Match Reports, Reserves
Gills Ladies Reserves 3-2 Crockenhill
Published by Gillingham Ladies Media on January 16, 2011
The Reserves moved into the semi-finals of the Kent Plate after a hard fought 3-2 victory over Crockenhill on Sunday afternoon.
The Reserves went behind to a Vera Hyblova goal early in the first half before they hit back through a Kylie Overton brace and a fluke own goal to lead 3-1 at half time. In the second half there were few chances of note but Grace Spicer ensured a nervy finish for the Gills when she scored in the 83rd minute.
Being higher up the League pyramid the Gills were always favourites to win the game but as early as the 7th minute a giant killing could have been on the cards.
A long ball over the top from Katie Duffy was flicked on in the midfield and Vera Hyblova showed the Gills defence a clean pair of heels and raced through on goal and lobbed the on rushing Les Kay to make it 1-0.
This seemed to wake the Reserves up and in the 12th minute Amy Taylor saw a shot deflected wide for a corner. The resulting corner landed at the feet of Taylor who saw her shot blocked before testing the keeper.
Three minutes later and the scores were level thanks to some great inter play down the right hand side between Whitney Judd and Kirsty Goodall. Goodall received the ball from Judd and sent a cross into the area and Kylie Overton slotted the ball home.
The conditions certainly weren’t helping matters and it made it hard for either team to create many clear cut chances.
On the half hour mark the Gills went 2-1 up however. Kylie Overton back heeled the ball out to Hannah Gardiner on the wing. She raced down the right before cutting inside and unleashing a shot, it took a wicked deflection off of a Crockenhill defender and looped up over Katie Duffy despite the keepers best efforts to keep it out.
Just before half time Crockenill had a great chance to equalise when a ball over the top saw their striker picked the ball up. With the wind at her back she unleashed a shot which looked for the entire world to be going over, but it dropped and smashed off the cross bar and over for a goal kick.
Three minutes later and the Gills were ahead once more; again it was down to good interplay between Whitney Judd and Kirsty Goodall on the right hand side. Goodall again cut down the right wing before hitting a cross that was headed home by an unmarked Kylie Overton.
Half Time 3-1
In terms of football the second half wasn’t very much of a spectacle as the conditions didn’t help either team.
The first chance of the half fell to Kirsty Goodall in the 50th minute but she saw her shot well saved by Katie Duffy in the Crockenhill goal.
Three minutes later and substitute Olivia McGregor made a driving run through the midfield before seeing her shot deflected wide for a corner. The resulting corner was played to Anelle Massey on the edge of the area who blasted over.
A well worked team move on the hour saw striker Kylie Overton through on goal with a chance of her hat trick, however from a good position she curled her shot just over the cross bar with the keeper well beaten.
As the game began to draw to a close Crockenhill started to get more into the game creating a number of half chances. Hyblova had a shot from distance that went flying over Les Kay’s cross bar without troubling the Gills keeper. Les Kay then pulled off a great save to keep the scores at 3-1 in the 8lst minute from a Crockenhill striker.
The goal that Crockenhill had been threatening came in the 83rd minute, the Reserves failed to deal with a corner and Grace Spicer hammered home her shot from the edge of the area.
Two minutes later and they were almost on level terms with the Gills. A well work move saw good interchange of passing in the midfield and a shot was hit from the right hand corner of the area. It curled round Les Kay and looked to be going into the far post but was cleared off the line by Whitney Judd and away to safety.
As Crockenhill surged forward looking for an equaliser to force the game into extra time the Gills went looking for a goal to finish the game off but neither side could fashion a game changing chance.
Full time 3-2
Gills: Kay, Judd, Lynch, Lester, Bolden (c), Abbott, Taylor (Massey, 45), Martin (McGregor, 45), Goodall, Gardiner (Temi, 75), Overton
Subs not used: Harris, Jackson
Crockenhill: Duffy, Potter, Torry, Martin, Perkins, King, Hyblova, Feeney, Rix, Glancy, Spicer
Subs: Baterip, Horner, Hartnell, Gravestock
