play.

A string of good saves by Andy Nott and some wayward shooting prompted Balti to step up their game.

After a series of chances for the away side, it was Karl Dean who was first to sting the fingertips of the opposition goalkeeper with a well-drilled shot.

With the interval beckoning, Chance got his first of the game. A cross from Nathan Aston was spilled by the keeper and poacher Chance was on hand to tuck the ball away.

Charlie Kenderdine came on for the second half to give Balti a growing presence in the middle of the park.

And it was not only drive and determination that he was adding, as on the hour mark he eloquently teed up Chance for his second.

Having seen their good play so often thwarted, the vistors were not disheartened and forced Andy Nott into action time and again.

Defenders Phil Anderson and Aston were on hand to weather the storm.

However, with just 15 minutes to go the match was all but over as a contest when Kenderdine put Chance through again and he made no mistake, chipping the keeper from the edge of the box.

Devaney added gloss to the scoreline with six minutes left, making it 4-0 with a right-foot finish.

With fixtures coming thick and fast, boss Nott is hoping the return of key players will extend his side’s stay at the summit: “We’ve got players coming back from injuries so it bodes well, and it would be nice to keep this run going.”

Balti: A Nott, Aston, Pearce, Anderson, M Nott (Houghton), Walker (Kenderdine), Dean, Devaney, Chance, McClements, Lock (Nichols)