It was a humbling Sunday afternoon for Chatham Town Women as Queens Park Rangers Women took the spoils on an afternoon that was without doubt one of the most frustrating of the Keith Boanas era at The Bauvill. 

After an even first half in which the visitors started well, Amelia Woodgate went close twice for the home side as they finished the half on top, Rangers though were to dominate the second period and scored three times without reply to complete a very comfortable victory in the Medway sunshine. 

The Chats were missing five regulars through one reason and another and this without doubt played into Rangers’ hands but the way that his side capitulated after the break will be of most concern to the manager with the League season not more than a quarter passed. 

After a slow start, the Chats nearly gifted Rangers the lead when a poor clearance fell to Amber Lee-Walsh who let fly from twenty-five yards only for keeper Evie Thorn-Ford to make a tremendous recovery save. 

In an almost carbon copy at the other end, former Chats keeper Simone Eligon made a scrambling save to deny Woodgate as the visitors failed to clear properly. 

Woodgate was at the heart of most good things the home side achieved, and it was from her ball that Holly Turner just failed to convert when being played in.

As the home side enjoyed their best period of play leading up to half time, Karesha Iton curled an effort just wide as she cut in off the wing whilst Eligon pulled off a terrific save to keep out another Woodgate effort, whilst from a whipped ball into the middle from Jade Keogh, Woodgate could only steer her effort straight at the keeper. 

In between all that Emily Donavan would have been disappointed to have dne better with a header, but coming out after the break, Rangers were determined to go fo the points – and so they did. 

Taylor Bell had a low drive which Thorn-Ford did well to keep out, before the deadlock was broken as the Chats keeper was beaten at her near post after a ball flashed across the box only for Lauren Amerena to retrieve the ball, comfortably beat the full back and her low shot wrong footed the keeper and squirmed over the line. 

In a close game, goals were going to be at a premium, and when Rangers doubled their lead moments later, the writing really was on the wall for Boanas’ side. Nicole Barrett cut in from the right and her shot/cross deflected off of one of several players and looped over a stranded keeper and into the net. 

Rangers now were completely on top, and the Chats couldn’t get anything going whatsoever, and but for a magnificent flying save from Thorn-Ford would have made it 0-3. 

The visitors didn’t have to wait long however as when the home side fatally hesitated, up stepped Ellie Searle to hammer home a drive that literally took the goal out of the ground as it crashed into the top left corner of the net. 

Such was the Chats frustrations that their best chances – Holly Turner slicing wildly over after being found by Woodgate and Jas Auguste’s tame effort straight at the keeper didn’t really register and in truth summed up a horribly disappointing afternoon for the Chats. 

CHATHAM TOWN WOMEN – Thorn-Ford, Wright (Thompson), Perkins, Wellington, Jones, Keogh (Jeffkins), Fordjour (Russ), Auguste, Iton (Maddie Woodgate), Amelia Woodgate, Turner. 

Subs not used – Bramwell, Coombs, Sareen. 

QUEENS PARK RANGERS WOMEN – Eligon, Bartlett, Johnson, Lewin, Searle, Lee-Walsh (Carn), Donovan, Bell (Owen), Amerena (Bass), Leach (Dzyadyk) Alburey. 

Subs not used – Younger, McLoughlin, Habbal.