Palace Women signed off for 2023 at home in style as they marked their return to action with a convincing win.
Molly-Mae Sharpe got the ball rolling with a rifling shot on the 13th minute as she picked up a pass from Lexi Potter before cutting back inside and finding the top right-hand corner of goal from just outside the box.
Shanade Hopcroft came close to making it two for Palace on the 25th minute as she smashed a first-time strike from inside the box but her effort sailed just over the goal.
Fliss Gibbons went on the move for her first of the season four minutes later as she skipped past her marker inside the box before pulling the trigger on a shot, but her effort was held by the ‘keeper.
Elise Hughes got her first of the afternoon just before the break as she sent Palace into the second-half with a two-goal advantage. Sharpe brought down a cross from Kirsten Reilly at the back post and Hughes was on hand to see the ball over the line.
Araya Dennis rolled a well-weighted pass through to Potter on the 51st minute and the midfielder drilled a strong shot through the box searching for the far bottom corner, but the ball rolled just wide of the post.
Keira Barry came off the bench to make her debut on the 60th minute as she and Lucy Watson were introduced as fresh legs.
Hughes made it three for Palace on the 64th minute as Aimee Everett went charging through the final third with the ball before finding Potter with a pass who was able to flick the ball into Hughes to finish from five yards out.
Annabel Blanchard also made her return from injury as she was introduced to the action on the 70th minute along with Isabella Sibley.
The earlier subs combined on the 74th minute as Barry picked out Watson with a deep cross but her first time shot flew just wide.
It only took Barry 11 minutes to net her first senior goal as she extended her side’s lead with a first-time finish from just inside the box after Blanchard played her through.
Unfortunately, Barry was then unable to continue, and she was replaced by Lia Cataldo for the game’s remaining minutes.
Hughes sealed her hat-trick on the 85th minute with another first time shot as she got on the end of a great cross from Sibley.
Blanchard wrapped up the victory three minutes as she picked up from where she left off with a first-time top corner finish following some great work from Watson out on the left.
Palace: Lambourne (GK), Reilly, Everett, Nolan, Gibbons (Sibley, 70), Arthur, Potter, Hopcroft (Blanchard, 70), Sharpe (Watson, 60), Dennis (Barry, 60 (Cataldo, 83)), Hughes
Subs: Negri, Wright, Johnson, Bailey-Gayle
Chatham: Davies (GK), Poole (Auguste, 46), Coombs (Pearch, 81), Priest, Hynes (Haynes, 46), Jeffkins, Leitch (Jackson, 46), Pepper, Sharp, Grant, Nicholls (Harney, 69)
Subs: Madamombe, Espinosa, Perkins, Keegan
