First Team, Match Reports
Gills Ladies 0-1 Millwall Lionesses
Published by Gillingham Ladies Media on July 29, 2010
Gillingham Ladies fell to their first defeat of pre-season as they lost 1-0 to National Premiership side Millwall at Martin Grove.
Harley Bennett scored the only goal of the game in the second half as she rose unchallenged from a free kick to head home.
Ian Varley used the game to look at a number of players and a number of positions as he looks to establish his team ahead of the new season.
The Gills were out of the blocks the fastest on Thursday evening as Natalie Crinean found Ashlee Hincks in the fourth minute with a great pass. The striker however dragged her shot wide as she bore down on goal.
In the 7th minute Ash Hincks swung a great cross into the Millwall box and Danni Farmer making a late run unchallenged, headed well over the cross bar.
Two minutes later and Millwall should have taken the lead when the ball found Emma Whitter in the box one on one with Katie Duffy. When it looked for all the word as though she would score, she put her shot wide of the far post.
Millwall were starting to play good football and they were excelling at keeping the ball in the middle of the park. In the 14th minute Lindsey Moran latched onto a cross bit sent her effort high over Katie Duffy’s cross bar.
In the 17th minute Danni Farmer played a poor pass back that was latched onto by the Millwall striker, but her shot went well wide.
Millwall created another guilt edged chance in the 19th minute when a cross beat the Gills defence and found Deonnie Lennon unmarked at the far post, but her effort also went high and wide.
The Gills started to settle into the game more as the half went on and in the 28th minute Ash Hincks, picked out Deanna Cooper who instantly let fly from distance but her shot went wide of the keeper and the post.
Two minutes later Hincks showed the right back a clean pair of heels and raced down the left wing before cutting inside. She picked out Jodie Mugford who curled her effort round the post from 18 yards out.
There were 35 minutes gone when Deanna Cooper picked out Ashlee Hincks with a lovely pass. She then cut inside and hit a shot that went wide of the far post.
Millwall had the final chance of note in the first half as the central midfielder cut inside the area and hit a shot that was well saved down low by Katie Duffy.
Half Time 0-0
The second half took a while to get going as Millwall tried to camp themselves in the Gills half and show who was the National Premiership side.
In the 47th minute a ball was played into the Gills area and they failed to pick up a Millwall midfielder who made a late run into the box. As she went to unleash a shot Lauren Williams dived in with a fantastic last minute block.
The Gills had their first effort of the second half in the 50th minute when Les Kay played a great ball to Natalie Crinean. She latched onto the ball and raced into the area but with just the keeper to beat she hit her shot straight at her.
Three minutes later Ashlee Hincks played a ball to right back Lauren Williams, she made a run unchallenged into the Millwall half before hitting a shot from distance over the cross bar.
Both teams then became restricted to long range efforts as both managers looked to make substitutions to freshen things up.
As the clocked ticked round to seventy minutes Ashlee Hincks was fouled. She picked herself up and from 30 yards out hit a free kick that went just over the bar.
Deanna Cooper was then taken out two minutes later, this time free kick duties were left to Danni Farmer. Her free kick from the same distance as Ash’s previously went sailing over the bar without troubling the Millwall keeper.
In the 75th minute Millwall went ahead when a free kick was swung into the box. Harley Bennett rose unchallenged to head past Katie Duffy in the Gills goal.
In the 80th minute the Gills came as close to scoring as they had done all game. Natalie Crinean played in Ashlee Hincks she raced through one on one with the keeper. As she hit her shot she hit it at the keeper, who then did well to make a super save from the rebound as well.
With two minutes left on the clock Laura Jeffery with her back to goal, made a fantastic turn before charging towards the Millwall area. As she did so she hit an unstoppable shot from 20 yards that flew just over the bar with the keeper well beaten.
In the last minute of extra time Ashlee Hincks picked up the ball and hit a great shot from distance that went just over the bar.
On the whole Ian Varley can be pleased with the workout that his side got tonight against a team from the National Premiership. It gives the Gills a solid foundation to build on for the rest of pre-season.
Full Time 0-1
Gills: Duffy, Williams, McConville, Lyon (c) (Cheedy, 53), Kay (Ahern, 53), Cooper, Mugford (Carlton, 53), Farmer, Hincks, Crinean (Jeffery, 80), Ashton-Jones
Subs not used: Farbrace