Chatham Town Women finished their National League campaign with a resounding road win against Luton Town Ladies in baking sunshine as they sealed a third-place finish for Keith Boanas’s side.
On the sloping surface at the Winton Haulage Stadium – home of Barton Rovers – the home side took full advantage of kicking down the slope in the opening half pinning the Chats back.
But after Othesha Charles superbly put the visitors in front shortly before half-time, the visitors seemed to have any pressures lifted and when Amy Russ hammered into the roof of the net shortly after half-time, home resistance disappeared and it was only a surprise that the Chats only netted one more – a clinical late finish from Karesha Iton – as the home will and intensity of the first half evaporated into the Sunday afternoon sunshine!
Still possibly reeling from their defeat in the Kent Cup Final on Thursday, Keith Boanas was forced to name yet another central defensive partnership as Ellie Perkins missed out with a dead leg and huge bruise on her thigh.
But Lacey Hargest and Parker Dunn once they found their feet on the bone hard uneven surface, proved a defiant pair with Hargest deservedly being named Chats Player of the Match for a second successive week.
The home side enjoyed plenty of the ball as the Chats struggled going forward but could get in behind their visitors and on the two occasions, they did, poor finishing kept Chatham in the game.
A huge clearance from Luton keeper Leah Robinson bounced over the Chats rear guard and confronted by Simone Eligon racing from her line, Emily Wilson snatched at the lob and the ball went wide.
Then from a Fiona Buttigiee corner, an unmarked Billie Brooks headed inside the side netting. Finally, the visitors found their legs at the top of the hill, and as Russ’s tackle fell to Charles, she did really well to beat two before driving the ball beyond Robinson and into the net.
The home keeper was then the most relieved person in Bedfordshire as her lazy attempt at a clearance was charged down by Russ and the ball almost apologetically looped in the arms of a very grateful keeper.
Any fight and passion the game may have had disappeared completely five minutes after the break when Ciara Hynes’s long free kick fell to half time sub Ellie Jeffkins and her touch found Russ who gleefully thumped the ball into the roof of the net.
The game really did now have the feel of a game on the last game of the season, and neither side fashioned a clear chance for much of the period.
Indeed, whereas Eligon in the first half was constantly running from her goal-line to clear with her feet, the Chats keeper had a very quiet second half and like most of the crowd, spent it enjoying the warm sunshine!
Football that was played was down to Chatham and from the best move of the half – Hargest finding Russ, who intended to flick the ball into Hynes’s path, but she couldn’t keep her shot down and the chance was gone.
Iton was denied by a very late assistant’s flag and an over eager referee as she tried to find the third, but it was to be third time lucky late on as she curled a beauty into the bottom corner.
Three well deserved points that guarantee third place in the table with more points than last season and all that after an amazing run in the Adobe FA Cup too.
Progress has clearly been made under Boanas – the question now, will the Club take the next step and continue that progress next season. An interesting ladies summer at the Bauvill ahead…
LUTON TOWN LADIES – Robinson, Swarres (Blacksley), Tambula, Fensome (Makuwiska), Mulvaney, Maddix (Leighton), Wilson (Chellebron), Buttigiee, Milliken (Dickens), O’Leary, Brooks.
Subs not used – Bowman, Beaufort.
CHATHAM TOWN WOMEN – Eligon, Madison Woodgate (Wright), Hargest, Dunn (Jestin), Jones, Hynes, Thompson (Jeffkins), Iton, Russ (Wiffen), Charles, Sharp.
Subs not used – Amelia Woodgate, Baravik.