Gillingham Ladies secured a place in the Kent FA Women’s Cup Semi Final after an 8-0 away win at Herne Bay Ladies.

Gills found scoring form with a Hatrick from Jenny Newman, a brace from Esther Anu along with a header from Bethany Nugent and An Own Goal.

Manager Jack Wheeler named a strong side with few changes to his previous starting side in the league. Aileen Williams and Bethany Nugent starting the game in the places of Kylie Manktelow and Kallie Balfour.

Gills Ladies early pressure nearly had impact in the opening minutes of the game. With just three minutes on the clock, on a Gills attack, Bethany Nugent found a chance to shoot ten yards out. Herne Bay’s goalkeeper Rachel Golding blocked the effort. Esther Anu was quickest to react to the rebound but only sent her follow up straight at Golding and Herne Bay cleared the danger.

Nugent and Anu had chances again ten minutes in. Nugent saw her shot blocked by the Herne Bay defence before Anu tried her luck to see the effort wide of the post.

Aileen Williams had the next chance after Anu had played in a cross from the wing. Williams sent her shot over the crossbar.

Herne Bay’s goalkeeper Golding was again in action to keep the scores level. In the twelfth minute, Golding blocked Anu’s shot with her feet to deny an opening goal.

Gills captain Jade Keogh would step up to break the deadlock. Keogh sent a low shot, neatly between the defenders and into the bottom corner. 1-0

After the opening goal, Herne Bay came back at Gills looking for an quick equaliser. Sophie Gifford had two chances to level. First she tried an effort with a quickly taken shot but she was off target. Gifford was then played through one on one with Courtney Shanly and the Gills keeper got down low to tip the shot wide.

Gills countered the Herne Bay attack and just a minute after Shanly’s save the Gills doubled their lead. Jenny Newman’s turned a header from a corner on goal and the Herne Bay defender on the post was only able to divert the ball into the net. 2-0

Newman was on target again five minutes later, an unmarked run at the far post, this time latching onto Esther Anu’s cross with a diving header. 3-0

Former Herne Bay player Danni Farmer looked to add to Gills tally with a speculative half volley, but Herne Bay’s keeper was able to deal with it at ease.

Jenny Newman added a fourth Gills goal on the stroke of half time. Gills forward cooly slotted a shot past Golding from inside the penalty area. 4-0

HALF TIME | HERNE BAY LADIES 0 GILLINGHAM LADIES 4 (KEOGH 16′, OWN GOAL 32′, NEWMAN 37′ 45′)

After the interval, Gills continued with the same intensity as the first half. Two minutes after the restart Esther Anu was quickest to react to a lose ball inside the penalty area, sending a shot past Golding for Gills fifth of the game. 5-0

Anu’s involvement at start to the second half was quite an impact. After her goal, Anu stepped up to a free kick which narrowly missed the left post. Five minutes later Anu double her tally for the game. Jenny Newman sent in a cross to the far post, Anu converted the ball with a smart finish. 6-0

Gills had a dominate five minute spell, adding two more goals after Anu’s second. Bethany Nugent rising highest to send a header past Golding for Gills Ladies seventh goal. 7-0

Jenny Newman rounded off her hat trick with Gills last goal of the game. A clinical finish, a low shot across the goalkeeper and into the far corner of the net. 8-0

With twenty five minutes left of the game, a substitution that all Gills fans will be pleased to have seen. Charlie Thurston made a long awaited return after a long term ACL injury.

As the game ran into the final kicks. Both Jade Keogh and Esther Anu had efforts that missed the target.

Gills away win sees them progress into the Semi Finals of the Kent FA Women’s Cup.

FULL TIME | HERNE BAY LADIES 0 GILLINGHAM LADIES 4 (KEOGH 16′, OWN GOAL 32′, NEWMAN 37′ 45′ 65′, ANU 47′ 60′, NUGENT 63′)

Gillingham Ladies: Courtney Shanly, Lotti Klatt, Emily Symonds, Millie Waud, Grace Seely, Aileen Williams, Jade Keogh (c), Daniella Farmer (Charlie Thurston 65′), Jenny Newman (Cara Davies 65′), Esther Anu, Bethany Nugent

Unused Subs: Kylie Manktelow

Herne Bay Ladies: Rachel Golding, Jemma Barton, Kayliegh Mount, Charley Kerry, Jade Childs, Kate Foster, Carly Farrow (c), Chloe Woolaway, Suraya Phillips, Sophie Gifford, Asmaa Hatim

Subs: Effie Dodds, Cara Lockwood, Rachel Tracy, Lauren Harris

Referee: Luke Sidaway