Chatham Town produced a top rearguard display to see off last season’s bogey team - and their crucial opening goal came when down to nine players.

Chats played Actonians three times last season in league and cup action without managing a goal, only taking a point from their home game after a goalless draw.

They won 2-1 on Sunday but it was 0-0 at the halfway stage. In the second half Chats lost defender Romany Wellington for 10 minutes to the sin-bin and shortly after briefly had Otesha Charles receiving treatment, so things weren’t going in their favour.

But a free-kick taken by Ellie Jeffkins led to a goal, headed into the net by a home defender. Four minutes later, Wellington rejoined the action and scored after a corner.

Boss Keith Boanas was delighted to have secured a crucial three points.

“The celebrations were quite boisterous (after the second goal),” he said.

“Romany had only been back on the pitch for a minute, and when the corner was only half-cleared, she smashed it in from the edge of the box to make it 2-0.

“There were lots of very positive performances for me, defensively, although we conceded right near the end, and the last couple of minutes were a little bit nervy, but we went away happy.

“It was massive to get those three points. I'd already identified that all the teams above us were playing on paper, weaker sides. They all looked like they'd get maximum points, and if we hadn't have won, the gap would have been increased to a not-nice-looking gap. At the moment, it's stayed the same.”

Chatham’s defence had been asked plenty of questions from an Actonians side who launched balls forward at every opportunity.

Centre-half Ellie Perkins picked up the player-of-the-match award and there was a positive performance from Madelene Wright, making her full debut at right-back as Charlotte O'Shea was unavailable.

Boanas said: “Maddie did well. She's still looking for peak fitness, but she's worked really, really hard, and attitude's been great, and she deserved the opportunity. She did everything she could.

“The whole back line deserves credit. Actonians asked a lot of questions, the pitch really wasn't conducive to classy football.

“They're very defence-minded and play on the counter-attack. They had two very quick players up top and they tried to get it up there as quickly as possible, in any way, shape or form.

“There was lots of scrappy battles going on, but thankfully we won most of them.”

Chatham sit sixth in the Division 1 South East table after six games, with everyone looking up and hoping leaders Fulham can slip up. They’ve won all six games so far and are the team to beat.

Boanas knows it’s a tough challenge against a club with big resources.

He said: “I wasn't there (on the touchline) for our game against Fulham and I'm not saying that's why (we lost), because I think my staff did brilliantly, and the team played brilliantly. We went down to ten players in that one, and nearly got the point out of it.

“They beat Norwich quite convincingly, they seem to be beating everybody quite convincingly, and people are daunted by them as they turn up, they are all singing, all dancing, so it gives them a psychological edge over teams.

“They're ready to go into the higher levels, they're already geared towards it. I think if they started to struggle and wanted more investment, they’d get it.

“It's a big one, even for the likes of Norwich or anyone else, to live up to. They are a Premier League club at the end of the day. If the men's team and club support them the way they should, then they should be uncatchable. But to me, that's just a challenge. That's a challenge that I've faced in the past.

“When I first went to Charlton, Arsenal were light years ahead of us and then (Mohamed) Al-Fayed put millions of pounds into Fulham. They went straight through the leagues and straight to the top of the league and won it.

“I had to face them and Arsenal with Charlton, who were, at that point, probably the weaker of the three as far as resources were concerned, but I still managed to get a top England international to play for us.

“It's about the environment you build and that's what I'm trying to maintain at Chatham with (chairman) Kevin Hake’s help. He's doing the best he can.

“The bottom line for us is we have to create more revenue in some way, shape or form. We really do need external sponsors. We really do need more support on game days. We can't just rely on Kev to provide money from nowhere, so to speak.

“Obviously the FA Cup is another important factor (for finances) and that's a couple of weeks down the line now.”

Next up for Chats this Sunday is an away game against Dulwich Hamlet in the National League Cup first round at Champion Hill.

“They've had a little revival,” said the Chats boss.

“Their results are tighter than they were and there's a few ex-players of ours in that one, so there'll be a little bit of a rivalry there. I don't envision it to be an easy game.

“It's a cup game and then the following week it’s the FA Cup against AFC Wimbledon and I think that’s going to be the Cherry Reds Stadium, so that'll be good too.”