Lady luck well and truly deserted Gillingham Women as a late MK Dons Women goal took the points on a bitter afternoon at the Bauvill Stadium.

After Mollie Couper had netted her 20th goal of the season for the visitors, Maddie Farrand beat MK keeper Chloe Sansom with a great shot, but was so unlucky when the ball cannoned off the foot of the left post and rebounded straight into the relieved keeper’s arms.

Shortly afterwards the final whistle blew and the points were heading to Milton Keynes.

A tight first half saw both sides having half chances – Mary Bashford headed at the keeper, Mel Espinosa shot wide and Breon Grant was inches away from converting Grace Coombs’ driven centre.

The visitors’ best effort fell to Amy McLean whose looping header dropped the wrong side of the bar before the best chance of the half fell to Grant and her first time volley that was well held by keeper Sansom.

The Gills were rocked by an injury to skipper and centre back Vicky Ashton-Jones just before the break after the back-line had looked well set.

The home stepped up the pace after the break and will be so frustrated that they didn’t force home the advantage. Great play from Mary Bashford down the right saw a deep cross to the back post for Espinosa who just couldn’t hit the target side footed.

Espinosa then turned provider playing a terrific through ball for Grant to run onto, but the Gills striker couldn’t get enough height on the ball to lob the advancing Samson, who then did really well to deny Lottie Sharp.

Gemma Biggadike left Gills keeper Cara Davies motionless with a drive that didn’t beat the left post by much before the game was held up by a sickening coming together with Megan Maslak and the Dons’ Kerry Newman – thankfully both players were able to continue after lengthy treatment.

The break seemed to spur on the Dons as they had their best spell – McLean was superbly denied by Coombs’ great block; Angelina Dixon skied a great chance running onto Coupar’s ball before substitute Tricia Gould twice fired over from the edge of the box.

What proved to be the game’s only goal then arrived as Dixon on the break this time played Coupar in and her low drive gave Davies no chance.

In eight minutes of stoppage time, the home side almost salvaged a point as Grant fired into the side netting much to her own bitter disappointment before the heartbreak at the end with Farrand’s shot beating Sansom but not the post.

GILLINGHAM WOMEN – Davies, Houssein, Coombs, Ashton-Jones (Leitch (Jestin), Jeffkins, Maslak, Bashford, Grant, Espinosa (Farrand), Haynes, Sharp (Fordjour)

Subs – Keegan

MK DONS WOMEN – Sansom, Warren, Puddick, Biggadike, Stovold, Dixon, Barrat (Miles), Coupar, Brown (Giddings), McLean (Gould), Newman

Subs – Mitchell, Samuels

REFEREE – Mr Walsh

Picture supplied by Gillingham Women.