Farmer's Thoughts, Features

Farmer’s Thoughts: We got the Result

Published by Gillingham Ladies Media on May 26, 2011

So the play-off game….. Well I wouldn’t say it was one of our classic performances, but we got the result in the end lol. It was a frustrating affair as we actually made them look fairly decent, which they took confidence from and they actually felt they were better than us (lol).

It was our own doing really as we didn’t turn up in the first half. I think we put too much pressure on ourselves knowing that we were the favourites. Obviously we should have stuck some more in and we definitely had the chances to do so but it just was not happening for us. Everything seemed to come off our big toes and things were not really flowing in terms of good possession.

I think many of us were thinking that it was going to be one of those days but luckily we managed to take the lead which won us the game.

The goal was probably up there with the best goals I have ever scored and it made it being better by being the one that kept us up. About five minutes before, I had an altercation with Havant’s keeper, and I told her I was going to stick one past her.

Normally it doesn’t happen but thankfully it did and it was a great moment going to shake her hand at the end of the game. I think it was going to take something like that goal to win the game and it could have come from anyone in the team as we have some real quality. The main thing was that we retained our Premiership status and we were absolutely buzzing at the end. A huge weight had been lifted off all our shoulders.

Player of the year night was a really good night and it was nice to look back on what Gills Ladies as a whole had achieved. It was nice to have a few sherbets with the girls and see who got what awards. Whitney Judd got them all so errr well done lol…. Nah jokes, she did clean up a bit though. After a season in the firsts last year, with all the signings, she played mostly for the Ressies this season.

Credit to her to get on with it, without a moan, and to pull out a worldy season for them. She played for the firsts in the playoff and played really well and I am sure she will be knocking on Mr Varley’s door next season. Lesley Kay, the old girl has hung up her boots, and she will be missed massively. She has been a massive part of both squads for a long time and she brings so much atmosphere, with her funny quirky little comments.

On a personal note, now she has gone I am officially the funniest member of the squad. YES!! DC picked up players player this year and it was fully deserved. At the start of the season she wasn’t really getting regular games but the gaffer made a decision to stick her in at left back and what a decision that was and she got my vote Great season for DC.

SAJ got managers player and again much deserved. She has been solid for us this season and formed a really good partnership with Shaun. Jonesy is a great girl and generally takes the brunt of all the banter with her funny dress sense and style at training. I am sure she does it on purpose sometimes but she defo takes a lot. She does give it too and generally cracks up at her own jokes which are highly amusing. Reckon we should sign up ‘daisy’ this season SAJ…LOL!!

The top goal scorers were Kylie for the Ressies with a bucket load of goals and for the firsts, Harold and me with errrrr 7 each! Ky has proven every year that she is a goal scorer, and another one that the gaffer will surely look at next season. As for me and Harold well, Harry you would have defo had it in the bag had you managed to hit the net on the few occasions that there was no keeper in it All the girls showed their appreciation to all the staff that have been involved with Gills Ladies over the season by putting their pennies together.

Everyone puts in so much effort to ensure that the club is run in the right way and we really do have a professional feel amongst the place and this rubs off on the players. The team we have behind us have been ledge and we all appreciate the hours and effort that is put in Oh and one last thing on the POTY night….some (not all) need to have a look at what they are doing on the dance floor!!! (Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh pizza hut, a pizza hut…………) (Jeezzzzus!!)

I think everyone that has been around the first team this season has been disappointed on what has happened this season. There is absolutely no doubt in any of our minds that we ended up at the wrong end of the table. We beat the two teams that got promoted this season in their own back yards which shows the levels that we did hit during some points in the season.

We just didn’t put any sort of run together and it seemed to play on us mentally especially later on in the season. If we actually look at the successes in the season, it was in the games where we weren’t expected to get anything. For example the draw against Millwall in the cup, the friendlies against Chelsea and Arsenal, and even though we lost the FA cup game against Reading. We just couldn’t do it against the lesser teams and the ones we were expected to beat.

Personally it has been one of the hardest seasons in my playing career, but I have no doubt that we are now a ‘team’ and if we all stick together and give it all we got next season I think our finishing position will be a lot different. We really got together as a group towards the end of the season and the last two weeks were probably the most enjoyable even though we had relegation staring us in the face. I know we can take this spirit into next season and the success we deserve will surely follow

Looking forward to pre-season already…. LAURA MCPHERSON WE ARE READY FOR YOU TO WORK US!!