By Chris Dicketts

Gillingham Ladies kept up the momentum in their pursuit of the South East Combination League with a 4-2 win over Lewes last weekend.

Lewes are the only team to have defeated the Gills this season, since then though the Gills have played five and won five scoring 30 goals in the process.

The score line doesn't reflect the dominance that the Gills had over their opponents as they could have racked up at least five goals before half time.

Despite creating numerous chances Ashlee Hincks and Natalie Crinean made it 2-0 at half time, Danielle Farmer scored from the spot before Ashlee Hincks made it 4-0. The Gills were down to ten for a short time due to an injury and Lewes made the most it by scoring their first goal, before adding a late second.

Manager Ian Varley named his strongest possible side to face promotion rivals Lewes, with Deanna Cooper who returned to the starting line up in place of Jodie Mugford.

With just five minutes on the clock, the first moment of magic happened when the impressive Deanna Cooper just outside the Lewes box, brought the ball down on her chest and unleashed a fantastic volley which had the Lewes keeper scrambling backwards and just managed to tip the ball onto the bar and over for a corner.

From the resulting corner, the keeper wasn't as lucky, as Ashlee whipped the ball in the keeper failed to deal with it and pushed it into her own net, to give the Gills a 1-0 lead so early on in the game.

The early goal seemed to give Gills an attacking licence, Vicky Ashton Jones went past a couple of players got into the box but couldn't finish.

Natalie Crinean then produced a magic moment when she flicked the ball over the centre back into the path of Ashlee Hincks who found Ashton-Jones on the far side of the box, she touched it first time centrally for the on rushing Danielle Farmer who drove it goal bound, and unfortunately her shot went over the bar.

Within a couple of minutes, Dan Farmer sent the ball over the top and Nat Crinean sandwiched between the two centre backs muscled her way free but shot just wide of the post. But again a few minutes later Nat was released again as the Gills where ripping Lewes apart with the pace and power, but her shot beat the keeper but hit the side netting.

Lewes first real chance of the match came on the half hour when they won a free kick just outside the Gills penalty area the resulting free kick beat the wall but just went over Katie Duffy's cross bar.

Katie was then called into action again within a minute as Lewes burst through and shot low and hard with Katie getting down well and smothering the ball.

Finally with just under ten minutes until half time, Danielle Farmer won the ball in the midfield and sent the ball over the centre backs for the powerful Natalie Crinean who lofted the ball over the onrushing Lewes keeper to make it 2-0 and a goal that Nat fully deserved.

Half Time 0-2

The second half got under way, in much the same way as the first half. Lesley Kay played a superb ball up the line into the space behind their right back for Hincks to run onto. She checked inside and struck just outside the box, but fortunately for the keeper who was well beaten the ball went over the crossbar.

Lewes then caught the Gills on the break and gave a little indication that they were capable of getting back into the game. Their midfielder found their striker unmarked on the edge of the box; she struck a low shot that Katie Duffy was equal too.

Within ten minutes of the restart Gills had strong appeals turned down for a penalty when it hit a Lewes defenders arm, as the protests went on and Lewes momentarily stopping the ball found Nat Crinean on the edge of the box.

She turned the defender the defender clipped Nat and the ref awarded pointed to the spot. Danielle Farmer stepped up, and lashed the penalty beyond the diving Lewes keeper to make it 3-0.

Just two minutes later and the game was put beyond the reach of the hosts as Ashlee Hincks made it 4-0. She hit an unstoppable drive from outside the area that had the keeper beaten all ends up and nestled into the back of the net.

As the game restarted Kelly Herrett had to come off as she had a bleeding wound, with the Gills down to ten men Lewes took advantage of the gap missing from Kelly's absence. A cross came in from the right and the Lewes forward rose highest to head home.

As the game came to an end, Captain Becky Lyon went close from a corner just heading wide as she went in search of her first goal of the season. It nearly came when a free kick was swung in and the Captain put the ball in the net only for it to be ruled out for offside.

Then with virtually the last kick of the game Les Kay gave away a free kick on the edge of the area which Lewes coolly dispatched.

Full Time 2-4

GillIngham: Duffy, Judd, Kay, Cooper (Foster), Herrett, Lyon, Farmer, Hincks, Crinean (Russ), Broad (Abbott) Ashton-Jones