First Team
Lewes 2-4 Gillingham Ladies
Published by Gillingham Ladies Media on October 26, 2009
Gillingham Ladies kept up their momentum with a well-earned three points away to promotion challengers Lewes.
Goals from Ashlee Hincks (2), Natalie Crinean and Danni Farmer gave the Gills all three points in a top-of-the-table clash at The Dripping Pan.
Lewes are the only team to have beaten the Gills this season, winning 2-1 earlier in the season in a game that the girls afterwards described as a wake-up call. Since then the Gills have bounced back well, playing five games, winning all five and scoring an incredible 30 goals in the process.
Ian Varley brought Deanna Cooper back into the side at the expense of Jodie Mugford, with Anna Broad deservedly keeping her place in the starting XI after her impressive performance last weekend.
Gillingham started the game very much on the attack. Lewes’ formation surprised the visitors as they opted to go for the same system that worked well when they travelled to Kent, with 5 at the back and just 1 up front. This meant that the Gills constantly put pressure on their back line, with Ashlee Hincks proving to be a real handful very early on in proceedings.
Within the opening five minutes, Gillingham produced the first moment of magic when the impressive Cooper brought the ball down on her chest and unleashed a fantastic volley from just outside the box which had the Lewes keeper scrambling backwards to tip onto the crossbar and over for a corner.
From the resulting corner, the keeper wasn’t as lucky, as Hincks whipped the ball in the keeper failed to deal with it and pushed it into her own net to give the Gills an early 1-0 lead.
The early goal gave the Gills huge confidence to push forward and attack in search of more goals. Vicky Ashton-Jones went past a couple of players got into the box but couldn’t quite apply the finishing touch, while Natalie Crinean produced a magic moment to create another chance moments later.
The Gills striker flicked the ball over the centre back into the path of Hincks, who found Ashton-Jones on the far side of the box. “AJ” touched it first time centrally for the on rushing Danni Farmer, whose well-struck shot flew over the bar.
Within a couple of minutes, Farmer sent the ball over the top and Crinean, sandwiched between the two centre backs, muscled her way free but shot just wide of the post. Just a few minutes later she was released again as the Gills continued to rip Lewes apart with their pace and power, but the Gills number nine’s shot beat the keeper only to find the side netting. She later had a good header from a corner well saved as the Gills dominated the play.
The midfield trio of Cooper, Broad and Farmer were working supremely hard in the middle of the park, giving Hincks, and Ashton-Jones time and space to roam, causing countless problems for the Lewes defence.
Another effort saw the Gills go close as Hincks cut inside the left full back and struck a low shot, but the keeper did well to save low at her near post. She then created a chance for Farmer after skinning the fullback once more and crossing well, but despite forcing the keeper to flap at the aerial delivery, “Farms” couldn’t quite put the ball away.
The hosts’ first real chance of the match came on the half hour mark when they won a free kick just outside the Gills penalty area. The resulting shot beat the Gills wall but just went over Katie Duffy’s crossbar.
The Gills keeper was then called into action again a minute later when she was forced to get down well to deal with a low, hard strike.
Finally with just under ten minutes remaining in the half Farmer won the ball in the midfield and sent the ball over the centre backs for the powerful Crinean who lofted the ball over the outrushing Lewes keeper to make it 2-0 and give the Gills striker a richly deserved goal.
There was still time for Lewes to hit the side netting before the halftime whistle blew, but the teams went in at the interval with the Gills well on top.
Half Time 0-2 (Hincks, Crinean)
Second half got underway with the Gills carrying on where they left off, playing good attacking football.
Lesley Kay played a superb ball up the line into the space behind the Lewes right back for Hincks, who checked inside and struck a fierce shot just over the crossbar from the edge of the area.
Lewes caught Gills on the break and gave a little indication that they was capable of getting back into the game when there midfielder produced good work a found there striker unmarked on the edge of the box, there striker struck it well low both Katie Duffy again got down well and saved.
Within 10 minutes of the restart Gills had strong appeals turned down for a penalty when it hit a Lewes defender’s arm but as the protests went on, and with Lewes momentarily losing concentration, the ball found Crinean on the edge of the box, who was clipped as she spun into the box, leaving the referee with no alternative but to point to the spot.
Danni Farmer stepped up and lashed the penalty beyond the diving Lewes keeper to make it 3-0.
The third goal effectively ended the match as a contest as the tempo of the match started to drop. Lewes produced a brief attack which was abruptly ended by a textbook sliding challenge from centre half Kelly Herrett as the Gills looked to keep their goal intact.
With the game effectively won, manager Ian Varley introduced striker Charlotte Abbott for the hard-working Anna Broad with 25 minutes remaining and the pace picked up once again.
With in a couple of minutes Hincks received the ball on the left hand side and unleashed a swerving shot from outside the box that left the keeper grasping at thin air and put the Gills in an unassailable 4-0 lead.
Shortly after the restart, and with influential defender Herrett temporarily off the field having a blood injury treated, Lewes struck back, with a deep cross from the right finding an unmarked striker, who headed past Duffy to reduce the arrears.
Despite the fillip of a goal, Lewes struggled to maintain the pressure, with only a long-range free kick causing Duffy any trouble at all. Instead, it was the Gills who were on the front foot once again.
Substitute Charlotte Abbott, still looking for her first goal of the season, very nearly got on the scoresheet with 15 minutes remaining, but she couldn’t quite reach Hincks’ tantalising cross.
With the match in its closing stages, Gills skipper Becky Lyon went close with a header from a corner, and later had a goal ruled out for offside after she turned in a well-worked free kick.
The hosts had the final word, however, scoring a second goal with virtually the last kick of the game. Lesley Kay was adjudged to have brought down a Lewes striker, and from the resulting free kick, Lewes produced a well-struck effort that left Duffy with little chance.
Despite conceding two late goals, Gillingham rounded out comfortable winners and now sit proudly at the top of the South East Combination League on 21 points, level with Enfield Town, but with two games in hand and a vastly superior goal difference.
Their next match comes against Enfield next Sunday, and promises to be the Gills’ biggest test of the campaign so far. A win will see them go clear with games, and goals in hand on the chasing pack. Don’t forget to check out this site for news on how they get on…
Gillingham Ladies: Duffy, Judd, Kay, Cooper (Foster), Herrett, Lyon, Farmer, Hincks, Crinean (Russ), Broad (Abbott) Ashton-Jones
Subs Not used: Johnson, HarrisScorers: Hincks (2), Crinean, Farmer