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Chatham Town Women host Dartford in the Isthmian League Cup semi-final at the Bauvill Stadium following a Kent Cup win over London City Lionesses under-21s

Chatham Town Women play their third cup game in seven days tonight - and their manager’s expecting this one to be their toughest test yet.

Chats put eight goals past London Seaward last Thursday to win through to the next round of the Combined Counties Cup and on Sunday beat London City Lionesses under-21s Academy 4-0 in a Kent Women’s Cup quarter-final tie.

Otesha Charles heads in the opening goal for Chatham Town Women Picture: Allen's Photography
Otesha Charles heads in the opening goal for Chatham Town Women Picture: Allen's Photography

Keith Boanas’ side now host Dartford Women in the Isthmian League Cup with a place in the final of the competition at stake.

Dartford play a division below Chats but currently occupy top spot in the London & South East Regional Premier Division table and enjoyed a 9-0 win over Ashford United in their Kent Women’s Cup tie.

“It's 100% going to be different (to the other games),” predicted the Chats boss.

“It's going to be feisty. They knocked us out of the Kent Cup last year which was a tough one to take.

“We knocked them out of the Combined Counties Cup this year, early doors, it was a 2-0 game but it was a tough game and this one will be a tough game.

“They've got decent coaching staff. They've got experienced players. They're top of their league below us, although I think Fulham will win that with loads of games in hand, but they have momentum and they are going to come full of it and will want to turn us over.”

Billericay Town Ladies and Sutton United play in the other Isthmian League Cup semi-final next month.

Jess King with a chance for Chatham Town Women against London City Picture: Allen's Photography
Jess King with a chance for Chatham Town Women against London City Picture: Allen's Photography

It will end a hectic run of cup games for Boanas’ team and the players have been promised the weekend off if they can manage to make it three wins from three.

Boanas said: “It's the third one in seven days and you've got Premier League players moaning about two in seven days but these players have to work in the week, and live, and do other things.

“We are asking a lot of them physically to do that again. It shows how much we've improved on our fitness levels and the fact that we've got strength and depth in the squad.

“We don’t have a game on Sunday and I’ve told them they can have that day off if they win all three games.

“They can have a quick recharge. Get over any niggles and stuff and then come back firing in the league.”

Chatham head into the weekend sitting top of the National League Division 1 South East table but aren’t in action again until next Sunday (February 2) when they host relegation-threatened London Seaward.

They could have lost top spot by then as second placed Read Bedford play their game in hand this Sunday at home to AFC Sudbury. They are two points behind in the table.

Boanas said: “That's a winnable game for them for sure. We've just got to hope they slip up.”

Megan Maslak fires in a goal for Chatham Town Women on Sunday Picture: Allen's Photography
Megan Maslak fires in a goal for Chatham Town Women on Sunday Picture: Allen's Photography

Chatham won through to the Kent Women’s Cup semi-finals after turning up the heat on their opponents in the second half of Sunday’s encounter.

They led London City 1-0 at the break but manager Keith Boanas knew his side had a lot more to give and they needed a gentle reminder at the break.

Three more goals followed to clinch a 4-0 win over a side that Boanas also trains, as he’s the LCL under-21’s caretaker coach.

He said: “I was extremely proud of (London City) first half, it was only 1-0 and they played extremely well.

“They had one first-team player playing for them who hadn’t played in a while, a dangerous player, but they played with far more tenacity than we did.

“The comment I said at half-time to our girls was that they are playing for their careers and they are trying to prove a point to their academy manager who was in the stand, and to me!

“Some of them didn’t look like they were trying to prove a point. It wasn’t about being nice, they had to match our other performances, and to be fair they answered my questions to them second half and overall I was happy.”

Amelia Woodgate watches an effort heading in as Chatham Town Women beat London City Lionesses u21s Picture: Allen's Photography
Amelia Woodgate watches an effort heading in as Chatham Town Women beat London City Lionesses u21s Picture: Allen's Photography

Otesha Charles had put Chatham in front before three second-half goals came from Amelia Woodgate (2) and Megan Maslak.

In the other Kent Cup quarter-final matches on Sunday, Bromley beat Ebbsfleet United 2-1, Aylesford defeated Herne Bay on penalties after a 1-1 draw and Dartford eased to a 9-0 win over Ashford United.

Last Thursday, Chatham beat London Seaward 8-0 to win through to the next round of the Combined Counties Cup.

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