Gillingham 2-3 Nottingham Forest - They gave me everything, says Gillingham boss James Marrs

Sunday 24th February 2013

GILLINGHAM 2-3 NOTTINGHAM FOREST
The FA Women’s Cup Fourth Round
Sunday 24^th February 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Maidstone Road

GILLINGHAM manager James Marrs says his players gave him everything after the Kent club’s longest ever run in The FA Women’s Cup was ended by Nottingham Forest.

The Midlands outfit arrived in Chatham sitting in third-place in The FA Women’s Premier Northern Division with four wins and a draw from their seven league games and on a six-match unbeaten run in all competitions.

Gillingham, who play at the same level, but sixth-place in the Southern Division, with three wins and three draws from their 12 league outings, reached this stage of the competition following wins over MK Dons (5-1) and a single goal extra-time victory at Swindon Town.

Nottingham Forest central defender, Katie McLaughlin had a mixed day, scoring a hat-trick of headers, two of them were own-goals, but she scored the winning goal with eleven minutes left.

Nottingham Forest striker, Natasha Weade, had earlier equalised four minutes after Gillingham took the lead, before they took the lead just before the break when central midfielder Reanne Thomas planted her header into the roof of the net following a corner.

”They worked really hard and we knew that was going to be the difference today was just our intensity,” said Marrs afterwards.

”We knew they weren’t going to be any better than us getting the ball down and playing, but I thought their intensity was a little bit more than what ours was today.

”We were quite flat at times but we dug deep. We were never out of the game at any stage, quite fortunate to get two own goals, but you’ve got to be in and around them to get them own goals, but they gave their all, that’s what I asked from them.

”I said to them if we get beat, we get beat, but as long as the hard work goes in that’s what I’m looking for and they did that for me today.”

On a bitterly cold day, Nottingham Forest created the first chance inside the opening seven minutes.

Striker Aileen Whelan – who was later to be booked for a late lunge on Gillingham skipper Vicky Ashton-Jones – cut a corner back to central midfielder Stephanie Smith, who took a touch before curling a right-footed drive over the top of the far post from 25-yards.

Gillingham’s opening chance came within five minutes when left-back Danielle Carlton sent her left-footed free-kick into the penalty area from the edge of the centre circle and striker Amy Taylor sent a brave header looping over the bar from six-yards.

Left-winger Kallie Balfour – who scored the only goal of the game to beat Ebbsfleet United in the Kent Women’s Cup seven days earlier – was to be a good attacking outfit for Gillingham.

Central midfielder Jay Blackie played the ball across to Balfour, who managed to keep the ball in as she hugged the touch-line, before she cut inside and rode Annabel McKechnie’s sliding tackle before curling a right-footed shot wide of the far post from 25-yards.

That proved to be a warning for Nottingham Forest as Balfour played her part in McLaughlin’s first own goal after 27 minutes.

Nicole Pepper and Carlton linked up and Carlton fed Balfour, who cut in and cracked a right-footed drive from 25-yards, which was sailing towards the far corner, but McLaughlin sent her diving header into the centre of her own goal from eight-yards.

The Gillingham boss said: ”I said to Kallie about keeping our width, creating the space and then driving in. She did that and whipped the ball in and it’s come off the girls head and gone in.

”Obviously she’s got to put the cross in, in order to cause that trouble but she’s kept her width, done what she was asked to do and she got her rewards for it.”

However, Nottingham Forest bounced back from that set-back, equalising just 237 seconds later.

Marrs said he wasn’t pleased with the marking that led to the goal, which saw Stephanie Smith float over a cross from the left, the ball dropping for Weade, who flicked the ball over her marker to stroke her right-footed volley into the left-hand corner, via the knee of Gillingham keeper Charlotte Stephens.

”I don’t mind when the teams have had a passage of play and whipped it in and scored but the first goal that they’ve scored should have been cut out by a header inside the eighteen-yard box,” bemoaned Marrs.

”But the player weren’t on her toes to head the ball out and then the ball’s bounced over another girl, our left-back when the ball should have been headed out.

”It’s a good finish by her to be fair. She’s flicked it over a centre halves head and volleyed it in.”

Gillingham captain Vicky Ashton-Jones was screaming in agony after Whelan slid in and connected with the central defender’s ankle to collect a deserved booking from referee Mr David Gainsford.

Marrs said: “She was just late. It was just a late tackle really. She (Ashton-Jones) already played the ball and she’s come across. I don’t think she’s done it intentionally. It was just a late tackle. It happens.”

Nottingham Forest grabbed the lead in the 43^rd minute, courtesy of a set-piece.

Weade sent over a corner from the right and Thomas rose to guide her towering header in off the underside of the crossbar to score from 12-yards.

Marrs added: “It was just too easy really just inside our box. They could do what they wanted to do.”

The start of the second half was an uninspiring affair, so Marrs threw on striker Natalie Crinean and she bulldozed her way through the concerned Nottingham Forest back four to bring Gillingham back to life.

”She was unlucky not to start really Nat,” said Marrs. “It’s only the fact that she’s had a week off training (with a knee injury), she’s just been back in training this week otherwise she would’ve probably started the game.

”It’s always nice to have someone who you could bring on to give the girls’ a little bit of a lift and spice it up a little bit. We did get a little bit of a lift from that.”

Emma Tune’s through ball played in Crinean, who steam rolled her way into the box, before cutting across from middle to right and Tune took the initiative to send her right-footed shot sailing wide of the near post just past the hour mark.

Gillingham continued to press and went close when Pepper whipped in a corner from the right and the versatile Deanna Cooper planted her header wide from eight-yards.

