First Team, Match Reports

Cardiff City 1-2 Gills Ladies

Published by Gillingham Ladies Media on February 27, 2011

Gills Ladies moved up to fourth in the Southern Premiership thanks to a 2-1 victory over Cardiff City on Sunday afternoon.

The Ladies come back from an early Terri Beddows goal in the fourth minute to seal all three points thanks to second half strikes from Deanna Cooper and Danni Farmer.

After a poor start from the Gills they went behind after conceding from yet another corner which has been an Achilles heel this season.

The corner was swung into the Gills area and Terri Beddows rose unmarked to head home leaving keeper Katie Duffy with no chance at all.

This goal gave Cardiff tremendous confidence and they bossed the first half as the Gills didn’t get going at all.

Katie Duffy was on hand to keep the Ladies in the game when she saved well from Natasha Harding as Cardiff went on to squander a number of goal scoring opportunities.

The Gills only chances on goal in the first half came from Dan Carlton who rifled a shot wide from thirty yards out. Danni Farmer also sent a free kick well over the Cardiff cross bar.

In the second half the Gills came out as a completely different side, the passing and movement from the Gills was superb and Cardiff couldn’t live with it.

The Ladies were back on level terms in the 49th minute, a surging run from Deanna Cooper saw her take on and go past three Cardiff players. She then burst into the area and rifled a left foot shot past the Cardiff keeper and into the back of the net.

This was the turning point for the Ladies as they started to dominate the game with Danni Farmer pulling the strings creating chances for Leah Jones and Lauren Phillips.

Further efforts from Jodie Mugford and Deanna Cooper flew wide of the post but there was always a sense that a second goal was coming.

When the goal came in the 70th minute it was a great finish. Danielle Carlton advanced down the left wing from her position at left back. She played an inch perfect 20 yard pass into the path of Danni Farmer. She expertly peeled off the defender to create herself some space, she took the ball down with a great touch and the placed the ball through the legs of the keeper.

After that Cardiff didn’t really mount any pressure for the Gills defence to deal with and Vicky Ashton-Jones and the rest of the Gills defence were once again in fine form.

The three points lifts the Gills up to fourth in the League, their highest position since the opening day of the season.

Full Time 1-2

Gills: Duffy, Cheedy (c), Ashton-Jones, Jones S, Carlton, Cooper, Farmer, Mugford, Jones L, Phillips, Jeffery (Williams, 58)