Hope springs eternal they say and in Hope Thompson, Chatham Town Women certainly had their saviour on Sunday afternoon as the young midfielder’s last-minute equaliser ensured that the Chats got a point from an opening day thriller against Actonians.
Amelia Woodgate gave the Chats the lead inside two minutes, and it was a lead that they held until just before half time when Colley scored from a very contentious free kick. Full credit to the Chats though as straight after the break, Amelia set up her twin Madison Woodgate to slot the Chats back in front.
The Chats dominated and looked like they were going to come away with all three points until two moments of defensive in decisiveness saw the host going into stoppage time trailing.
Karesha Iton then brilliantly caught a lost ball, her centre caused absolute carnage and Thompson with the help of Mara Bramwell forced the ball home for the Chats to grab a point which was the very least that they deserved!
With Keith Boanas fit enough to take his place in the dugout after his recent operation, the Chats flew out of the blocks and Amelia Woodgate opened the scoring as she raced onto a delightful ball from Jade Keogh to beat the advancing Zahra Cheeseman in the Actonians goal.
There had been a lot of talk pre-season about how the Londoners would be threat in the table this season after some significant investment during the summer and some of their early football reflected this and they did come close to levelling – Chats debutant keeper Evie Thorne-Ford denying Frone with a great save at the base of a post, and when McCarthy’s shot came back off a post, Romany Wellington did remarkably well to get the ball over her own bar, such was the speed and angle of the rebound.
Just before the break, the visitors were awarded a contentious free-kick thirty-five yards out – contentious because it came from play when Amelia Woodgate was flattened in front of goal by a combination of Clement and Colley only for referee Karkoska to wave away claims for a foul and then award the visitors a free kick for something that few saw. Anyhow, Colly brushed off the controversy and thumped home the free kick to undeservedly level the scores.
The Chats came within a whisker of regaining the lead when the industrious Lottie Sharp saw a show tipped onto the bar by the keeper as the home side rallied, and that rally continued at the start of the second period but not before, the Chats defence held firm as the second period’s first corner caused chaos and was prodded goalwards only for a red sort to smash the ball away.
The Chats broke and Amelia outpaced a very leggy full-back and she rolled the ball into her twin’s path and Madison Woodgate hammered the ball home.
The Chats went looking for a third – Cheeseman almost threw the ball between her legs as she fumbled a cross; Amelia was denied by not one but two last ditch tackles as she looked set to shoot an Iton had an effort that was beaten away.
Actonians were on the back foot but were handed lifelines to first level the scores and then take the lead which Griffin took twice. A hopeful thump forward caused home defence and keeper to hesitate, and Griffin took advantage to level before she was played in again with a minute left on the clock to seemingly win the game steering the ball past the keeper.
But under Boanas, this Chats side is nothing but resilient and the manager through on defender Bramwell against her old Club as an emergency striker and when Iton some home caught, controlled and centred the ball from the right, Bramwell’s presence undoubtedly proved vital and it was left to Thompson to become the hero.
CHATHAM TOWN WOMEN – Thorn-Ford, O’Shea, Auguste, Perkins, Jeffkins, Sharp, Amelia Woodgate (Turner), Jones (Bramwell), Maddy Woodgate (Iton), Keogh (Thompson), Wellington
Sub – Baker
ACTONIANS WOMEN – Brenton, Clements, Griffin, McCarthy, Frome, Kargbo, Cheeseman, Colley (Casinha), Malik, Ruttgers
Subs – Dogor, Brown, Lalani, Chapman, Walpole
REFEREE – Ms. Karkoska