But Gillingham deservedly clawed their way back into the game in the 67^th minute.

Pepper produced a moment of quality when she powered a right-footed free-kick from 40-yards towards the penalty spot and McLaughlin looped her back header into the top right-hand corner.

”I would’ve thought a draw would’ve been a fair result – we couldn’t manage to keep them out,” added Marrs.

Play was held up for just under two minutes when Stephen’s contact lens popped out before Weade was about to deliver a corner and the referee allowed her to sprint the length of the pitch to retrieve a spare lens from the home dressing room.

The Gillingham keeper was alert to catch Weade’s right-footed shot on the turn from eight-yards after Smith clipped the ball back into the Gillingham box.

Gillingham went agonisingly close to scoring a deserved winner when Pepper whipped in another corner from the right and the ball bounced off Carlton’s head and dropped just wide of the near post.

But Nottingham Forest stole victory, against the run of play, from their sixth corner, with eleven minutes left.

Substitute Charlotte Griffin swung in a corner from the left towards the far post and McLaughlin jumped up and looped her header over the player beside the right-hand post to find the net, before being mobbed by her team-mates.

Marrs said: ”She’s had a good game today, their number 12. Two own goals and the winner! It’s not a bad afternoon for her. At least she’s kept busy anyway!”

Nottingham Forest left-winger Amber Hughes hit a speculative right-footed drive from 30-yards, which bounced into Stephen’s gloves, before the Gillingham keeper earned praise from Marrs for producing the save of the match.

Weade cracked a right-footed shot from 35-yards, which looped up before dropping over Stephen’s left shoulder, who stretched to palm the dipping shot just over her crossbar.

Marrs said: ”I don’t know where she got those legs from to stop that – it was a great stop!

”To be fair to Charlie, she’s had a good game today. That’s her fifth good game on the bounce. Just a little bit unfortunate to concede three goals really.”

Nottingham Forest went close when Hughes’ corner from the right was headed away by Blackie and McLaughlin unleashed a right-footed hooked volley on the angle, which screamed just wide of the far post.

With time running out, a spirited Gillingham team went for the goal that would have forced extra time.

A cross from the right from substitute Lauren Williams found Balfour at the far post, who cut the ball back for Carlton to drill her left-footed shot across goal and past the far post from 25-yards.

The final chance saw Carlton clip her shot into Harris’ gloves inside stoppage time, but Nottingham Forest go into tomorrow’s draw.

Marrs said: ”They’re not a bad side to be fair to them. They’re not too bad. They moved the ball around quite well. They’ve got some experienced players. You could tell some of their players have played in the National Premier, but I wouldn’t say they were the better side today.

”The only difference was a little bit of urgency. I think that was it. That was the difference. I mean we played some fantastic stuff in parts that ripped them apart.”

When asked about the mood in the home dressing room at the final whistle, Marrs said: “They are gutted because they knew it was an opportunity for us today to progress on in the Cup, but like I said to them if you give it 110% how can you give it any more? What else can you give?

”They’ve given it everything that they’ve got so there’s no point being downhearted about it. We’ve got to lift ourselves up, get back on the training ground this week and go again for another Cup Final next week against Millwall.”

The Lionesses climbed to the top of the table (with nine wins and one defeat from ten games) with a 5-2 home win over Colchester United today.

Marrs described their league trip to Beckenham Town’s Eden Park Avenue next Sunday as a “huge game, huge game. I’ve just mentioned it to the girls’ and they are buzzing about it. They are really looking forward to that and we owe them as well. They done us twice in two weeks down here and there’s a little bit of rivalry there as well so we owe them, so we’ll be going there well prepared for that and ready.”

Gillingham then play four home league games against basement side Queen’s Park Rangers (10 March), second-placed Reading (17 March), Tottenham Hotspur (24 March) and Colchester United (31 March), before ending their league campaign with a trip to Lewes on 14 April.

They also face Enfield Town in the Ryman Women’s Cup Semi-Final and the holders face Charlton Athletic again in the Kent Women’s Cup Final at Sevenoaks Town’s Greatness Park on 10 April.

”Apart from today, we don’t do too bad at home,” said Marrs.

”We need three wins out of six in the league just to consolidate really. If we win six out of six by all means I’ll be happy as Larry, but we’ve got some tough games in there so as long as we win the three out of six games just to keep us safe I’ll be happy in midtable.

”We’ve got Enfield in the Ryman Cup Semi-Final so hopefully we can do a job there so midtable and two Cup Finals. It’s not a bad first season for me really.”

Gillingham: Charlotte Stephens, Deanna Cooper, Danielle Carlton, Jay Blackie, Rachel Ahern, Vicky Ashton-Jones, Jade Keogh (Lauren Williams 75), Emma Tune, Amy Taylor (Natalie Crinean 57), Nicole Pepper, Kallie Balfour.
Subs: Emma Wood, Bryony Smith, Ruth Jackson

Goals: Katie McLaughlin 27 (own goal), 67 (own goal)

Nottingham Forest: Sophie Harris, Annabel McKechnie, Kelly Finley, Katie McLaughlin, Laura O’Neill, Lauren Howard, Reanne Thomas, Stephanie Smith, Amber Hughes, Natasha Weade (Ruth Titterton 90), Aileen Whelan.
Sub: Eleanor Clarke

Goals: Natasha Weade 31, Reanne Thomas 43, Katie McLaughlin 79

Booked: Aileen Whelan 33

Attendance: 78
Referee: Mr David Gainsford (Basildon, Essex)
Assistants: Mr Jeffery Stanley (Basildon, Essex) & Ms Donna Nuth (Basildon, Essex)