First Team, Match Reports

Gills Ladies 1-0 Havant and Waterlooville Ladies

Published by Gillingham Ladies Media on May 15, 2011

Gillingham Ladies secured a second season in the Southern Premiership with a narrow one-nil victory over Havant on Sunday afternoon.

Although the score line was tight the Gills could and should have had more than the one goal, but full credit to Havant who gave the Gills a game.

Danni Farmer was the hero for the Gills with a fine strike from thirty yards out into the top corner after being teed up by Laura Jeffery.

The opening of the game was quite cagey as both teams tried to settle in and find their rhythm in a game that meant a lot to both sides.

The Gills opening chance came in the 7th minute and it fell to midfielder Deanna Cooper. Danni Farmer found Lauren Phillips; she sent the ball out wide to Leah Jones and her pass to Deanna Cooper saw her shoot wide.

Two minutes later and a long ball over the top found Natalie Crinean in space but her shot went agonisingly wide. A minute late and a Leah Jones cross was met by Natalie Crinean but her header went straight at the keeper.

Havant’s first real chance came in the 20th minute when a Becki Bath corner was sent into the Gills box and Stacie Murray sent a free header wide of Katie Duffy’s post.

Three minutes later and Havant had another decent chance again it came from a set piece this time Kaylee Schumann-Edwards who headed straight at Katie Duffy.

In the 27th minute Deanna Cooper played a great ball into Danni Farmer who went down under the attentions of a Havant defender, but the referee waved away her appeals.

A minute later and a Leah Jones corner made its way to Deanna Cooper and she unleashed a shot from outside the area that looked to be going in, only for it to go over of Natalie Crinean’s head.

Cooper was involved in the Gills next chance when she picked up the ball rounded a Havant midfielder and advanced towards the Havant box, where her cross found Lauren Phillips who hit a shot straight at Sadie Blakely in the Havant goal.

Just after the half hour mark Amy Taylor played a ball over the top which saw Lauren Phillips in one on one with the keeper, and she put her shot wide of the near post.

Shortly before half time Bath sent in yet another dangerous corner and Laura Oakes headed goal wards but she saw her header cleared.
With a minute left on the clock before half time, Leah Jones picked the ball up and raced down the right wing before cutting into the area, but her shot went straight into the side netting.

Half Time 0-0

The second half was much as the same as the first with Gills creating the most chances and Havant looking dangerous from any set pieces.

Shortly after kick-off and Danni Farmer got her first sight of goal for the second period when she headed a Leah Jones cross wide.

The Gills didn’t really created another chance until just before the hour mark when a Natalie Crinean run ended with her shot being saved by Sadie Blakely.

There was a moment of slight panic at the back a minute later for the Gills when a Chloe Ranger corner was punched back out into the penalty area by Katie Duffy and Lauren Phillips fired the ball clear with Havant players lurking.

In the 64th minute Natalie Crinean raced into the Havant area and with the keeper to beat she squared to Lauren Phillips who saw her shot cleared off the line.

Just on as a substitute and Laura Jeffery plays in Danni Farmer, the midfielder takes a touch and unleashes a shot from thirty yards that flew into the top corner to put the Gills 1-0 up.

Almost ten minutes later and Kaylee Schumann-Edwards let fly from distance but her effort went over Katie Duffy’s crossbar.

The Gills almost went two-nil up in the 76th minute after a foul on Natalie Crinean, Danni Farmer stepped up and curled her free-kick off of the post, and once again Lauren Phillips saw her effort from the rebound cleared off the line.

With the clock ticking down the Gills had half chances through Natalie Crinean her first effort went wide, and the second one was gathered by the keeper as she went to pull the trigger.

In the 86th minute Katie Duffy was called into action and made a top draw save from a Kaylee Schumann-Edwards header.

There was still time for one moment of controversy as Charley Wilson was sent off with a minute or so left on the clock for a second bookable offence, but with so little time left it might have been better to let the game just play out.

As the full time whistle blew it was met with cries of WE ARE STAYING UP from the Gillingham players and supporters, as they secured a second season in the Southern Premiership albeit the hard way.

Full Time 1-0

Gills: Duffy, Judd (Jeffery, 65), Jones S, Cheedy, Taylor, Cooper, Farmer (c), Ashton-Jones, Jones L, Crinean, Phillips (Abbott, 93)

Subs not used: Temi, Amy Russ, Jodie Mugford

Havant: Blakely, Hier, Cheshire, Bath, Oakes, Schumann-Edwards, Ranger, Murray, Lewry, Wilson, Fowlie

Subs: Laws, Taylor, Boal