Gills Ladies bounced back with victory over Spurs Ladies on Sunday afternoon with the earliest goal the Ladies have ever scored.

Natalie Crinean found the net with just 37 seconds on the clock and that would prove to the difference between the two sides.

No sooner had the referee blown his whistle for kick off than Jo Ayer was picking the ball out of her net.  A great move starting at the back for the Gills saw the ball out wide and a first time cross into the box was back heeled home by Natalie Crinean, putting the home side 1-0 up.

Within the first minute Vicky Ashton-Jones also found Natalie Crinean show saw her shot straight at Ayer as the Lades came out of the traps fast.

With five minutes gone a Danni Farmer back pass put the Gills keeper Sarah Quantrill under some pressure with Rosie Webb lurking.

Five minutes later and Danni Farmer found Natalie Crinean with a long ball but the striker pulled her shot wide of the far post.

Spurs first sight of goal came in the 15th minute when a long range shot failed to test Sarah Quantrill as it drifted harmlessly wide.

The Ladies hit the cross bar with 18 minutes gone, Lauren Phillips picked the ball up out wide and saw her cross come shot, smash off the top of the cross bar.

Spurs first effort on target came in the 22nd minute when Nicola Cable saw her initial shot blocked,  the ball fell to Emma Kayser who fired straight at Sarah Quantrill.

Shortly before the half hour mark and a Leah Jones cross was met in the middle of the penalty area but Emma Tune who headed straight at Jo Ayer in the Spurs goal.

Lauren Phillips could quite get on the end of an inviting cross from Danielle Carlton in the 33rd minute.

Shortly before half time an Emma Kayser corner was headed over by Wendy Martin from the six yard area as Spurs looked for an equaliser.

On the stroke of half time Vicky Ashton-Jones found herself with time and space to have a shot but saw it go straight at the keeper.

Half Time 1-0

In the second half it was the Gills who again came out of the traps the quickest as they looked to try and get a second goal.

Vicky Ashton-Jones picked the ball up on and picked out Natalie Crinean, she drove into the Spurs area and fired her shot wide of the far post with the keeper to beat.

In the 48th minute a Leah Jones corner was cleared but only as far as Danielle Carlton, but she saw her shot comfortably gathered by Jo Ayer.

As Spurs looked to press for an equaliser the game became stretched but neither side could really great a goal scoring opportunity.

Wendy Martin fired straight at Sarah Quantrill who gratefully gathered the ball with half an hour left on the clock.

With twenty minutes to go the Gills had a couple of good chances to kill the game first Vicky Ashton-Jones fired wide. Then Natalie Crinean broke into the area and saw her shot go agonisingly wide of the near post.

Late on in the game and Laura East had two chances to get on the score sheet for the Gills, she connected twice with a Leah Jones cross and saw both efforts go wide of the post, as the Gills looked for a killer second goal.

The three points puts the Gills on 19 points for the season, two points ahead of their total from last season, already making it their best season in the Southern Premiership.

Full Time 1-0

Gills: Quantrill, Williams, Carlton, Cooper, Farmer, Ashton-Jones (Hardaker, 88), Crinean, Phillips (East, 66), Tune, Taylor (Cheedy, 75), Jones

Subs not used: Smith

Spurs: Ayer, Hall, O’Houran, Cheeseman, Vyse, Cable, Puttuck, Martin, Kayser, Schillachi, Webb

Subs: Heathm Thompson, Golding

Picture supplied by Julian Hart