James Marrs' relishes Gillingham return

BRIGHTON & HOVE Albion manager James Marrs says his side are relishing the prospect of taking on Gillingham Ladies at Priestfield Stadium on Thursday night.



Marrs, who left Gillingham in the summer to take charge of The Albion and took a high number of players with him to the south coast, says his players are really looking forward to performing at a Football League stadium and believes it is a sign that the women’s game is on the rise.

He told www.seagulls.co.uk, “It’s brilliant that the game is going to be played in a professional stadium. The girls are absolutely buzzing and looking forward to the game; hopefully it should be a good atmosphere.

“The match will probably be played in front of a half-decent crowd, so I’m expecting Gillingham to have a bit of fire in their belly, but we’ll be prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.

“Hosting the game at the Priestfield shows that women’s football is moving in the right direction.”

Former Gill, Charlotte Gurr is expected to return to the Brighton squad after recovering from an ankle injury, but Danielle Carlton and Vicky Ashton-Jones are still ruled out with long-term knee injuries so will not face their former club.

The two sides met at Lancing on 4 September, with Gillingham going down to a 3-1 defeat.

Brighton & Hove Albion arrive at Gillingham sitting in second-place in The FA Women’s Premier League South Division table with 13 points from six games, while Simon Ratcliffe’s side are in eighth-place with two wins and three defeats to their name.

“We’ve already played Brighton this season,” midfielder Emma Tune told the Gillingham Ladies’ website.

“They’re a very good team and one of the favourites for the title.

“We know we’ll have to work hard and produce another hard-working display if we’re going to do well.

“We look forward to playing at Priestfield again and we hope we’ll continue our good form at home.”

Gillingham finished league runners-up, lost to eventual winners Arsenal in The FA Women’s Cup and won both the Kent and Ryman Women’s Cup under Marrs’ leadership last season.

Visit Gillingham Ladies’ website: http://glfc2013.wordpress.com

Gillingham  v  Brighton & Hove Albion
The FA Women’s Premier League South
Thursday 2^nd October 2014
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Priestfield Stadium, Redfern Avenue, Gillingham, Kent ME7 4DD <!--[endif]-->