It was a disappointing afternoon for Gills Ladies as the fell to defeat against bottom of the table QPR Ladies on a bitterly cold Sunday afternoon at Chatham Town FC.
It was QPR who took the lead when Amy Taylor headed a corner into her own net; the visitors increased that lead after half time through Kim Meadows before Kallie Balfour pulled a goal back for the hosts.
The first chance of the game fell to Sophie Fogarty of QPR who couldn’t quite direct her shot on goal from an Eartha Pond corner.
Gills Ladies first chance came through Taylor who hit a shot straight at Cheadle from the edge of the area.
Fogarty was then involved in the next chance of the game in the 19th minute when her shot forced Charlotte Stephens into a good save. The resulting corner was headed out of the area, and swung back in again, causing momentary panic in the Gills defence before their lines were cleared.
Stephens was called into action again on the half hour mark to save smartly from a Petit shot just outside the penalty area.
The next Gills chance came in the 33rd minute when Danielle Carlton played a ball out wide to Kallie Balfour, but she could only find the keepers grateful arms with her shot.
The visitors were ahead shortly after when Pond swung a corner into the box, and Taylor was the unfortunate one of four players who could have headed the ball into her own net, making it 0-1.
Balfour got in just before half time thanks to a great pass from Jay Blackie, but she couldn’t direct her shot on target from an acute angle.
Half Time 0-1
Unfortunately the second half didn’t in truth get much better for the Gills despite creating more chances than in the first half.
The first chance of the second half went the way of the Gills but Emma Tune could only fire her shot straight at the keeper.
A minute later and QPR went 2-0 up thanks to a cross come shot from Elly Thomson that found its way to Meadows in the six yard box, and she had the simple task of slotting home past Stephens.
The Gills created two half chances shortly after the goal, one fell to Blackie the other to Jade Keogh, but neither could test the keeper.
Balfour then got the Gills back in the match on the hour mark, when she made a great run down the right wing before cutting into the area and firing past the keeper into the bottom corner, to make it 1-2.
In the 72nd minute the Gills were denied an equaliser by a coat of paint. Tune slid in a great tackle just outside the area, picking the pocket of a QPR midfielder. The ball sat up nicely for her and she fired her shot goal wards, only to see it crash back off the cross bar.
Blackie has the Gills final two chances with a header and a shot from the edge of the area going straight at the keeper.
The Gills will now turn their attentions to the Ryman League Cup semi-final on Wednesday evening against Enfield Town at Chatham Town FC.
Full Time 1-2
Gills: Stephens, Taylor (Brown, 45), Ahern, Willliams, Wood (Pepper, 53), Blackie, Tune, Carlton, Balfour, Keogh, Crinean (C)
Subs not used: Jackson, Russ
QPR: Cheadle, Gover, Pond, Staples, Petit, Dempster, Thomson, Maggs, O’Leary, Fogarty, Meadows
Subs: Bytyqi, Gubler, Walker
Picture supplied by Julian Hart Photography