Chatham Town Women began their FA Women’s National League Cup campaign on Wednesday night with, in the end what looked like a comfortable 3-0 win over the development team from WSL side London City Lionesses. 

Manager Keith Boanas changed ten of the eleven starters from Sunday’s 2-1 away league win against Luton Town Ladies and for periods it showed. But after Otesha Charles had gloriously given the Chats the lead just before half time, there was only one winner and the victory was sealed by Kara Forjour’s composed finish from a corner and the pick of the trio from Salena Sareen – a fizzing drive that powered into the net. 

After the game Boanas reflected on the game and looked ahead to the girls next League game against newly promoted Stevenage away from home on Sunday. 

“Happy with that,” he told us, “It took a while to make the breakthrough with our formation especially as we changed an awful lot of personnel tonight. At first, it was a little bit disjointed, but we still had quality on the pitch and in the end that shone through! So, I am entirely delighted – everyone who has started tonight who hasn’t started a game this year, had the opportunity to play tonight has proven worthy of being considered!” 

“We grew into the game – they were what we had warned the girls about; they were a younger side than we played last year (at the corresponding stage last season Chats won 6-4 in a group game) they had a lot of sixteen year olds but a very talented young side, very, very fit who train three or four times a week and we knew that enthusiasm and endeavour would cause us problems if we let it.  

“Our message was play with our brains as we had a lot of experienced players out there alongside our youngsters. Everyone who went out there has done as well as I expected them too. I would have said better but when they aren’t playing, they think that they are not being thought of and I re-iterated that in our huddle at the end of the game that they are always being thought of! It’s just hard for me when you have so many talented players to keep them all happy!” 

“And they’ve made it even harder for me now ahead of Sunday at Stevenage with a performance like that! Is that a good thing? On paper it is, but who knows how that will work out. But bottom line we won – it’s the first of three group games – we are where we are and Sunday, I have a hell of a job picking a side. Last Sunday’s team against Luton did nothing wrong, so it’s a tough one! But there is a bottom line; we’ve won a game, we won 3-0; we have kept the momentum going; a lot of players have now had ninety minutes where they hadn’t had any… I am proud of them and happy, but some of them won’t be happy with me at the weekend, but that’s part of the job!” 

“Sunday will be another test – they have just come up into our League. They have a very good manager who played for me towards the end of her career in Sian Williams who was Arsenal captain for many years. She is a very good coach and had a decent result in this on Tuesday when they beat Luton 3-2. It won’t be an easy game but if we can go there and get three points, we are really on track!”