First Team, Match Reports
Gills Ladies 2-2 Portsmouth Ladies
Published by Gillingham Ladies Media on September 5, 2010
Gillingham Ladies maintained their unbeaten start to the season on Sunday afternoon with a 2-2 draw against Portsmouth.
The score line is somewhat harsh on the Gills as it was a game that they could and should have won in the end.
They took the lead in the 50th minute through Ashlee Hincks before a corner went straight in for a Portsmouth equaliser six minutes later. The hosts were in front again in the 66th minute thanks to a fine finish from Natalie Crinean but Pompey equalised a minute later through a lob from Molly Clark.
The Gills could and should have taken the lead inside the first minute when Natalie Crinean found strike partner Ashlee Hincks. She raced into the area before hitting a shot that crashed back off the near post.
In the 6th minute a long ball over the top was challenged by Ashlee Hincks and the ball broke to Danni Farmer and with Louise Worsfold stranded she hit a shot but couldn’t direct it on goal with an empty net begging to be rustled.
Then in the 14th minute came a moment of controversy as Gemma Hillier appeared to be upended by Becky Spencer in the Gills area after a long ball from Justine Lorton. The referee waved away the Portsmouth appeals for a spot kick.
Two minutes later and the Gills created another good chance when Hincks found Danni Farmer, her ball to Vicky Ashton-Jones was excellent but the midfielder couldn’t keep her shot down.
The Ladies were in full control of the game at this point and the passing that resulted in a chance for Hincks in the 19th minute was nothing short of exceptional.
Lauren Phillips found Danni Farmer with a ball round the corner, she them found the impressive Natalie Crinean who took on and beat a Portsmouth defender before squaring to Hincks, but her finish couldn’t match the build up.
In the 24th minute Portsmouth created a chance with Lorton playing in the quick Hillier she raced through on goal but hit a shot straight at Becky Spencer.
Natalie Crinean was really working hard up front and causing all sorts of problems for the Pompey defence with her direct running. Yet in the 25th minute she played a lovely pass to Vicky Ashton-Jones who played a one-two with Danni Farmer but her shot was straight at the keeper.
With half hour on the clock left back Stacey McConville played a great ball from defence that split the Portsmouth defence. Ashlee Hincks raced onto the ball before hitting a shot that was tipped around the post by Worsfold for a corner.
Three minutes later and it was Deanna Cooper playing a fantastic ball to Ashlee Hincks she got her cross into the area but Lauren Phillips couldn’t quite get her shot away.
Stacey McConville again turned provider shortly after when she headed the ball through to Hincks who took on two defenders before hitting a shot wide of the far post.
With one minute to go before half time Portsmouth sent a dangerous cross into the Gills area, it broke out to Clark who hit a speculative effort just wide.
A minute later and the Gills hit the woodwork for the second time in the first half when Danni Farmer found Hincks; her cross was met by Vicky Ashton-Jones who saw her shot crash back off the near post.
Half Time 0-0
The Gills came out in the second half and immediately picked up where they left off in the first half with their attacking play.
Natalie Crinean who was having her best game up front this season made a great run from deep in her own half. She took the ball past three defenders as if they weren’t even there before hitting a shot that was saved by the keeper.
The Ladies went ahead in the 50th minute, Danni Farmer played a great ball to Ashlee Hincks and she took the ball round the defender and riffled a shot into the top corner to make it 1-0.
In the 54th minute Natalie Crinean was again at the heart of a Gills attack, her pass found Ashlee Hincks who hit a shot from 20 yards out that was tipped over by the keeper. From the resulting corner Stacey McConville headed straight at the Portsmouth keeper after she wasn’t picked up by anyone in the six yard area.
Portsmouth were back on level terms in the strangest of fashions in the 56th minute thanks to a corner going straight in. A corner was swung into the Gills area and appeared to beat everyone in the six yard area before going in off the cross bar.
The Ladies were straight back on the front foot a minute later and Deanna Cooper hit a shot from distance that was straight at Worsfold in the Portsmouth goal.
The Gills were back in front in the 66th minute when Ashlee Hincks played in Natalie Crinean, she took the ball round the keeper and wide of the goal. She showed good composure to get the ball back around and hit a shot into the bottom corner. The goal was nothing short of what the striker deserved from a fantastic performance on Sunday afternoon.
Just a minute had passed when Portsmouth equalised for the second time in the game. A long range effort was aimed at the Gills goal from Molly Clark and it beat Becky Spencer and ended up in the roof of the Gills net for 2-2.
With the scores level again the Gills pressed on to see if they could find a winning goal and substitute Danielle Carlton was at the heart of some of the Ladies best moves.
In the 77th minute she played a great ball over the top to Ashlee Hincks who raced through on goal and hit a shot wide.
She then played in Danni Farmer a minute later who found Hincks who once again hit a shot at goal but it was wide once more.
Carlton then gave away a free kick from distance in the 81st minute but Justine Lorton couldn’t direct the free kick anywhere near the Gills goal.
With two minutes left on the clock Natalie Crinean made a great run from deep, she got to the edge of the area and unleashed a shot. The shot was deflected out for a throw in and from the resulting throw in Danielle Carlton hit a shot straight at the keeper.
Portsmouth had the last chance of the game with seconds left on the clock, Zoe Nash found herself with space to get a shot away, but it was straight at Becky Spencer.
The Gills can be happy with their performance against a Portsmouth side that had started the season really well. The Ladies remain unbeaten after their first three games and will be looking to continue that next week against Brighton.
Full Time 2-2
Girl of the Match: Natalie Crinean
Gills: Spencer, Williams, Cheedy, Ahern, McConville, Cooper (Russ, 84), Farmer, Ashton-Jones (c), Phillips (Carlton, 74), Crinean, Hincks
Subs not used: Nunn, Jeffery, Lomas
Portsmouth: Worsfold, Ryan, Kirby, Clark, Murphy, Russell, Stregter, Thorp (c), Hillier, Lorton, Cox
Subs: Windell, Keil, Nash