A sensational hat-trick from Jess King helped fire Chatham Town Women to Isthmian League Cup glory as Keith Boanas’ side ripped holders and hosts Billericay Town to shreds on a terrific night in Essex.
King who herself has struggled this season was on fire and put the Chats ahead early on as she drilled home after her first effort was blocked.
Lucy Jones added a second directly from a corner and when King reacted brilliantly to volley home after Billericay keeper Katie O’Hanlon had reacted magnificently to keep out the striker’s header, the Chats were in absolute dreamland and headed into the break 3-0 up with one hand already on the Cup against a side playing in a higher division in their own back yard.
The Chats continued to press after the break and it was no surprise when another corner led to goal number four with skipper Grace Coombs prodding home after a scramble, the stage was set for King to put the icing on a five-star Chats masterclass and she duly did and it was magnificent – stepping up to curl a stunning free-kick high into the top corner of the Billericay net with the luckless O’Hanlon nowhere!
The game began with the home side favourites – being from the National League South – the division the Chats were relegated from last season – but within ten minutes they knew they had their work cut out as the Chats were on the front foot from the start.
Ellie Perkins’ low drive was brilliantly tipped round the post by the keeper and from her corner, King’s looping header beat O’Hanlon but was cleared off the line! King was on fire and from an Amelia Woodgate’s cross, King’s falling volley flew past the post by inches with the keeper statuesque.
So it was to be third time lucky for the Chats number nine as she put them ahead shortly after as another cross from Amelia Woodgate (whose delivery all night long were almost unplayable for the Billericay back line and combination play with Meg Maslak was a joy to behold) and as the ball fell to King, her first effort was blocked, but the second flew into the net sparking scenes of celebration amongst the decent number of Chats fans in the crowd.
Soon it was two as Jones whipped in a corner from the right which totally deceived O’Hanlon who could only help the ball into the net but try taking the goal away from Jones and her left boot!
The Chats just didn’t allow Billericay to get a foot hold with Ciara Hynes covering so much ground across the middle of the park, and chances just kept coming – King had a curler from twenty yards that had O’Hanlon scrambling to the base of her left post; Jeffkins hit a drive that flew just past a post before Lottie Sharp and Jeffkins combined for Amelia Woodgate to fizz an angled drive into the side netting before on the stroke of half-time, it was three-nil.
Another terrific Jones corner was met by King with the header, O’Hanlon’s reflexes were top drawer as she beat out the header, but King reacted fastest to volley home and cap quite simply the best 45 minutes of football that the team has collectively produced all season long!
The expected “rebound” from the home side after the break simply didn’t happen as the Chats went in search of more. Amelia Woodgate saw an effort cleared off the line after an improbable pull back from Sharp, before Woodgate outpaced her full back and let fly sadly again into the side netting.
The goal that finally broke the holders came from another corner – this time from Jeffkins – which caused an almighty scramble that King and Ellie Perkins could have scored from, but skipper Coombs was on hand to finally force the ball over the line.
Amelia Woodgate really didn’t have her shooting boots on which was a shame as she really deserved a place on the scoresheet as she ran onto a King ball as the centre forward was taken out as she tried to battle through, but with a good advantage from referee Kelly, Woodgate fired inches wide.
Moments later, after a great ball through from Jas Auguste (who was a midfield colossus all night long) fell to Woodgate but for the second time she hit the side netting.
The “home” side just didn’t have any answer to the rampant Chats and finally surrendered twenty minutes from time as King stepped up and gloriously curled a free kick into the net for her hat-trick and to top a truly five-star Chats performance.
Simone Eligon finally had a shot to save as Layla Kenly finally had a shot on goal for the home side, but the Chats just went straight up the other end and sub-Oti Charles let fly with a stinging twenty-five yarder that O’Hanlon did exceptionally well to palm over.
The game ended in a kerfuffle between Charles and former Chats defender Lenny Priest that resulted in both players receiving a yellow card, but for Priest it was a second yellow meaning the “early bath” to sum up a truly disappointing night for Billericay as they surrendered their trophy with barely a whimper!
But that was because Chatham didn’t allow them to as the Women perhaps gave watching men’s manager and Club chairman Kevin Hake a few pointers on how the men can retain their version of the Isthmian League Cup next week against the men of Billericay in the final at Aveley.
This was the performance that the Chats faithful have waited all season for, and boy did the girls deliver and how. The League title may have gone to Real Bedford, but the Chats’ dream of a Cup hat-trick of Isthmian, Kent and Combined Counties Cups is very much on – one down, two to go!
CHATHAM TOWN WOMEN – Simone Eligon, Meg Maslak, Ellie Perkins (Grace Laverick), Grace Coombs, Lucy Jones, Amelia Woodgate (Millie Rayner), Ellie Jeffkins (Parker Dunn), Ciara Hynes, Jas Auguste, Lottie Sharp (Otesha Charles), Jess King (Maddy Woodgate).
BILLERICAY TOWN WOMEN – O’Hanlon, Jackson, Priest, Horwood (Hart), Thomas (Tilly Jones), Kenly, Houghton, Mulkaney (Holquin), Bell, O’Shea, Smith (Evans).
Sub not used – D’Ath.
REFEREE – Ms. Kelly
Main picture supplied by Chatham Town Women.