Gillingham Ladies suffered defeat in the first round of the FA Women’s Premier League Cup as Stevenage Ladies ran out 1-0 winners at Chatham Town’s CJ Doors Stadium.
Gills manager Jack Wheeler made four changes to the starting eleven with Olivia Jestin and Aileen Williams making their first starts for the Gills. Millie Waud and Esther Anu started after being on the bench last week against Charlton at Priestfield.
The Gills started brightly, Jenny Newman setting herself up with an early chance. The forwards sent her effort into the side netting. Minutes later, the forward would burst into the box for Stevenage’s Dominique Goodbeer to block and deny any threat.
Stevenage’s opening chance fell ten minutes into the tie, created by Amy Makewell, who took the ball in her stride in the middle of the Gills half before taking on her effort from 25 yards. The strike was high and wide of the right hand post.
Stevenage would test the Gills again on the half hour mark, first Makewell would force Courtney Shanly into action, the Gills keeper would need to get low to tip away an effort on the far bottom corner. As Stevenage pressed, Nicole Emmings tries a speculative effort sending a looping shot over the Gills keeper but also past the crossbar.
Stevenage ended the half on the more positive and took advantage of that. Nicole Emmings took an effort on from range and found the bottom corner of the target, beyond the fingertips of Courtney Shanly. 0-1
Emmings looked to have almost doubled Stevenage’s lead when in the last minute of the half and mere meters out, managed to send her effort straight and Shanly to deny the striker another goal.
HALF TIME: GILLINGHAM LFC 0 STEVENAGE LFC 1 (Emmings 40’)
After the restart Gills opened the half with the first effort, jade Keogh’s freekick was pinpoint onto Kallie Balfour, the forward managing a header but straight into the arms of the Stevenage goalkeeper.
Balfour was at the heart of Gills next attack, a long ball over the top of the Stevenage defence gave the forward a throughway on goal. An effort on target was saved down low by Katherine Long to deny Balfour a leveller. From the resulting corner Stevenage cleared the ball but only to Emily Symonds on the edge of the penalty area, the full back’s shot narrowly missed the crossbar.
Gills would force Stevenage’s goalkeeper Katherine Long into action again with fifteen minutes left on the clock. First Emily Symonds goalbound shot was tipped over the crossbar with a fine save by the Stevenage stopper. Minutes later Esther Anu would find time and space inside the box to try her luck, Long was on hand again to thwart any effort with a superb instinct reaction to block the shot.
As the game ticked into the final moments of the game, Gills forced a corner and threw everything to find a late equaliser. Stevenage remained strong as they had all game and cleared the danger.
FULL TIME: GILLINGHAM LFC 0 STEVENAGE LFC 1 (Emmings 40’)
Gillingham Ladies: Courtney Shanly, Vanisha Patel, Millie Waud, Olivia Jestin (Sharna Giordani, 67’), Lotti Klatt, Emily Symonds, Aileen Williams (Rachel Ahern 67’), Esther Anu, Jade Keogh, Jenny Newman, Kallie Balfour
Subs: Cara Davies, Niamh Jestin, Rachel Ahern, Sharna Giordani
Stevenage Ladies: Katherine Long, Tanya Blacksley, Paige Logie, Kristi Burling, Dominique Godbeer, Emma Marshall, Lisa Milliken, Amy Makewell, Donna McGuigan, Leah Littlechild, Nicole Emmings
Subs: Rebecca Scola, Jade Beckett
Att: 124
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