By Chris Dicketts
Gillingham Ladies got their season off to the best possible start this afternoon with a 1-0 away victory against Charlton on Sunday afternoon.
The only goal of the game came in the second half as Ashlee Hincks curled a free kick into the top corner after a foul on Deanna Cooper.
Ian Varley handed a number of competitive debuts to his players including summer signings Stacey McConville, Sian Cheedy, Lauren Williams and new loan signing Becky Spencer.
The opening minutes of the season were always going to be a tight affair as both teams looked to find their feet and suss each other out.
It was the hosts who started the better of the two teams and showed why they had been playing Premiership football for a number of years, with some good passing.
In as early as the 4th minute Pam McRoberts was testing the Gills defence with a cross into the area that was picked up by Grace Coombs but her first touch was straight at Becky Spencer in the Gills goal.
Ciara Sherwood was the next Charlton to player to test the Gills defence, her cross took an unfortunate deflection off Rachel Ahern and landed at the feet of striker Gemma Bryan but her shot was weak and at Becky Spencer.
For all their possession in the early stages Charlton played the ball over the top on numerous occasions for Gemma Bryan to use her pace to latch onto. In the 14th minute one such ball found her and she beat Lauren Williams and Sian Cheedy before hitting a shot wide of the near post.
The Gills first real sniff of the Charlton area came in the 16th minute after a good ball to Vicky Ashton-Jones found her in acres of space. Her cross unfortunately couldn't find a Gills player in the penalty area.
The Gills defence were doing well to deal with the multiple balls over the top aimed at setting the quick Bryan away. Yet in the 17th minute new signing Stacey McConville announced her arrival in a Gills shirt with a fantastic sliding tackle in front of the dugouts on Ciara Sherwood.
In the 20th minute the Gills defence was stretched as Gemma Bryan picked up the ball and unleashed a snap shot that was straight at Becky Spencer.
The Gills were awarded a free kick in the 27th minute after a foul on Deanna Cooper. Ashlee Hincks stepped up and swung the ball into the box, it was cleared for a corner, but the Gills couldn't create a shot on goal from either opportunity.
There were 30 minutes on the clock when Kim Dixon unleashed the quick Bryan with a superb pass; she raced into the Gills area. Just as she went to take a first touch she found Becky Lyon racing across to get an important block in.
A minute later and Vicky Ashton-Jones pace was too much to handle for the Charlton defence, as she was brought down just outside the area. Ashlee Hincks stepped up and from around 20 yards saw her free kick smash back off the post.
On 35 minutes the Gills were dealt a blow as Becky Lyon was forced off with a neck injury and was replaced by midfielder Amy Russ. This prompted a reshuffle for manager Ian Varley with Rachel Ahern slotting in at centre half.
Just before half time the Gills fashioned their best chance from open play. Lauren Williams saw her pass go out for a corner. Hincks swung the ball into the area, it was played by Danni Farmer to Natalie Crinean but her snap shot went wide.
Half Time 0-0
The second half started in much the same vein as the first with the Gills on the back foot and Charlton having the bulk of possession.
Bryan was fouled in the 50th minute around 25 yards from goal and Toni Alden sent a free kick into the Gills area that was easily gathered by Becky Spencer.
In the 53rd minute Charley Clifford came the closest Charlton had been to scoring as her shot hit the post and away to safety.
Becky Spencer underlined why she is such a highly rated keeper in the 55th minute tipping a spectacular effort from Bryan over the bar for a corner.
A minute later Natalie Crinean found herself being booked for what looked like a well timed tackle in the middle of the park. Clifford sent the free kick into the Gills area and through a combination of Spencer and Amy Russ the ball was cleared to safety.
The Gills took the lead in the 71st minute against the run of play thanks to a sweetly taken free kick by Ashlee Hincks. Deanna Cooper picked the ball up and took it past two Charlton players before being unceremoniously upended.
Hincks then stepped up and from 25 yards out hit a spectacular free kick that hit the right hand post before going into the back of the net to make it 1-0 to the Gills.
Substitute Kris Manktelow then showed that she had pace to burn as she cut inside Sian Cheedy and unleashing a shot that went out for a corner. The resulting corner was cleared by Amy Russ.
In the 76th minute Grace Coombs forced Becky Spencer into a top draw save as she unleashed a shot from distance. The Gills shot stopper was equal to it though as she tipped it over the crossbar for a corner, the corner was headed away by Deanna Cooper.
Charlton pushed forward as the clocked ticked down in search of an equaliser and they created number of half chances which could have got them a point.
Ashlee Hincks gave away a free kick in the 89th minute for a needless foul. The ball was sent into the packed Gills area by Coombs but it was headed half clear by Stacey McConville before being smashed up field by Lauren Williams.
With the game in extra time Amy Russ almost put the game beyond any doubt. She picked the ball up 25 yards out and unleashed a ferocious shot that crashed back off the Charlton crossbar.
The Gills didn't perform to their usual high standards on the day but the important thing was that they came away from the game with three points, despite Charlton being the better team.
Full Time 0-1
Gills: Spencer, Williams, Lyon (c) (Russ, 28), Cheedy, McConville, Ahern, Cooper, Farmer, Ashton-Jones, Crinean (Jeffery, 60), Hincks
Subs not used: Phillips, Nunn, Kay
Charlton: Lynch, McRoberts, Alden, Dixon, Duggan, Flack (c), Sherwood (Bailes, 87), Coombs, Clifford, Bryan, Simmons (Manketelow, 68)
Subs not used: Poole, Newman, Igauboa
