Visitors Coventry United Ladies took maximum points back to the West Midlands in emphatic style on Sunday afternoon with a 9-0 victory over Gillingham Ladies.

Coventry came into the middle of the table tie on the back two games without scoring, while Jack Wheeler looked to his Gills side to bounce back from the previous game in which he saw his side suffer home defeat to C&K Basildon.

Wheeler made two changes to the starting eleven from the previous game, Millie Waud replaced the injured Vanisha Patel while Wheeler opted for an attacking chance by dropping Lotti Klatt in place of Sharna Giordani.

Coventry started the game very brightly while Gills struggled to find their feet in the opening of the fixture. An early chance fell for Coventry as XX produced a shot but fortunately for Gillingham it was straight at Courtney Shanly, the Gills keeper scooping up the effort.

The visitors were soon ahead on the eleventh minute. Alex Buck delivering a pin point cross into the penalty area. Alison Hall rose above her marker to head home past Shanly to give Coventry the lead. 0-1

Hall would again test the Gillingham defence with another headed chance. Helen Dermody’s corner found Hall inside the six yard box. Her header looped over the bar into the top of the net.

Coventry extended their lead in the twenty sixth minute, Darmody with a set piece was headed down by Amber Hughes to Marie Gauntlett. Gauntlett struck the ball with venom, to hit home from an angle, past a crowd of Gills defenders and into the roof of the net. 0-2

Gillingham forced their first opportunity of the game on the half hour mark. Danni Farmer’s smart ball lofted over the top of the Coventry defence gave Kallie Balfour space to run on to. The forward burst into the box before a well timed defensive tackled blocked Balfour from finishing a shot and the Coventry goalkeeper Susan Wood cleared the danger.

A minute later though and the host had their third goal of the match. Elizabeth Steele managed a cross from the wing, Amber Hughes latched onto the bouncing ball and a well taken volley saw the ball fly into the left hand side of the net. 0-3

HALF TIME: GILLINGHAM LFC 0 COVENTRY UNITED LFC 3 (Hall 11′, Gauntlett 26′, Hughes 34′)

As the second half got underway, Coventry started as they left off. Amber Hughes collected the ball by the half way line, turning the Gillingham defence before cutting inside and getting a shot away on the edge of the penalty area. The strike nestled into the bottom right corner beyond the fingertips of Shanly to round off a remarkable solo goal. 0-4

Within ten minutes of the restart the visitors were awarded a fairly soft penalty. As the ball ran loose on the edge of the area, Millie Waud contested for the ball with the Coventry player going forward. Both sliding in and coming together, it was Waud that was adjudged by referee Silvester Aina to have impeded the Coventry player to the bemusement of the Gillingham players.

Marie Gauntlett stepped up and cooly slotted the ball low into the corner from the penalty spot. 0-5

Gills set piece misery wasn’t to end for the day. A handball given against Sharna Giordani handed Coventry a free kick on the edge of the penalty area. Helen Darmody placed a powerful dipping shot over Courtney Shanly and underneath the crossbar. 0-6

Gillingham would also finish the game with just ten players when captain Jade Keogh saw a second yellow for a foul. With Keogh already sitting on a yellow card, as Stephanie Smith broke past the Gills midfielder she bought down the Coventry player. Referee Aina held no hesitation to dismiss Keogh.

Gills looked to battle back and nearly found a consolation. Jenny Newman’s neat through ball played in Kallie Balfour one on one against Susan Wood. Balfour rounded the keeper but was thwarted by Alex Buck with a last ditch sliding challenge, cleaning winning the ball for goalkeeper Wood to clear away the danger.

With a player advantage, Coventry were able to stretch the game to the max. Rosie McDonnell was able to utilise space on the wing to deliver a cross into the edge of the six yard box. Second half substitute Leah Sieunright duly finishing the move by crashing a shot off the underside of the crossbar. 0-7

Rosie McDonnell assisted Coventry’s eight goal in similar fashion to their seventh. A cross from the left wing found Marie Gauntlett to send a header into the net and round off the forward’s hat trick of the game. 0-8

Smart one two passes between Alison Hall and Amber Hughes did the damage for Coventry’s ninth and final goal of the game. The passing play made way into the box, a square ball across the six yard area found Gauntlett to notch her fourth of the tie. 0-9

FULL TIME: GILLINGHAM LFC 0 COVENTRY UNITED LFC 9 (Hall 11′, Gauntlett 26′ 54′ 77′ 83′, Hughes 34′ 50′, Dermody 65′, Sieuright 75′)

Gillingham Ladies: Courtney Shanly, Rachel Ahern, Millie Waud, Emily Symonds (Lotti Klatt), Grace Seely, Jade Keogh, Danni Farmer, Esther Anu, Sharna Giordani (Yasmin Poole), Jenny Newman, Kallie Balfour (Aileen Williams)

Gillingham Ladies Unused Subs: Cara Davies

Coventry United Ladies: Susan Wood, Alex Buck, Rosie McDonnell, Stephanie Smith, Anna Wilcox, Katie Screnson, Elizabeth Steele, Helen Dermody, Alison Hall, Marie Gauntlett, Amber Hughes

Coventry United Subs: Leah Sieunright, Natalie Haigh, Laura Cooper, Maisie Jerrim

Att: 50

Images courtesy of http://kentproimages.co.uk/html-default/