Match Reports, Reserves
Charlton Reserves 1-3 Gills Ladies Reserves
Published by Gillingham Ladies Media on August 1, 2010
Gills Ladies Reserves came away from their hardest pre-season game this season with a fantastic 3-1 victory.
An early first half penalty was cancelled out by Kylie Overton on the stroke of half time. In the second half goals from Amy Russ and a second from Kylie Overton added the gloss to a great Gills performance.
The Gills had the first chance of the game when Amy Russ was fouled by a Charlton defender. She picked herself up and arrowed a shot into the area which went just wide.
The Charlton striker showed the Gills defence a clean pair of heels in the 5th minute, but hit her shot straight at Ruth Jackson.
Two minutes later and the left winger cut down the Gills right past Kate Foster and into the Gills area, but her shot was straight into the side netting.
Then in the 10th minute there was a moment of controversy. He gave it for a supposed push by Amy Russ when a corner was swung in, it looked a dubious decision. The Charlton striker showed great skill to step up and slot it into the top corner for 1-0.
The Gills did not let this get them down though, and two minutes later Amy Taylor swung in a cross. Whitney Judd making a late run at the back post just saw her shot go wide.
The middle part of the first half became a battle of the midfields with good challenges coming in from Anelle Massey and Amy Russ. The back four were standing firm and with standing any Charlton attack with Rachel Ahern and Kate Foster looking solid.
In the 25th minute Kirsty Goodall found Anelle Massey in space but her effort went well wide.
Five minutes later Massey turned provider as she played a free kick to Amy Taylor but her shot from 18 yards was straight at the Charlton keeper.
As half time approached Charlotte Abbott played a neat pass to Anelle Massey, her pass found Amy Russ but her shot was just off target.
As the referee was preparing to blow for half time the Gills got a deserved equaliser.
Anelle Massey played in arguably the pass of the game; her perfectly weighted pass split the Addicks defence and found Kylie Overton. She latched onto it and calmly lobbed the keeper into the top corner.
Half Time 1-1
In the second half Charlton came out and tried to attack the Gills from the off, however it was the Gills who had the more penetrating attacks.
Anelle Massey started off the Gills first attack of the second period, before hitting her shot just beyond the far post and the Gills strikers.
Kirsty Goodall then teed herself up in the 50th minute, but her shot drifted wide.
In the 53rd minute Tami made a great run down the centre of the pitch, before she found Amy Russ and her shot from distance went wide.
There were 55 minutes on the clock when Tami was fouled. Anelle Massey stepped up and hit her free kick into the area; the keeper did well to tip it round the post for a corner.
It took until just before the hour mark for Charlton to test Ruth Jackson properly. However the effort from the striker was straight at the young stopper.
Just after the hour mark Massey found herself in the referees note book for a miss timed tackle that left the Charlton midfielder in a heap.
Charlotte Abbott then played a one-two with Kylie Overton before hitting a shot wide from distance.
The Gills took the lead in the 70th minute when Amy Russ scored a spectacular goal.
She picked the ball up from Kylie Overton before unleashing a powerful shot from 30 yards, it beat the keeper all ends up and nestled into the top corner.
Charlton could and should have equalised with 12 left on the clock. A corner was sent into the Gills area it evaded everyone at the back post before a shot was cleared off the line by Whitney Judd. Two further shots were sent towards the Gills goal, but Whitney Judd was on hand to clear off the line twice more. The ball then rebound across the box and a combined effort from Zara Clarke and Charlotte Abbott eventually saw the ball hoofed up field.
The Gills should have made it 3-1 with ten minutes left. Amy Russ played a ball over the top it was latched onto by Tami. She took it on rounded the keeper and stayed on her feet, her shot however was cleared off the line by the covering defender.
Anelle Massey then played a ball to Gemma Ridge that was first class. The winger took a touch and made her way into the Addicks area, but her shot went agonisingly wide of the near post.
Four minutes later it could and should have been 3-1 again. Charlotte Abbott played in strike partner Kylie Overton. The striker found herself 18 yards out with just the keeper to beat but her lob was picked off by the grateful stopper.
With just minutes left on the clock the Gills made it 3-1 when Gemma Ridge played a ball to Kylie Overton; she turned and hit a shot that beat the keeper into the top corner.
Full Time 1-3
Gills: Jackson, Judd, Foster (Clarke, 60), Ahern, Bolden (c), Russ, Taylor (Tami, 41, Overton, 83), Massey, Goodall (Ridge, 60), Abbott, Overton (Taylor, 73)
Subs not used: Jackson