By Chris Dicketts

Gills Ladies bounced back to winning ways in spectacular style as they thrashed their Suffolk opponents at Martin Grove last weekend.

There was a delayed kick off due to Ipswich arriving at Woodstock, Gillingham's previous ground. They even began to warm up but didn't know anything was a miss until Martin Andrews rang to ask them where they were.

Natalie Crinean bagged her second hat trick of the season and her strike partner Ashlee Hincks bagged a brace, in what was a stroll for the Gills.

Ian Varley made a number of changes to the line-up which saw players playing out of position, in a bid to shake the team up and keep things fresh.

The opening minutes of the game were an intense battle to establish dominance in the midfield, in which the Gills, with the superior skill and determination, eventually won.

It took until the seventh minute for the Gills to register their first shot on goal. Jodie Mugford with the shot but it was straight at the goalkeeper.

It wasn't long before the Gills made the first break through, Jodie Mugford hit a shot that cannoned off the defender and fell to the feet of Natalie Crinean, who made no mistake from ten yards slotting past the keeper with ease.

Ipswich equalised just five minutes later when they burst through the Gills defence, it looked like there was a foul on a Gills player but the ref played on and Ipswich slotted home to make it 1-1.

It took the Gills just a minute to go back in front when; Danielle Farmer put a cross in that found Ashlee Hincks and she calmly applied the finish.

The Gills went 3-1 up in the 22^nd minute when Ashlee Hincks broke down the left wing and picked Natalie Crinean out. She turned her marker and calmly fired in her second goal of the game.

Just after the half hour mark, Deanna Cooper pinged a long ball forward, Natalie Crinean ran in on goal but her shot was straight at the keeper.

HT 3-1

Shortly after the restart Becky Lyon played a long ball out of the back that found Natalie Crinean with pinpoint accuracy; her shot was straight at the goalkeeper.

Then in the 52^nd minute the Gills put the game beyond any doubt. Natalie Crinean chased down a ball from Ashlee Hincks. She took the ball well and tucked home a superb goal from a striker enjoying a rich vein of form.

In the 67^th minute Ashlee Hincks who was revelling in her role wide left cut inside and hit a shot that the keeper could only palm into the ground. She gathered the ball at the second attempt however with Gills players lurking.

The Gills rounded off the scoring in the 76^th minute when Danni Farmer played in a ball that Nat Crinean fancied. The striker challenged the keeper; the keeper gathered but seemed to take offence at the challenge and pushed over the striker. The ref had no choice but to point to the spot and Ashlee Hincks stepped up and made no mistake.

Girl of the Match: Natalie Crinean

Gills: Duffy, Judd, Kay, Herrett, Lyon, Cooper, Farmer, Mugford (Overton, 81), Johnson (Massey, 61), Hincks, Crinean (Broad, 81)