After their historic Women’s FA Cup run came to end at Birmingham City on Saturday, Wednesday saw Chatham Town Women’s side take another step to defending one of the three Cups they won last year.
Already through to defend their Women’s Isthmian League Cup and the Women’s Kent Cup, the Chats eased past a hard-working Ashford United Women’s side at a misty and murky Homelands to ease into the last eight of the Combined Counties Cup.
A strong yet rotated Chats side never really looked back after Ciara Hynes’s terrific free kick gave them the early lead and further goals in the first half by Summer Wiffen and Anjie Arije gave Keith Boanas’s side a lead that was never really under treat as Zaira Aimey’s goal was seldom under real threat.
Half time sub Amy Russ drilled home the visitors’ fourth with almost her first chance just moments after the break, and despite dominating and creating several chances throughout the half, the Chats only netted their fifth in the closing minutes as a Wiffen cross was deflected into the net by an unfortunate defender.
For Ashford this was very much a learning curve as the side from the tier below the Chats – Ashford play their games in the London & Southeast Women’s Regional Football League Premier Division – with the gap between the teams clear.
The Chats exploited the pace of Wiffen and Niamh Jestin down both flanks early on and it was Wiffen who was fouled for Hynes to whip a stunning free-kick into the net from thirty plus yards.
There was a long delay following an unfortunate collision between home keeper Grace Staples and Chats striker Anjie Arije of which the keeper came out second best and needed lengthy treatment.
When the game restarted the lead was doubled as Jestin played in Arjie and her arrowed ball was turned in at the back post by Wiffen as the visitors upped the tempo. Ellie Perkins headed over from a corner; Jess King hit the outside of a post from another Ellie Jeffkins corner and Wiffen fired across the face of goal.
Alicia Adams had Ashford’s best and clearest chance of the first half as she managed to squeeze through allowing Aimey to bravely save at her feet. Any hope the home side had really ended either side of half time. Deep into stoppage time, the visitors netted their third goal of the evening as Jestin was first denied by a fine Staples save and then a great tackle but as the ball ran free Arije bundled the ball home at the back post.
The visitors took advantage of the roll on, roll off substitute regulation in this competition and introduced Russ, Lottie Sharp and the Woodgate sisters and within seconds it was four nil as Russ drilled home.
The chances kept coming for the visitors – Amelia Woodgate looped a header onto the roof of the net, Jess King was denied by some wonderful defending, Russ went close twice more and Sharp’s balls in from the left caused problem after problem.
But to their eternal credit the green wall in front of Staples goal did not look like it was going to be breached as the United back line defended for their lives, and in some respect, the Chats final goal in the last minute was arguably the cruellest as Wiffen’s ball in from the right was steered into her own net by a defender.
The Chats progress to the last eight of a competition that last year wasn’t won until early June, so they could well have defended their other two trophies before they play for a semi-final place.
ASHFORD UNITED WOMEN – Staples, Cairns, Yasmin Howard, Nash, Jenner, Olivia Kavanagh-Spall, Bartlett, Diamond, Karis Howard, Harris, Adams.
Subs – Daisy Kavanagh-Spall, Mustafa, Sword, Wood, Steadman.
CHATHAM TOWN WOMEN – Aimey, Wright, O’Shea, Perkins, Jones, O’Shea, Hynes, Jeffkins, Wiffen, Jestin, Arije.
Subs – Maddy Woodgate, Amelia Woodgate, Sharp, Russ.
REFEREE – Mr. Whipps