Features
The Season that was… The Reserves Part Two
Published by Gillingham Ladies Media on June 23, 2011
In Part Two of the Season that was we take a look back at the games that lead up to the Christmas break.
The Reserves then travelled to Yeovil Reserves for their League Cup first round match and came away with their first defeat in over a season.
It was probably their worst performance of the season as they went down to a brace from Dee Cracknell and a goal from Jodie Cornwall. The Gills created a number of half chances but for once their good touch in front of goal deserted them.
Millwall Lionesses Reserves visited the Lion’s Den next as they travelled to fortress Martin Grove and left with nothing to show for their efforts.
It was a much changed Reserves line up who took to the field, with Natalie Crinean bagging a brace and Danielle Carlton firing in a superb effort.
Whitney Judd netted her second goal of the season with a fine effort from the edge of the Millwall penalty area just after half time. Millwall got a consolation goal in the 87th minute through Shauni Griffiths.
The Reserves just cannot stop winning but came unstuck against Barnet in their first League defeat of the season.
A brace from Emma Davies and a goal from Renata Inniss saw the Reserves succumb the Gills to their only League defeat of the season. They did net a consolation goal after a Whitney Judd cross was misjudged by the keeper and she palmed the ball into her own net.
They got back on the winning trail just a week later as they travelled to Brighton Reserves and comfortably beat their opponents.
Making her first start of the season Tami scored an impressive hat trick. She latched onto a Kimi Bolden through ball in the 5th minute and coolly dispatched her first goal. In a carbon copy of the first goal Tami found the back of the net in the 20th minute to make it 2-0.
Inside half an hour Tami completed her hat trick after Kirsty Goodall miss hit her shot it sat up nicely for the Reserves striker and she made no mistake with her shot. Ellie Locke tapped home on the stroke of half time to get Brighton back into the game but that was as good as it got for the hosts.
The game was over as a contest in the second half when a diagonal ball from Kirsty Goodall picked out Kylie Overton who fired home.
Yeovil Reserves came to town on Halloween and were spooked by the Gills superior performance and left empty handed.
Captain Kimi Bolden put the Gills in the lead when a cross come shot flew into the top corner from the left wing in the 12th minute.
Tami made it four goals in two games when she added the second goal of the game, just a minute after they had taken the lead. Kirsty Goodall flashed a cross right across the six yard box and Tami tapped home at the far post.
Sarah Jones netted a third for the Reserves early in the second half before Anelle Massey smashed home a penalty after Tami was upended in the Yeovil area.
Bottom of the table Portsmouth Reserves were the next team to visit Martin Grove and leave with nothing to show for their efforts.
It took until the second half for the Gills to break the dead lock. Charlotte Abbott netted what turned out to be the only goal of the game. Amy Russ flicked the ball round the corner to Abbott who raced into the area and fired her shot low into the bottom corner.
The Reserves travelled to Yeovil Reserves for their penultimate game of 2010 and in torrential rain they came away with a point.
In fact they were unlucky not to come away with all three points as they had a header cleared off the line in the 85th minute as Whitney Judd powered header goal wards.
Their final game of 2010 saw them take on Colchester Reserves at home and once again they came out on top.
Kylie Overton netted the only goal of the game early in the first half. Kimi Bolden played a through ball from the back and Kylie did the rest racing through and smashing home.
The Reserves sat top of the (Reserves) Southern Division Two at Christmas by a massive thirteen points. The New Year promised to be an exciting time for the Reserve team as they looked to seal the League and win the Kent Shield.
Later in the week in part three we take a look back at the second half of the season that led to them lifting two trophies and making it the most successful season ever.
