Chatham Town Women have drawn Championship opposition following their thrilling second round win on Sunday.

Keith Boanas’ side will play away to Crystal Palace in round three of the Women’s FA Cup on Sunday, December 10.

Boanas said: “They are only one tier above us, not two, a lot of our players aspire to play in that league and a lot of them have played in that league, I know their coach well and know they won’t underestimate us.”

Chatham earned their place in the next round after a dramatic 5-4 victory over AFC Wimbledon, winning the match with a stoppage-time penalty scored by Ellie Jeffkins, after Natalie Taylor was fouled in the box.

“They felt hard done by but the referee said it was a penalty straight away,” said the Chats boss.

“I don’t watch penalties, I never have in my whole career. My mum passed away when I was young and I sit and I talk to my mum, if it’s against us I am saying ‘over the bar please’ and if it is for us I am saying ‘help it into the net mum!’

“I waited until I heard a cheer or a moan, it was a cheer and I watched it back after, it was a great strike, all credit to her.”

It had been a thrilling game against a Wimbledon side sitting a league below Chats, but topping the Division 1 South East table.

The Dons took an eighth minute lead but Breon Grant levelled it up midway through the half and goals from Tish Nicholls and Jasmine Auguste made it 3-1 before the break.

Lenny Priest made it 4-1 with an hour gone when she headed home a free-kick but Wimbledon fought back.

Goals on 75 and 78 minutes made for a tense finish and Wimbledon thought they had taken the tie to extra-time when they made it all square on 90 minutes.

Boanas said: “At 4-1 I was thinking about making changes, we hadn’t made any substitutions and we were in control of the game.

“They got their second goal and that raised the momentum for them straight away, we warming up a couple of subs and while we were deciding who would come on they get another and you could see our girls were going, ‘what’s going on?’

“We were giving away stupid free-kicks, silly errors, it was tough. We made a couple of changes and thought that would settle us down, then they get another! Their whole bench goes on the pitch as if they have won the game, going crazy.”

Chiedza Madamombe had been introduced to add more pace and Chats began to put the pressure on again and when Taylor ran into the box, the referee gave them the chance to win it, which they took thanks to Jeffkins’ well taken penalty.