Chatham Town Women comfortably eased past league rivals London Seaward to win through to the third round of the Combined Counties Cup in some considerable style.
Seven different scorers netted eight goals between them as the Chats won with so much to spare. If this had been a boxing contest, the home side would have been stopped by half time.
Such was the dominance of Keith Boanas’ side that even scoring eight was a disappointment – the Chats had and missed so many chances as the home side simply couldn’t cope with wave after wave after wave of red attacks in which Maddy Woodgate was involved in so many that the young winger will have certainly given her manager something to think about going into the second half of the season.
The Chats set their stall out early on when Ellie Perkins’ shot was smuggled round the post by keeper Baker, but from Ellie Jeffkins’ corner, the keeper got her positioning all wrong and punched the ball into her own net.
It was two inside seven minutes as Oti Charles’ header from Lucy Jones’ free-kick nestled inside the post and the Chats threatened to run riot.
Grace Laverick then cracked a shot against a post; Perkins headed a Jones corner just too high; Charles then had a “goal” ruled out for handball; and Maddy Woodgate just didn’t get over the ball with a shot after another Jones ball had ripped the Seaward defence apart.
Woodgate though did get her goal just before half-time as she took advantage of a horrible defensive misunderstanding and there was still time before the break for a fourth as Laverick got the goal that her first half display deserved in just her first start since recovering from a long-term ACL injury.
She instigated the move herself down the left and as the ball into the box was recycled by Charles and her ball back in was converted by Laverick.
For the record, the home side didn’t have a shot of any note in the opening half such was the Chats’ total dominance, and the second period began just the same – Amelia Woodgate prodded just past the post, before the half time sub saw a shot land on top of the net before she combined with her twin sister for Maddy Woodgate to fire straight at Baker.
Just as before the break, the Chats extended their lead with two more quick goals – Perkins headed number five from Maddy Woodgate’s corner and then another sub – Lottie Sharp – raced onto a great ball from Maddy Woodgate and superbly rolled the ball past the advancing keeper.
Sharp was then left holding her head when she fired wide from a great position before with 74 minutes on the watch, Chats keeper Simone Eligon finally had a shot to save – albeit one straight at her!
You could say that it fired the Chats into a response as Boanas’ side went straight up the other end and Maddy Woodgate netted her second and the Chats’ seventh as Amelia Woodgate’s shot came back off the keeper after a super Sharp centre.
Amelia Woodgate then got her goal as she drilled an eighth past a luckless Baker in the final minutes as the Chats completed the near perfect away day performance.
They’re away again in the next round as they will travel to Haringey Borough next month and it’s Cup football all the way for the Chats this week as next Wednesday (January 22) they host Dartford Women in the Isthmian League Cup after hosting a young London City Lionesses’ side in the Kent Cup at the Bauvill on Sunday at 2.30pm.
LONDON SEAWARD WOMEN – Baker, Rogers (Cianter), Harris, McKerritt (El Mouden), South, Mayne, Malcom, Aungier, Davies, Awan, O’Brien.
CHATHAM TOWN WOMEN – Eligon, Maslak (Sareen), Jones, Coombs, Perkins, Parker (Gilson), Hynes, Jeffkins (Wells), Laverick (Sharp), Charles (Amelia Woodgate), Maddy Woodgate.
REFEREE – Mr. Crick