Tranmere Rovers (1) 4 Thomas-Moore 5, 90, Welsh 48, Gornell 73
Gillingham (1) 2 Weston 34, Barcham 54
Att. 5,590
Entrance: £17.50
Programme: £3
Mileage: 561/1,576
Match Report
Gillingham were offered a harsh lesson at Prenton Park and one that has to be taken onboard very quickly. With the step up in division comes an equivalent step up in terms of quality of the opposition and if you give strikers in this Division a yard in which to work they will shoot, they will hit the target and they will score. Three times the yard was found and three times Tranmere scored and to emphasise the quality of the strikers on show, Gillingham scored two very good goals of their own.Make no mistake, Gillingham were unfortunate to lose this game, they dominated the possession, played some attractive football, but little errors undermined the performance. Mark Stimson fielded an unchanged side from last Saturday’s demolition of Swindon. From the very first whistle Gillingham played a passing game that was pleasing to the eye, although there were occasions, perhaps too many, when 10 passes failed to move the ball 10 yards. Tranmere, whilst not route one, were more direct and subsequently more penetrative, their first goal on just five minutes highlighting the point. A right wing cross was met in the centre of the goal by Ian Moore, who headed unchallenged past Alan Julian.
The goal might have rocked Gillingham but there was no change in their game plan. Across the lush turf they passed their way through the home side but just lacked the cutting edge necessary to finish the job. Adam Miller was central to most of the movement and he went close on 25 minutes with a shot just wide of ex-Shrewsbury keeper Luke Daniels’ post. The equaliser that Gillingham deserved finally arrived on 34 minutes. Mark Bentley headed back a cross to Simeon Jackson, who with no shooting opportunity laid the ball back to Curtis Weston (pictured) who struck low into the right hand corner from just outside the box. It was a very good strike, that prompted a little ditty from the travelling support, a bit too rude to repeat here, but a very amusing addition to the celebration.Half time arrived with the scores levelled and a satisfaction with the way Gillingham had played during the half. Unfortunately, the second half started in the same manner as the first. The visitors fell asleep at a throw in, John Welsh was given time and space 25 yards out and he made the most of it with a crashing volley to restore the home side’s lead. I initially felt Jack Payne had shown a bit of inexperience, but perhaps Weston could also have got much closer.
The lead didn’t last long as Andy Barcham produced a superb piece of finishing. Miller fed the flying winger who cut in from the left, we all saw the top corner begging to be hit and he curled a shot from the edge of the box straight into the space beyond Daniels despairing reach.
The play ebbed from end to end with the two differing styles quite apparent, but both sides carving out chances. Gillingham fell behind again on 72 minutes when once again a striker was given the time to pick his spot and on this occasion substitute Gornell struck from the edge of the box as the visitors failed to clear their lines. Gillingham threw caution to the wind and started to play more directly in a desperate attempt to earn a point, chances were made but Daniels wasn’t really tested. Ian Moore finally put a thrilling game to bed in injury time when Gornell headed on a cross for Moore to nod home from close range.As the heavens had opened during the last five minutes it was a wet stroll back to the car reflecting on how well we had played and how unjust this game can be at times. It was a pity that basic defensive mistakes undermined a good performance.
Prenton Park is a lop-sided sort of ground. The Kop is a huge structure that dwarfs the rest of the stadium and as such looks a little out of place. The Gillingham contingent was housed in the Cowshed Stand, of which they occupied little more than 10% of the seats available with only a couple of hundred travelling.
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