Gills secure comfortable 4-1 victory
A sublime hat trick from Kallie Balfour plus a goal from Jade Keogh sealed a third win of the season for Gillingham Ladies as they easily dispatched off Norwich City Ladies at Chatham Town FC on Sunday.
The game started with Gills Ladies trying hard to get their foot into the game and after eight minutes they scored with their first chance on goal.
Gills won a free kick deep into the Norwich half and Keogh stood over the ball and drilled a beautiful high shot from twenty five yards and the ball passed everyone and into the back of the net.
Norwich had a chance to get back on levels terms as a deflection from Keogh put Natasha Shelling on goal. She got away from Williams to have a shot on goal but the shot was easily saved by Shanley.
Shelling did not let up at her next chance as she got Norwich back on level terms as some neat play saw her get the ball and hit a high shot towards goal from over twenty yards out and the ball zipped past Shanley and nestled into the back of the net.
Balfour had a great chance to give Gills back the lead as she broke though on goal and squeezed a shot passed the outrushing Coombes, but sadly the ball trickled wide of the post and out for a goal kick.
Balfour then had another chance to score as she got the ball and cut inside a defender before hitting a shot towards goal from outside the penalty box, but she got too much under shot and the ball went high over the crossbar.
Norwich had a chance to take the lead as Snelling continued to work the Gills defence hard and she eventually got the ball before hitting a low shot from outside the penalty box but it was easily saved again by Shanley.
Gillingham went straight up the other end and had another chance to score as a cross from the left came the way of Shannon Redhouse. She did well to get the ball which was coming in quite high and she hit the ball towards goal but Coombes pulled off a great high save to deny her.
Gills then retook the lead just before half time as some good work from Lydia Willis saw her deliver a great through ball to Balfour who then sprinted away and hit a superb low show which sped past Coombes and into the empty net.
The second half with Gills on the back foot bas Norwich kept coming forward looking to get back on level terms. A good cross from Emma Allsopp brought out another good low save from Shanley as she denied Snelling from six yards out.
Emma Tune was then brought on for Gills to help bolster the midfield. and it paid off as Gills added a third goal as a great through ball was played through to Balfour and she raced away before hit a cool low shot past Coombes and into the bottom right corner of the net.
Gills could have added a fourth goal as Balfour broke down the right wing and hit a beautiful cross into the penalty box. The ball was only part cleared straight to Lauren Williams who hit a powerful shot towards goal but it went wide of the post.
Balfour then completed her hat trick as Redhouse worked hard down the right wing and hit a delightful cross to Balfour who got ahead of her defender and placed the ball past Coombes to add a fourth goal for the Gills.
Gills did have the ball in the back of the net for a fifth time as Balfour broke through on goal and she had Ashleigh Loosemore and Redhouse for company. She decided to pass the ball to Redhouse who hit the ball into the net but the linesman flagged for offside and the goal was disallowed.
Final Score: Gillingham Ladies 4 Norwich City Ladies 1
Line ups:
Gillingham Ladies:
Courtney Shanley, Lauren Williams (c), Charlie Thurston, Rachel Ahern, Fiona Constable, Jade Keogh, Maddison North, Katie Hardacker, Lydia Willis, Kallie Balfour, Shannon Redhouse.
Subs: Imogen Alabaster, Georgia Reece, Emma Tune, Chelsea Wallace, Ashleigh Loosemore