Club News
Gillingham Ladies 4-5 Brighton & Hove Albion
Published by Gillingham Ladies Media on January 20, 2010
With the weather taking its toll on games throughout the last few weeks Gills Ladies took to the David Beckham Academy for a friendly on Tuesday evening.
Brighton Ladies of the Southern Premiership were the opposition in a keenly contested affair that ended in a narrow defeat for the Gills.
The ever impressive Ashlee Hincks scored all four of the Gills goals as they ran their higher ranked opponents close.
The evening got off to a bizarre start as the referee was forced to pull out of the game after an unfortunate brush with the law, meaning that Gills manager Ian Varley (a newly qualified referee) had to step in and save the day.
The Gills got into their stride quickly as they took the game to their opponents and they soon found themselves ahead.
Good work from the ever impressive Natalie Crinean in the 14th minute found her strike partner Ashlee Hincks free, and she smashed a left footed drive into the corner.
It wasn’t long before the Gills made it 2-0, this time it was Vicky Ashton-Jones who turned provider. Ashton –Jones found Hincks in acres of space just outside the Brighton area. With time to take aim she hit a ferocious ship straight over the despairing goalkeeper.
Brighton got back into the game just before half time when they broke through and Katie Duffy found herself one on one with the Brighton attacker, there was nothing she could do as Brighton slotted home.
Half Time 2-1
Both sides started the second half by making changes to personnel and positional changes as well, in most games that would disrupt the flow of the game but not this one.
Brighton drew level soon after the kick off as the Gills looked to get settled into the second half, they broke down the wing and delivered a pin point cross that was headed home from close range.
A goalkeeping error from Katie Duffy leads to Brighton taking the lead for the first time in the game in the 47th minute when the keeper let a shot through her hands into the net.
The Gills did not lie down and roll over to their higher ranked opponents; they took the game to them once more.
In the 65th minute when Jodie Mugford did well to win the Gills a free kick in a dangerous area and Ashlee Hincks duly stepped up and curled the ball into the top corner from 25 yards.
Once again Brighton re-established their advantage in the 71st minute when they broke down the wing and hit yet another pin point cross into the area, which was headed home from close range.
They looked to have put the game beyond doubt in the 75th minute when a mix up in the Gills defence left the Brighton striker with a free shot on goal, and she duly slotted home.
The Gills got their and Ashee Hincks fourth goal of the game in the 79th minute when Hincks cut inside from the left wing and drove into the Brighton area, before firing a shot past the goalkeeper.
Talking after the game manager Ian Varley was happy with the workout his team had got after having so many games called off recently.
He said: “It was a good workout and again I am very grateful to Brighton for travelling up. First half we were excellent and they couldn’t live with us. All credit to them they played some good stuff second half and with all the changes it disrupted us a little bit.
“Overall I am very pleased with the run out which will stand us in good stead for the rest of the season.”
Gills: Duffy, Judd, Kay, Lyon (c), Herrett, Farmer, Mugford, Cooper, Ashton-Jones, Crinean, Hincks
Subs: Russ, Broad, Ahern, Abbott, Johnson