Chatham Town Women turn their attention to Cup football as in the next seven days they bid to advance in three different competitions with manager Keith Boanas keen to compete on all fronts.

The Chats produced another stirring performance to maintain their position at the top of the league table last weekend. 

It was a meeting of the top two at the Bauvill on Sunday and whilst the Chats will have been disappointed to be held 0-0 by Real Bedford, the performance was certainly right up there as manager Keith Boanas challenged his side for a strong start to 2025 after a frustrating end to 2024. 

Clear chances were limited at both ends throughout the tight contest and in the first half the home side were indebted to an incredible goal-line clearance from skipper Grace Coombs after a fantastic run from Bedford full-back Nicola Puddick. 

After the break it was a more open game as the Chats sent numerous balls whistling across the face of the Bedford goal with no-one able to apply the killer touch whilst at the other end Simone Eligon made one superb save to keep out Abbie Bensted’s effort before the same player smacked the home cross bar from 30 yards.

Ellie Perkins then came to the Chats rescue with a terrific late block to ensure that the honours ended even – a result that the manager was just about happy with as he explained to KSN after the game.

“We have to be happy that we come out of Sunday still top,” the coach told us.

“I said before the game that if we won it, we would stay top for sure, but if we had lost it, it would have been in their (Real Bedford) hands, so a draw does mean that we have now just got to look to every other game – that has to be our aim and our target and hope that someone will take points off them!” 

“It goes without saying that I’m delighted that we are top – football is football and results at any level don’t always go your way and as I said the important factor out of Sunday was that we were at home and we didn’t lose and kept a clean sheet!”

“I thought our attitude defensively was excellent, I was disappointed with some of our possession play and the chances we did create. And again, in the set-pieces we are just missing something. We’ve talked about it and worked on it until we are blue in the face and that’s frustrating us!” 

“There’s one player in the squad who I think would have got goals in the last few games and that is Millie Raynor – she is probably that natural aggressive sort of player who has ability in the air, and that’s what we are lacking at the moment – hopefully she’ll be back soon.”

“Overall, I am pleased with the squad which at the moment isn’t at full strength – we’re still missing Darcy Wells, we’re still missing Lacey Hargest, Jess King is still getting back into things after concussion. But that discredits who we had on the pitch on Sunday…” 

“Grace and Ellie were great Sunday as was Simone – if you compare it to last year, Ellie didn’t play last year as she was coming back from injury and now she’s showing me just why she should have played more last year towards the end; Simone is showing me why I should have played her earlier last year when she first signed, but it’s about now that matters really.”

“We have to make sure that we go and get maximum points for every game – it’s not impossible to do that as it puts the others under pressure if we carry on winning!” 

“We know we can beat any side in this League – we have played the best teams now home and away and got something from those games…” 

It’s a break from the League in the next week for Boanas and his side, “Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday,” confirmed the manager as his side face competition in the Combined Counties League Cup, the DFDS Kent Cup and the Isthmian League Cup.

“The one that the Chairman wants is the County Cup and that’s the one we have London City here at the Bauvill next weekend.” 

“Next though is the Combined Counties at London Seaward on Thursday and I want to give Maddison Woodgate some time as well as Grace Laverick.”

“It would be nice to have Lacey and Darcy available, but we will have to see. But I think over the three games, there will be opportunity for some of the youngsters to come in and have a chance – it’s going to be a busy time!”