Boss Keith Boanas is optimistic Chatham Town can compete against their higher-division hosts in the Third Round of the Women’s FA Cup this Sunday.

Boanas’ Chats, second bottom in the Southern Premier Division, will look to produce an upset against Women’s Championship club Crystal Palace.

“We’re looking forward to it,” said Boanas.

“It wasn’t the draw we had hoped for at this stage because there were still teams in and around us that we probably could have beaten. But that’s not to say that we’re going down to Sutton United’s ground to lose.

“They’re only one division above us on paper. They’re, obviously, full-time which gives them a massive advantage because they’re potentially going to be fitter and stronger.

“But fitness-wise and technical-wise, we have got players that have played at that level. So, it’s an opportunity for the experienced ones to use that experience and for the younger ones to see what they can do against teams at that level.”

The winners of the tie will pocket £35,000 while even the losers collect £9,000 in what will be Chatham’s last competitive match in 2023.

“The bottom line will be that we don’t want to go and be embarrassed,” said Boanas, who won the Women’s FA Cup while with Charlton in 2005 and also made the Final in 2003, 2004 and 2007.

“We want to compete. There’s a massive amount of money at stake.

“If we were able to provide a shock, you’re looking at £30,000-odd which is totally incredible to me, based on my background - having only got £5,000 for winning it back in 2005!

“It’s now £9,000 even if we lose. But the biggest thing is for the girls to go and prove to themselves that they can compete against teams from the division above.

“If we’re striving in the future to not only get out of relegation trouble this year, but also to be a promotion-chasing side, then that’s the league we will have to compete in.

“For me, it’s another chance to just see what the players I have inherited really have got.”

Chats head into the match after a 2-1 league loss at high-flying Rugby on Sunday, despite a goal by Lottie Sharp.

“I’m disappointed - but not as disappointed as I was at the time when I look at who they are and where they are,” said Boanas.

“It was a battling performance. The one thing that we didn’t do is give up.

“Obviously, we did well in the first 30 minutes and went ahead with a great goal from Lottie Sharp. We were doing okay and then a couple of silly errors allowed them to score and he (the referee) literally blew the whistle as we kicked off after they scored. If we had gone in at 1-0, it would have been a different situation.

“Obviously, they came out with a little bit more momentum and we came out a little bit flat. No matter what you say, subconsciously, you’re not going to change that - although we tried.

“We ended up conceding really early in the second half from a similar area from our left-hand side. Again, that was disappointing.

“After that, at 2-1, it was nip and tuck. We had a couple of chances, a couple of set-pieces where we were unlucky, and the disappointment is it’s two basic errors that allowed them to score.

“There’s certain things you have got to be pleased with and, certainly, you cannot fault the effort of the players.

“There were difficult conditions, travelling up there. But they performed really well.

“I couldn’t blast them in the dressing room afterwards. It’s a case of going to try and evaluate.

“The players do a self-evaluation and I’ve read some of those, which were really honest.”

Chatham were without some key personnel for the league game, too, in forward Tish Nicholls and defender Jasmine Auguste.

Boanas said: “We were missing Tish Nicholls. She had been ill all week.

“She’s been quite a big miss as a target player. The new left-back, Jazz Auguste, had gone off on international duty so a natural left-sided left-back was missing.

“We had to shuffle the pack a little bit again - but that’s part and parcel of the job.”

Chats are set to begin 2024 at Plymouth on January 7.