Fifteen minutes of madness cost Chatham Town Women in their opening FA Women’s National League Southern Premier fixture, as their 2023/24 campaign got underway at the Bauvill against newly promoted Hashtag United.

After losing their boss Dan Logue in midweek and after watching the Lionesses get so close to World Cup glory, the Chats would easily have been out of sight by the break but for the heroics of Hashtag keeper Frankie Angel.

However, half time came at the “wrong” time for the Chats and by the hour mark they had been undone as the visitors raced into a three-nil lead.

Breon Grant did hammer the Chats a lifeline, but it proved to be a mere “consolation” as the points headed off to Essex. 

The visitors had the early half chances in the beginning, but the clear-cut ones fell to the Chats, but they found Angel in inspired form.

Tash Nicholls was the first to be denied as she tried to flick the ball over the advancing keeper only to be brilliantly denied.

The visitors had a major left off as a near post corner deceived three players, hit the keeper on the arm, bounced off a post and was cleared. 

The home side’s best chance then fell to Grant who was found by a brilliant Nicholls through ball only to be denied again by Angel as the keeper pulled off the save of the game. 

After the break, the home side were hit three times in the opening fifteen minutes as Rowland stabbed home from Samways’ ball down the right.

Gillard chested in the second after Rowland had headed a deep Samways free-kick back across goal, whilst the visitors third goal was a disaster for Chats keeper Cara Davies who’s wayward pass found only Samways who hammered the ball into the unguarded net. 

Rowland then had guilt edged chances to complete her hat-trick, the first effort went out of the ground from six yards out whilst Davies restored some pride with a super save moments later.

Before the Chats finally beat Angel and got on the board as Grant did well to control a really awkward ball in from the right and drill the ball into the bottom corner. 

But its wasn’t to be for the home side and interim coach Jesus Cordon, possibly one of few happy football fans in Medway at the end of the day. was left to ponder what might have been as the Spaniard reflected on his first game in charge of the club. 

CHATHAM TOWN WOMEN – Davies, Haynes, Priest, Coombs, Leitch, Pepper (Jeffkins), Taylor, Nicholls, Stephens, Grant (Sharp), Harvey 

Subs – Pearch, Espinosa, Justen 

HASTAG UNITED WOMEN – Angel, Gillard, Lumley, Apindia, West (Lancaster), Kelly (Keogh), Griffin (Cresswell), Williams, Baker (Garwood), Samways, Rowland (Fordjour) 

Images courtesy of Allen Hollands