By Chris Dicketts
Gills Ladies stay top of the South East Combination Women's League after beating opponents MK Dons at Martin Grove in what was a less than convincing performance.
The Gills were amongst the goals early on as Deanna Cooper put the Gills ahead after just three minutes, what was surprising is that it took until the 35th minute for Natalie Crinean to score the Gills second.
Ashlee Hincks who just can't stop scoring at the moment slotted home the third just before half time, closely followed by Deanna Cooper's second goal of the game.
After half time Laura East added a fifth before MK Dons hit back with an own goal from Whitney Judd and a speculative effort from Caroline Moran. The Gills once again showed their class to come back from these two sucker punches and it was Captain Becky Lyon leading by example to thump home her first goal of the season and the Gills sixth.
Manager Ian Varley stuck with the same team that beat Enfield the week before and that stability of naming the same starting eleven paid off.
As early as the second minute the Gills should have gone ahead when a cross field ball found Vicky Ashton-Jones. Her cross picked out Ashlee Hincks and with just the goalkeeper to beat the striker slotted agonisingly wide of the far post.
Just a minute later and the Gills did go ahead, Becky Lyon played a ball out from the back that found Hincks, she raced clear and she played in Deanna Cooper who raced into the area and calmly slotted home from close range.
The Gills then didn't muster a shot on goal for seven minutes and when it came it fell to the feet of Hincks once more. Jodie Mugford turned provider once more and the unstoppable Hincks raced into the area but hit her shot straight at the keeper.
Good work in the 14th minute created yet another chance for the Gills, Vicky Ashton-Jones whipped in a cross, Ashlee Hincks rose highest and headed on to strike partner Natalie Crinean but her shot was straight at Charlene Ward in the MK Dons goal.
In the 33rd minute the impressive Deanna Cooper was fouled on the edge of the area and Ashlee Hincks stepped up and curled her free kick just wide of the post.
In the 35th minute Lyon and Hincks were at the heart of creating the Gills second goal. The Captain once again played a ball out from the back that found Hincks, she played in Natalie Crinean and with the keeper on rushing the striker slotted underneath her for 2-0.
In the 41st minute Ashlee Hincks cut in from the touch line and played the ball to Jodie Mugford, she took a touch and hit a shot from the edge of the area that went just wide of the near post.
The Gills then all but killed the game off before half time with two goals inside a minute to leave their opponents demoralised.
This time it was Deanna Cooper who turned provider to Ashlee Hincks, who took the ball around the MK Dons centre half with ease and powered home her shot from the edge of the 18 yard box.
A minute later and it was 4-0, Jodie Mugford found Deanna Copper on the edge of the area and the defensive midfielder calmly lifted her shot over the keeper and into the roof of the net.
Half time 4-0
The Gills picked up in the second half where they left off in the first half with chances falling thick and fast to the Gills attackers.
In the 47th minute Vicky Ashton-Jones really should have scored but saw her shot cannon back off the cross bar, after she was played in by Ashlee Hincks.
It took until the 54th minute before MK Dons had their first chance of the match when Caroline Moran hit a shot straight at Katie Duffy from just inside the Gills area.
A minute later they could and should have scored but Katie Duffy pulled out a great save from MK Dons striker Mikaela Welford's shot.
Two minutes later and the Gills were 5-0 up thanks to a rare strike from Laura East. Deanna Cooper was fouled just outside the MK Dons area. She stepped up and hit a free kick that made its way to Laura East who guided her shot into the bottom left hand corner.
The Gills gave the Dons a lifeline on the hour mark when a poor back pass from Becky Lyon not helped by the pitch let in Lauren Goodier her shot was well saved by Katie Duffy. The resulting corner wasn't cleared by the Gills and Hannah Cunningham hit a speculative shot that took a deflection off Whitney Judd and pass Katie Duffy to make it 5-1.
Three minutes later and the Gills were almost caught out again, when an awkward bounce caught out Lyon as she went to clear her lines and ball fell to Welford but Katie Duffy was equal to her shot.
In the 65th minute substitute Danni Farmer hit a shot wide of the far post after she was played in by Ashlee Hincks.
Natalie Crinean played in Ashlee Hincks shortly after who turned her defender inside and out before unleashing a shot that was well saved by the goalkeeper.
MK Dons pulled another goal back with 15 minutes left on the clock as the Gills once again failed to clear their lines from a corner.
The ball bounced around the area before it fell to Caroline Moran who slotted her shot home through a crowd of players.
It took just two minutes for the Gills to hit back with their sixth goal of the game and seal all three points for the home team.
Laura East sent Ashlee Hincks away and she cut into the area and hit a shot that the keeper did well to tip round her near post. The resulting corner found its way to Anna Broad on the edge of the MK Dons area, she played a ball to Natalie Crinean who in turn found Captain Becky Lyon who hit her shot into the bottom corner from the just inside the Dons area, to much wild celebration from the Captain.
Danni Farmer played in Natalie Crinean in the 83rd minute when she was set free down the left hand side of midfield. The striker did well to get away from her marker but her shot was straight at the MK Dons keeper, who had an impressive afternoon despite conceding six goals.
With two minutes left on the clock substitute Rachel Ahern had a great chance to add to the scoreline. Crinean played her in on the edge of the area, she showed quickness of feet to take the defender out of the equation but hit her shot straight at the keeper, with the goal at her mercy.
Full time 6-2
Girl of the Match: Deanna Cooper
Gills: Duffy, Judd, Herrett, Lyon(c), Kay, Cooper (Ahern, 76), East, Mugford (Broad, 67), Hincks, Crinean, Ashton-Jones (Farmer, 49)
Subs not used: Russ
6-2: Ward, Costin, Cunningham, Thurston, Doyle, McDonnell (Dean, 85), Moran, Wright, Welford, Goodier, Gallagher
Subs not used: Hopper, Kirby
