First Team

MK Dons 1-8 Gillingham Ladies

Published by Gillingham Ladies Media on January 4, 2010

Gills Ladies thumped opponents MK Dons 8-1 as they returned to League action after over two months without a game in style on Sunday afternoon.

They even had to come from behind as they went behind to a goal from Mikaela Welford but showed their class as goals from Ashlee Hincks who scored five, Danni Farmer who bagged a brace and one from Jodie Mugford sealed a comfortable victory.

They now move above their opponents into second place in the table with five games in hand over MK Dons and four in hand over Enfield who are currently top by three points after they lost against Lewes on Sunday.

Manager Ian Varley named the same starting eleven that lost in the FA Cup to Barnet just before the Christmas break.

The Gills started slowly as they looked to get back into the swing of playing again and they were caught cold as a mix up in defence allowed Mikaela Welford to tap home and give the Dons a fourth minute lead.

It didn’t take the Gills long to equalise when Jodie Mugford picked the ball up and lobbed the goal keeper from fully 25 yards to make it 1-1 in the 15th minute.

Just before the half hour mark and the Gills took the lead for the first time in the game when Deanna Cooper played in Ashlee Hincks to slot home her first goal of the game.

It could have been even better for the Gills moments later when Mugford once again let fly from distance but this time her shot crashed back off the post. Whilst at the other end Katie Duffy was called into action to produce a fantastic save from a long range effort to keep the score at 2-1 to the Gills.

With the score still at 2-1 Captain Becky Lyon produced an unbelievable last ditch tackle that denied MK Dons a certain goal scoring chance, and underlined just why the Gills have conceded so few goals with Lyon commanding the back line.

Half Time 1-2

Manager Ian Varley was not happy at half time and delivered the equivalent of the Alex Ferguson hairdryer treatment to his side. Whatever was said in the changing rooms at half time it prompted a great response from his side as they scored six goals in the second half.

Ten minutes into the second half and the Gills were awarded a penalty when the ever impressive Natalie Crinean was brought down in the area. Danni Farmer stepped up to smash home her first goal of the game into the roof of the net and made it 3-1 to the Gills.

The flood gates then opened as the Gills went on the attack in search of another goal that would kill the game off, what they got was another five goals to kill the game off.

Ashlee Hincks was to hot to handle for the Dons defence as she was put through on goal three times and on each occasion rounded the keeper and slotted home coolly. It was strike partner Natalie Crinean who put her through in the 59th minute to round Charlene Ward and slot home comfortably.

Just five minutes later and Jodie Mugford turned provider and played in the impressive Hincks who once again rounded Ward and made it 5-1 to the Gills. The sixth goal was not far behind in the 80th minute when Vicky Ashton-Jones played in Hincks who slotted home her fourth goal of the game.

These three goals added the gloss onto a performance that was nothing short of outstanding in the second half. Yet the Gills had not finished with the goal scoring and went on to add a further two goals and underline their promotion credentials in the last ten minutes.

Danni Farmer conjured up the goal of the game in the 83rd minute; she rifled an unstoppable shot into the top corner after more good play from Ashlee Hincks who picked her out with a pin point pass.

In the last minute the Gills made it 8-1 when Ashlee Hincks showed her pace and broke through the Dons defence and calmly slotted past the keeper with the outside of her boot.

Full Time 1-8

Gills: Duffy, Judd (East, 65), Kay (Ahern, 68), Herrett, Lyon (c), Ashton-Jones, Hincks, Cooper (Broad, 72), Mugford, Farmer, Crinean

MK Dons: Ward, Costin, Goodier, Cunningham, Doyle, McDonnell, Moran, Wright, Whelan, Gallagher, Welford
Subs: Rogers, Mackay, Hopper, Patmore, Kirby