After a performance that coach Keith Boanas has compared to the very best in his long career, Chatham Town Women’s recent terrific form continued on Sunday despite everything seemingly being against them as they won 3-0 away to Cambridge United Women. 

Already missing half a side for various reasons, the Chats were reduced to ten players in just the second minute as keeper Abby Baravik (who herself was replacing the missing Simone Eligon) was shown a straight red card for bringing down a striker meaning that defender Lucy Jones had to – for the second time this season – face a stint between the sticks.

But what followed was nothing short of sensational as the Chats took the game to their opponents and actually took the lead when Amy Russ fired home from a corner. 

Incredibly not long after, skipper Ellie Perkins – wearing the armband in the absence of Ellie Jeffkins – was able to stab home and double the lead.

And the most amazing forty-five minutes ended when Russ netted her second and the Chats third before the break to give the ten a three-goal lead at the break. 

After the break, the home side desperately tried to get something going but with Jones performing heroics in goal and the other nine players running themselves into the ground, the three points were duly tucked away in the kit bag and returned to the Bauvill. 

When KSN caught up with the coach on Monday, he was still buzzing, as he told us, “I had to come down because I had to go to work, but I am still feeling immense pride after what was an immense performance from every player that was there!” 

“I think Cambridge thought that they had won the game when Abby was sent off – it was almost surreal and weird straight away as “Jonesy in you go!” as Lucy had already performed heroics earlier in the season when Simone was red carded.”

“There was no hesitation – we just had to work out the rest of the formation and how are we going to cope, but there was a serious belief that we could still get something out of the game. There wasn’t a panic situation – it was weird!”

“That said, there is no way any of us could have envisaged it going the way that it did completely in our favour.” 

“At that point we were thinking we will hold on as long as we can and try to nick one on the break. But we didn’t “just” do that – we absolutely dominated the game… I really don’t think their coach – who I do like as a guy – gave us as much credit as the girls deserved in his interview after the game!” 

“Every game at the moment I seem to be saying that that was the best performance of the season – for me with the players that we had available, those on the pitch and what happened, the fight and the spirit that every single one showed – the heart was something that I haven’t seen for a long, long while and I couldn’t be prouder of all at them!” 

The Chats went into Sunday on the back of a terrific 6-1 win over London Bees seven days previously as they looked to close the gap on third place to just a couple of points. 

“It was the same starting eleven – bar two – that started against Bees but a lot of the girls playing in different positions. Charlotte O’Shea completed the set playing across the back at left wing back – once we explained it to her, she was fine and phenomenal.”

“Othesha (Charles) felt something in warm-up but was due to be on the bench, was on the bench, but no way could we have put her on and we had to call players back from dual signings to get a bench out!”

“We were at the lowest point numbers wise that we had been all season – the lowest squad size we’d had all season long!” 

Boanas has been frustrated all season that his side haven’t scored enough from set-pieces this season, yet Sunday was that day as it provided all three of the visitor’s goals.

“Yeah!” smiled the coach, “Second bite but all from set-pieces. Ciara (Hynes) and Lottie (Sharp) took over the deliveries, and they caused them problems and we managed to react quicker than they did for the second bit; they all put the keeper under pressure and the second and third bounce we were getting there.” 

“I said on the bench watching on that it was a mixture of anger, frustration and determination that we did everything we ask them to do every week anyway – be more aggressive in those areas, be there first, go and get hurt – it really was like the situation spurred the girls on to go and do that, and we scored three from there – the first one gave the girls a massive boost and you could see that it wasn’t a case of holding on, they wanted to get another one.”

“We had chances from open play as well, but the girls didn’t have the energy to finish them off as they all had run so hard.” 

“The defence was top drawer too though – important tackles, important challenges – and every single player that finished got ten out of ten in the ratings that I do for every single game, with keeper Lucy getting “eleven”!” 

“If people are back for the next game at QPR next Sunday, the bottom line is that for sure the ten that finished on Sunday have earned the right to start the game if they are all fit…”