A stunning hat-trick from skipper Rebecca Bays saw Bromley Ladies secure the Kent Women’s Plate in an entertaining final against Prince of Wales.

Just twelve months after Steve Payne’s side had been thrashed in the Final by Herne Bay, Bromley went one better at Chatham Town on Wednesday night.

It was to be Bromley’s night, on an evening where the Prince Of Wales almost caused a huge upset, and played their part in a tremendous game.

Indeed the Canterbury side started by far the brighter and only the Assistant’s flag and the right post denied Maria Wharfe in the opening seconds when the Prince of Wales number 8 literally ran along the goal line from near the corner flag, before dinking the ball over keeper Kirsty Higginson only for the ball to bounce off the post. Sadly for Wharfe a fluttering flag meant the run wouldn’t have counted anyway.

Caroline Rennie soon after went close only to be denied by the Bromley keeper – this time Higginson made a stunning full length save away to her right to palm away the firm header.

It took until the 11th minute of the game for Prince of Wales keeper Jade Brooks to have her first touch of the game, such was the domination from the Canterbury side with the game sparked into life when Bromley’s Emma Jones and Prince of Wales’ Kate Goddard squared up.

Then out of absolutely nothing in the 32nd minute, Bromley took the lead and what a goal it was courtesy of Rebecca Bays. Picking the ball up just inside the Prince of Wales half, the Bromley skipper powered forward and after a delightful exchange of passes found herself clean through.

Keeping her composure, she duly waltzed round Jade Brooks in the Prince of Wales goal to open the scoring and spark wild celebrations in the ranks of the Bromley fans.

Celebrations that were mirrored two minutes after the break when Bays doubled Bromley’s advantage as almost immediately after half time – again bursting through from the edge of the box before firing home.

The Prince of Wales though refused to buckle and Wharfe was only denied by a fabulous tackle from Kelly Newbound when she looked like she was going to emulate Bays first half strike.

Bromley responded with winger Tanya Holley’s angled lob beating keeper Jade Brooks but also dropping over the angle of post and bar.

With a little over 15 minutes left, the game came to life as Wharfe finally got her rewards as she ran half the field leaving three defenders in her wake before clipping the ball wide of the advancing keeper sending the Canterbury fans wild and giving them hope.

Hope that sadly was extinguished five minutes from time as Bays completed a glorious hat trick being the quickest to react to poke the ball wide of Brooks.

Lucia Carini could have added gloss late on for Bromley but fired over when well placed, but would have been really tough on the girls from Canterbury, who as boss Mark Kerr explained to KSN are a club with just two sides.

He told us, “I thought we could have taken one of our chances first half before they hit us. Maria (Wharfe) has had that incredible run up the goal line in the first minute and if we’d have repeated that, we may have had a chance, but Bromley played very well – they played some lovely football and are a well organised side – I don’t mind losing to a good team and we did that tonight!”

For Bromley boss Payne, the scenes were so different from twelve months previously when his side had been thrashed in the final by Herne Bay:

“We then scored with our first attack and it gave us strength. I told the girls that I knew we facing a hard team today – they were well drilled and we knew that we’d have to dig deep and that’s what we did.”

“We know how the Prince of Wales feel tonight, and hopefully who knows if they make the same progress that we did, they’ll be back next year. But this is our year and we’re going to enjoy it!”

BROMLEY LADIES – Kirsty Higginson, Chloe Robinson, Rhiannon Davies, Kelly Newbound, Rachel Baker, Alexandra Rusk, Emma Jones, Nikki May, Lucia Carini, Tanya Holley, Rebecca Bays.

Subs – Kirsty Mitchell, Jane Morgan, Beth Donovan, Victoria Wells, Samantha Tyler.

PRINCE OF WALES – Jade Brooks, Emma Viscount, Caroline Rennie, Maria Wharfe, Claire Gilmour, Liberty Prior, Charlotte Scamp, Victoria King, Isobelle Woods, Danniella Ritson, Louisa Croasdale.

Subs – Ashleigh Holmes, Kate Goddard, Chloe Galvin, Aimee Acton, Carly Spratt.

Referee – Malcolm Yearwood

Assistants – Martyn Powell & Mark Harris

Fourth Official – Ken Spedding