Chatham Town Women maintained their one hundred percent record, but only just after a controversial second period against MK Dons Women which saw them finish with nine players on the pitch and left back Lucy Jones in goal. 

The Chats started like a train and were quickly two goals to the good as Lottie Sharp and Karesha Iton gave the home side a cushion that in the end they were to need. The home side though gave MK a lifeline on the stroke of halftime when keeper Simone Eligon missed a clearance and Mollie Knox took advantage. 

When Amelia Woodgate restored the two goal cushion just after the break, but the real turning point came twenty minutes from time when Eligon was adjudged to have handled by Mr. Jones, easily the fussiest official seen at the Bauvill for some time, and the official sent the Chats keeper off despite the fact that the ball was hit at her from a yard and her hands were by her side. 

Stand in Jones kept out the free kick but was beaten by an effort from a corner five minutes from time. The home side were then reduced by nine for stoppage time as sub Ellie Jeffkins was sent to the sinbin for “dissent”. The Chats and their stand-in keeper though had the last laugh as Jones made an unbelievable double save in the closing seconds that Eligon herself would have been proud of. 

There was no indication of the drama to come in the opening exchanges as the Chats dominated. They took the lead early on when keeper Jamie Bamford made a poor clearance straight to Iton who laid the ball into Sharp’s path and the home side were in front. 

The lead was doubled shortly afterwards as Iton’s great run into the box saw her hammer the ball beyond Bamford and into the net. The Chats were dominant, Bamford made a brilliant stop to deny Amelia Woodgate, and from the same players driven effort across the face of goal, it was only the keeper’s hand that stopped Iton getting on the end of the ball. The keepers third great save arrived two minutes from half-time as Woodgate was found by Jones’s long ball and the keeper was excellent again. 

Some signs of what was too come saw some increasingly “strange” decisions coming from the official with Ciara Hynes taking the brunt as the battling midfielder seemed to be penalised for nearly every 

The visitors then were gifted a goal just before the break as Knox beat an advancing Eligon to the ball and despite the keeper’s effort – she may have even handled the ball – the Dons striker was really composed as netted. 

It seemed just a blip especially as with the first attack of the second period, the two-goal lead was re-established. Otesha Charles burst into the box on the right and her rasping drive was touched onto the bar by Bamford and Woodgate reacted quickest as swept the ball home. 

The home side were comfortable and seemed to be coasting to the points. But then Eligon was penalised for hand ball and referee Jones added to his series of bizarre decisions by brandishing a straight red card. The Chats down to ten and Jones took the gloves and dealt with the free kick comfortably. 

The visitors did pull one back when they scrambled home a corner and then referee Jones sent Jeffkins to the sin bin for dissent. Nine players gave everything they had in their locker and never have clearances into Chatham Cemetary been so loudly cheered! 

Jones though was to have one moment to become a heroine and in the last minute of nine added on (just seven were shown), the ball dropped in the Chats box and Jones threw herself at the ball, and recovered to block Ruby Bishop-Jones follow up to secure the three points. 

After the goal-fest against London City in midweek, and this controversial win over the Dons, the Chats have a week to lick their wounds as they prepare to face QPR at the Bauvill next Sunday… 

CHATHAM TOWN WOMEN – Eligon, Maddy Woodgate, Jones, Perkins, O’Shea, Hynes (Jeffkins), Auguste, Iton, Charles (Laverick), Amelia Woodgate, Sharp 

Subs – Wright, Saleen, Hunt 

MK DONS WOMEN – Bamford, Fletcher (Ekendu-Obi), O’Neill, Chimbima, Burnett-Griffith (Bishop-Jones), Lemon, O’Menazu, Jacovides, Sarill, Wooton (Carnevale), Knox 

Subs – Thompson, Page, Appleton 

REFEREE – Mr. Jones