First Team
Gillingham Ladies 2-0 Ebbsfleet United
Published by Gillingham Ladies Media on April 28, 2010
Gills Ladies collected the South East Combination Women’s League title in front of their home fans on Tuesday evening.
Ebbsfleet were the visitors to Martyn Grove for a keenly contested derby match in which Gills were victorious thanks to a brace from Danni Farmer.
With the League Cup final coming up manager Ian Varley made five changes from the side that drew with Norwich on Sunday.
The Gills set about their opponents from the off and in the 5th minute Danni Farmer tested Faye Baker in the Fleet, when he shot bounced up in front of the keeper and she did well to keep it from going goal bound.
Two minutes later and the Gills were ahead on the night thanks to great work from Natalie Crinean out on the wing. Laura East found her in acres of space and she took on the defence before rounding the keeper and crossing for Danni Farmer to tap into the empty net.
In the 8th minute Natalie Crinean was put through one on one with the keeper by Farmer but the striker couldn’t find a way past the out rushing Baker.
In the 10th minute the Gills struck again thanks to Danni Farmer who has three goals in her last two games. A long ball split the Ebbsfleet defence but her shot was straight at the keeper who did well to palm it away. In the goal mouth scramble the ball broke to Jodie Mugford who was upended in the box. The referee had no choice but to point to the spot and up stepped Farmer to calmly slot the ball into the bottom left hand corner.
In the 11th minute Fran Ferrari hit a speculative effort from just outside the area that Captain Becky Lyon managed to get a block in on to prevent Jessica Nunn from making the save.
The Gills were unlucky not to go further ahead in the 17th minute when Danni Farmer swung in a corner and Laura East rose highest at the far post, but her header crashed back off the cross bar and was hacked to safety.
In the 19th minute Farmer again picked the ball up in her own half and sprinted towards the Fleet box where she took out a number of defenders before squaring to Charlotte Abbott. Unfortunately for the young striker her shot from distance went wide of the near post.
In the 23rd minute Ebbsfleet created their best chance of the match when a corner was swung in by Ferrari. The ball made its way to Kelly Philpott but her header was straight at Jessica Nunn in the Gills goal.
Just after the half hour mark the Gills defence was undone by a long ball over the top from Ebbsfleet. Jessica Nunn was alert to the danger and raced out to close the angle down for Lisa Fugenee who couldn’t get a shot on target.
Just as the referee was about to blow for half time Anelle Massey picked out Natalie Crinean who hit a shot on the turn from 20 yards just wide of the near post.
Half time 2-0
The second half took a while to get going as the Gills had already done enough to see the game out at this point.
They played around the midfield with a nice array of passing and in the 54th minute a ball across the Fleet area found Charlotte Abbott unmarked at the far post, but her shot was off target.
Two minutes later and the Fleet fashioned their best chance of the half when a ball came across the Gills area, but Kelly Campbell couldn’t test the keeper from 12 yards out.
A minute later and a hand ball on the edge of the area led to a great opportunity for Fleet to find a way back into the match but the free kick from Claire Gibson was closer to the corner flag than the goal.
On the hour mark Charlotte Abbott showed a good turn of pace to burst down the right wing and fire a cross in. Unfortunately for the Gills there was no one to follow the ball in and hammer home a great cross.
The middle of the second half was broken up by the introduction of substitutes for both teams and the Gills maintained possession.
In the 80th minute Natalie Crinean picked the ball up and let fly from distance with a great shot that was well saved by Ann Downes in the Fleet goal.
Four minutes later and Crinean had another great chance as a ball over the top set her in one on one with the keeper, but she hit her shot agonisingly wide of the far post.
The Gills were comfortable from the off against Ebbsfleet and rounded off their home League games in style.
It was the perfect way for the side to end at home in front of a crowd of almost a hundred people, who saw Liz Symons from KCFA present the League trophy to the Gills.
Full time 2-0
Gills: Nunn, Ahern, Herrett, Lyon (c) (Russ, 60), Kay, Mugford (McGregor, 75), East (Overton, 69), Farmer, Abbott, Massey, Crinean
Subs not used: Judd, Ashton-Jones
Ebbsfleet: Baker, Pattenden, Gibson, Chambers, Fugenee, Ferrari, Lawrence, Gilmour, Campbell, Bishop, Philpott
Subs: Wells, Downes, Martin