By Chris Dicketts, pics courtesy of Richard Andrews
Gills Ladies reserves were comprehensive winners this weekend over a dogged Aylesford side in deceptively cold conditions at Martin Grove.
The Gills set about their opponents from the off and took the lead thanks to Lauren Harris early on. It wasn't long before Kylie Overton was adding a second and a third before Leanne Stevens scored a spectacular free kick.
The second half saw more of the same from the Gills but they had a few scares Beth Hulme pulled one back. Gemma Ridge made it 5-1 before Rebecca Barr netted Aylesford's second goal of the game.
After that the Gills were dominant and Amy Russ scored a spectacular effort from distance before Megan Cavell bagged a brace on debut to add the gloss to the score line.
Manager Sean Edwards was forced to shuffle his pack once more with Anelle Massey called up to the first team and Chloe Phillips missing out through injury.
It didn't seem to unsettle his side though, as they had an early chance in the third minute, when Amy Russ picked the ball up in midfield and drove at the Aylesford defence forcing Sam MacDonald into a good save.
Just three minutes and the impressive Lauren Harris netted the first goal of the game, Leanne Stevens picked out Kylie Overton who set the ball up and Harris headed home a powerful header from 12 yards.
Two minutes later Overton was nearly on the score sheet herself. Kate Foster cleared her lines with a powerful header that split the Aylesford defence and Overton raced through and forced the keeper into making a save.
In the 19th minute the striker did get on the score sheet after good work from Gemma Ridge who played a pin point ball over the top. Once again Overton latched onto it and lobbed the on rushing goal keeper for 2-0.
Just a minute later the Gills could have been further ahead when Amy Russ swung in a corner that was met at the near post by Sam Lester but her header crashed back off the upright.
Shortly after the centre half had her second chance of the game this time from a Leanne Stevens corner, after good work from Lauren Harris who harassed the Aylesford defence for the entire first half. Stevens swung in the dead ball and Lester again rose highest but her header was cleared off the line by the keeper.
It took until the 35th minute for Aylesford to really test Jessica Nunn in the Gills goal when Naomi Sales hit a first time shot straight at the young custodian.
In the 38th minute it was 3-0 to the Gills. Leanne Stevens who impressed once more with her dead ball situations hit the free kick forward. Kylie Overton picked up the ball, knocked over the top of the defender before lobbing the keeper into the top corner.
Two minutes later and the impressive Lauren Harris had a great chance to grab her second goal of the game, when she picked the ball up and unleashed a shot from 25 yards that just went over the cross bar.
With half time approaching the young forward was fouled once again which lead to Leanne Stevens hitting a speculative free kick at goal. It went into the bottom corner for 4-0 although quite what the keeper was doing no one knows, but none the less it was a sweetly struck free kick from distance.
In injury time Kirsty Goodall almost added a fifth but she saw her shot hacked away by the keeper when it looked for the entire world as it was going in.
Half time 4-0
Lauren Harris was replaced at half time through illness and a slight knock in the first half by Megan Cavell who was making her Gills debut.
Just a few seconds after kick off and the recent acquisition could have got on the score sheet, Kylie Overton picked her out after rounding the keeper, but the young striker put her shot agonisingly wide of the near post.
A minute later and Cavell must have been wondering if it was going to be her day as Kirsty Goodall fed her once more and her shot went wide of the far post this time.
In the 53rd a rare mistake by Kate Foster let in Beth Hulme who took the ball into the Gills area and slotted home under the on rushing Jessica Nunn to make it 4-1.
Full credit to the Gills who didn't panic and went straight up the other end and almost made it 5-1 to the home side. Amy Russ saw her initial shot saved by the keeper and Cavell following up put her shot wide once again.
Shortly after Gemma Ridge picked up the ball from Kerrie Scott, she turned and unleashed a shot from 20 yards that found its way into the back of the net past the stricken keeper.
They could only hold onto that score line for a minute as Aylesford who by this time were playing three up top. Broke away and Rebecca Barr riffled home a good strike from distance to pull the away side back into it once more at 5-2.
Just after the hour mark the Gills put the game to bed when Amy Russ smashed home a thirty yard strike with some aplomb, after threatening the goal on more than one occasion during the game.
Four minutes later and Megan Cavell finally got her name on the score sheet, she latched onto a through ball from Kylie Overton and calmly slotted home under the keeper.
Two minutes after that and she was on the score sheet once more as she collected a Kirsty Goodall shot, teed the ball up and volleyed the ball into the back of the net from 18 yards out.
With the clock ticking down the Gills could have had a ninth when Cavell played the ball to Gemma Ridge her ball found Kirsty Goodall but her shot was just wide of the far post.
One sour note for the Gills was the injury near the end of the game to Chloe Jamieson who was returning to the side after four months out. She went in for a 50/50 challenge in the midfield and had to be helped from the pitch in some discomfort.
It was a very impressive performance from the Reserve side that are still unbeaten in all competitions this season.
Full time 8-2
Gills: Nunn, Bolden (c), Foster, Lester, Scott, Russ, Stevens (Jamieson, 67), Goodall, Ridge, Overton, Harris (Cavell, 45)
Aylesford: MacDonald, Severn, Hulme, Herbert, Barr, Matstre, Witts, Howell, McCarthy, Pettett, Sales
Subs: Green, Hellard
