DFDS Kent Women’s Cup Final: Gillingham Women 6 Aylesford Ladies 0

Gillingham retained the DFDS Kent Women’s Cup with an ultimately comfortable victory over Aylesford.

The holders were made to work hard for their 1-0 half-time lead by a dogged Aylesford side who fought to stay in the game, as well as having their moments in attack.

Gills’ class ultimately told as they rattled in five second-half goals, to the delight of their fans in the main stand at Maidstone United’s Gallagher Stadium on Thursday night.

Gills boss Dan Logue said: “Credit to Aylesford for the first half. They put us under a bit of pressure. We kind of played the occasion in the first half.

“Second half, the girls’ talent shone through and we deserved what we got.

“The pressure is on us as the team in Tier 3 and as the cup holders and Aylesford have got nothing to lose in that sense.

“We’ve just got to make sure we don’t give ourselves any problems, which we did in the first half, as well as Aylesford giving us problems.

“Second half, those problems were eradicated and we controlled the game and we scored some lovely goals.

“That’s the quality we have in there. We’ve got goals from centre-backs, forwards and midfielders today, so it goes throughout the pitch.

“The quality’s there, it’s just making sure it’s put into place on the pitch and we make the right decisions at the right time.

“We couldn’t take our foot off the gas, even at 3-0.

“Aylesford may score the next goal and it gives them a lift and they might come back into it, so when we’re in the ascendancy we’ve got to make sure we carry on punishing and playing to the level we know we can.”

A couple of meaty challenges from Aylesford skipper Alex Whitham in the opening minutes showed Gillingham weren’t going to have things all their own way.

The excellent