First Team, Match Reports
Gills Ladies 0-5 Nottingham Forest Ladies
Published by Gillingham Ladies Media on October 31, 2010
Gills Ladies were humbled in the League Cup on Sunday afternoon as they bowed out to Nottingham Forest.
The score line doesn’t do the Gills justice but it does highlight the fact that Forest were more clinical in front of goal.
Striker Catherine Lawson bagged a well taken hat trick including one from the penalty spot and there were also goals from Jemma Iommi and substitute Katie Waddell.
Manager Ian Varley was without a few players as Sarah Jones was cup tied and Ashlee Hincks was ruled out through injury, and with Jodie Mugford also absent he was forced to juggle his pack. All of the replacements put in great shifts during the game.
The Gills were under pressure from the first minute when Suzanne Davies unleashed an effort from outside the area that went well wide.
The Ladies had their first sight of goal in the fourth minute when Lauren Williams crossed into the Forest area and Natalie Crinean headed over the cross bar.
Natalie Crinean then created the next chance all by herself. In the 9th minute she made a great run down the left wing before cutting inside and hitting a shot straight at Claire Wallhead in the Forest goal.
A minute later a slight mix up in communication allowed Jemma Iommi to get a shot on goal that was well saved by Becky Spencer in the Gills goal.
In the 14th minute Lauren Howard made a run from midfield and unchallenged she continued towards the Gills box before hitting a shot just wide from 25 yards.
There were 22 minutes on the clock when the Gills got their next sight of goal with Deanna Cooper hitting a shot just wide of goal.
Nottingham Forest took the lead in the 30th minute from the penalty spot. Stacey McConville dived into a challenge and miss timed it bringing down Davies. The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and booking the left back, Lawson calmly slotted the spot kick into the bottom corner.
It was 2-0 in the 35th minute as Forest scored a free kick that was made straight on the training ground. Davies flicked the ball up for Lawson to hit on the volley and it flew into the bottom corner past an unsighted Becky Spencer.
They could have gone further ahead in the 38th minute when Abbie Hinton hit a shot over the cross bar from 18 yards out after a ball over the top saw her get in between the Gills defence.
Just before half time Danielle Carlton was upended and Danni Farmer stepped up and whipped a free kick that was well saved by Wallhead in the Forest goal.
Half Time 0-2
The Gills came out in the second half looking to get a foot hold in the game and back into the League Cup tie.
In the 50th minute a Danni Farmer free kick was sent into the area and Lauren Phillips got on the end of with a stabbed shot that was turned round the post for a corner.
Just before the hour mark Becky Lyon headed a cross away that came into the Gills box, the ball fell to Lawson who riffled home for her hat trick and made it 3-0 as she had time to set herself and shoot as the Gills failed to closer her down.
Three minutes later and Danni Farmer saw her shot from just outside the area deflected wide for a corner. From the resulting corner the ball broke to the impressive Deanna Cooper who hit a shot from the edge of the area that was deflected wide for another corner.
The game was effectively over in the 73rd minute when Jemma Iommi saw the ball break to her 25 yards from goal and she riffled her shot into the top corner leaving Becky Spencer no chance.
The Gills were huffing and puffing in the midfield as Deanna Cooper, Danni Farmer and Vicky Ashton-Jones tried to create chances for Lauren Phillips and Natalie Crinean. Despite the score line the Gills defence were coping well with the three up front played by Nottingham Forest.
Forest finished the game by making it 5-0 with the last kick of the game. Left back Ellie Gilliant chased a ball and sent a cross into the area where substitute Katie Waddell following up at the back posted lifted the ball into the roof of the net.
The score line is somewhat harsh on the Gills as they played better than the score line suggests, the difference in the two sides was the taking of the chances.
Full Time 0-5
Player of the Match sponsored by Cineworld: Deanna Cooper
Gills: Spencer, Williams, Lyon (c), Cheedy, McConville, Cooper (Martin, 80), Carlton (Russ, 62), Farmer, Phillips, Crinean, Ashton-Jones
Subs not used: Jeffery, Hincks
Nottingham Forest: Wallhead, Cunningham, Gilliant, Bailey (Foster, 75), Cresswell, Iommi, Lawson, Bartlett, Davies, Hinton (Waddell, 56), Howard (Stainthorpe, 50)
