Luton Town Ladies kicked off their 2025/26 season opener with a 3-1 victory over Dulwich Hamlet, courtesy of a Tasha Fensome brace and a debut goal from Courtnay Ward-Chambers.

Fadi Mazloum and Myles Maddix named five debutants in their first lineup of the campaign. Nicole Melling, Courtnay Ward-Chambers, Jánaye Beaufort, Taylor O’Leary and Emily Wilson were all part of the starting XI.

The Town started positively in the opening exchanges, an early press from Tasha Fensome forced a handful of misplaced passes from the Dulwich defence, although none were capitalised on.

Fiona Buttigieg’s corner landed at the feet of Nicole Farmer, who was unable to make any real contact with the ball and Dulwich were able to regather.

Farmer was involved again moments later, this time at the other end, halting a Dulwich counter with a strong sliding challenge down the visitors’ right-hand side.

Just before the thirty-minute mark, the Hatters were awarded a penalty after Courtnay Ward-Chambers was brought down in the area. Tasha Fensome stood over the ball and thumped it high into the right side of the goal, sending the keeper the wrong way.

With five minutes to play of the first-half, Tasha Fensome netted again to double the ladies’ lead. Albeit matchday one, Shianne Swarres might have produced the assist of the season, she picked up the ball on the halfway line and produced an inch-perfect outside of the boot delivery into the path of Fensome, who finishes off the move with an equally impressive chipped finish.

In the fourth minute of additional time at the end of the second-half, Dulwich were awarded a penalty of the referee judged the ball to have struck the hand of Liz Mulvaney. The penalty was dragged wide of the left post and the Hatters took a comfortable 2-0 lead into the break.

Sasha Smith replaced Shanice Lewis for the start of the second-half, in a like-for-like change at right back.

Eight minutes into the second-half and Fensome was involved yet again, her lofted ball towards Ward-Chambers was headed out for a corner in the nick of time, as far as Dulwich were concerned. The resulting corner almost lead to a third for Luton, Taylor O’Leary’s powerful header crashed against the crossbar and then into the arms of Dulwich’s shot stopper.

On the hour, Courtnay Ward-Chambers put the ladies three-up. She was played through on goal and showed great composure to round the keeper and place the ball into an empty net.

Lisa Milliken replaced Nicole Farmer with five to play, making her competitive debut for the Hatters, after leaving Northampton Town Women.

In the final moments of the game, a scramble in the box led to a consolation goal for the visitors.

Starting XI: Melling, Ward-Chambers, Mulvaney, Wilson, Buttigieg, Beaufort, Farmer, Lewis, Swarres, Fensome, O’Leary.

Substitutes: Hudson, Martins, Milliken, Maddix, Leighton, Fryer, Smith.

Report by Owen Williams