Brighton came from behind to take all three points back to Sussex in a disappointing first home game of the season for the Gills.
Pic by CK Portraits
Danni Farmer had given the Gills the lead in the 19th minute straight from a corner before Amy Found scored a free kick from 25 yards out to equalise. In the second half Brighton made sure of the points from a 63rd minute corner when Stevie Lamb poked home unmarked.
As the teams came out to kick off the heavens opened and that was to make the game more interesting especially in the second half where the pitch was slightly greasy on top.
Brighton had the first sight of goal in the third minute when Laura East was penalised for pulling Gemma Fraser’s shirt. Amy Found stepped up but curled her free kick well wide of Chloe Baker’s near post.
The Seagulls were certainly making life difficult for the Gills early on, their next chance came in the 5th minute when a Kirsty Barton corner was headed wide by Carly Noakes and all this came as Sian Cheedy had put a great block in on Charley Boswell’s cross.
They should really have taken the lead in the 8th minute when Amy Found crossed to an unmarked Gemma Fraser in the Gills six yard box. With just the keeper to beat she headed over Chloe Baker’s cross bar.
The Gills first attempt on goal came in the 10th minute and it came after Deanna Cooper was fouled by Faye Rabson. Danni Farmer stepped up and swung in the free-kick which was cleared to Emma Tune on the edge of the box, she fired in a low shot that went wide of Charlotte Sole’s post.
In the 19th minute it got even better for the Gills when they went 1-0 up. Natalie Crinean made a great run down the left hand side forcing a corner. Danni Farmer stepped up to take the corner and saw it sail straight into the top corner unchallenged.
Chloe Bake pulled off a great save in the 23rd minute to keep the Gills in the lead from a Kim Stenning shot.
Brighton were to equalise in the 24th minute with a well take free-kick by Amy Found who left Chloe Baker with no chance putting her kick round the wall and into the top corner from 25 yards out.
The Gills had a great chance to go back in front in the 36th minute, Emma Tune set Natalie Crinean away down the right wing and she cut inside but fired her shot into the side netting.
With five minutes of the first half left to play Kirsty Barton played in Gemma Fraser but her shot was poorly struck and was easy for Chloe Baker to deal with.
Half Time 1-1
Once again as the two teams came out to kick off in the second half the heavens opened and it started to drop down.
The first sight of goal once again went to Amy Found who stepped up and tried to repeat her earlier free-kick after a foul by Laura East but this time she couldn’t find the same result.
Brighton put pressure on the Gills goal in the 50th minute when they were awarded a succession of corners but couldn’t find the back of the net.
Chloe Baker was again called into action for the Gills just shy of the hour mark when she did well to gather a Kim Stenning shot at the second attempt on a slipper surface.
Danni Farmer tried her luck from distance shortly after but her shot went wide with Charlotte Sole off her line following a poor clearance by the Brighton keeper.
Unfortunately for the Gills they were to concede from a corner in the 63rd minute when Kirsty Barton swung in the delivery and Stevie Lamb was to poke home from six yards unmarked to make it 1-2.
Natalie Crinean was to try her luck from distance in the 73rd minute having taken the ball on the chest she turned and fired a shot over Sole’s cross bar.
The Gills came close in the 78th minute when Deanna Cooper forced a corner and Danni Farmer’s corner fizzed across the six yard box and Deanna Cooper couldn’t quite get on the end of it.
There was a let off in the 85th minute for the Gills when another succession of Brighton corners resulted in Stevie Lamb finding the net only for it to be ruled out for a foul on a Gills player.
With the Ladies pushing for an equaliser they were nearly caught on the break once again, Lucy Somes was put through by a long ball but she found Chloe Baker in great form to put the ball round the post for a corner.
There was one final chance for the Gills in the 91st minute but a Jodie Mugford cross couldn’t quite find Laura East on the penalty spot.
Full Time 1-2
Gills: Baker, Hardaker, Jones S, East, Cheedy, Cooper, Ashton-Jones (Mugford, 64), Tune, Crinean, Phillips (Smith, 75), Farmer
Subs not used: Poole, Abbott, Flint
Brighton: Sole, Boswell, Rabson, Barton, Noakes, Thompson, Pound, Lamb, Stenning (Somes, 72), Fraser (Whitcombe, 85), Hinton
Subs not used: Wells, McCullock,