Gillingham 0 Blackpool 1

Match 54/18/1647 - Tuesday, 6th November 2018 - League One

Gillingham (0) 0
Blackpool (0) 1 Delfouneso 50
Attendance: 4,055

Admission: £19.75
Programme: £3
Mileage: 44/3,382

Match Report

It became very apparent to me, sitting in the Rainham End on a pretty dismal evening, that I’ve now put a lot of distance between myself and Gillingham Football Club.

I made a fundamental mistake in deciding to sit in the Rainham End where I would meet up with a few old friends. Non League football is not sanitised, and immune from the industrial language of the man on the terrace, indeed in such close proximity to the action you are aware of how much bad language is dispensed on the pitch. But such was the verbal abuse coming from behind me, every two minutes, with each tirade at the referee, the opposition, even the Gillingham players ending with the dropping of the C-bomb it became such a distraction that the game became almost a sideshow. If I return to Priestfield this season, a return to the relative sanctuary of the Gordon Road Stand is a must.

Gillingham came into this game, rearranged after the pitch was relaid, on the back of two home wins scoring seven goals in the process. Steve Lovell has emerged as a manager that, when it appears his job is on the line, he can find a result.

Overall, Gillingham probably didn’t deserve to lose this game but when you think back to the amount of saves that the Blackpool goalkeeper, Christoffer Mafoumbi had to make during the game it becomes less of an argument.

Connor Ogilvie crashed a shot against the bar from outside of the box after 12 minutes with the follow-up from Darren Oldaker going close but it wasn’t until six minutes before the break that Mafoumbi got his hands on the ball again fielding a effort from Mark Byrne.

That is not say that Blackpool were any more productive, not registering a single shot in the first period.

The first shot on goal for Blackpool proved to be the winner. Chris Taylor fastened on to a poor Max Ehmer clearance and his left wing cross found an unmarked Nathan Delfouneso who headed home at the far post.

Blackpool, much the the annoyance of the home support, embarked on 40 minutes of clocking winding but the Gills were unable to fashion anything resembling a golden chance until the last five minutes when Barry Fuller tested Mafoumbi.

This, at least, sparked a furious assault on the visitor’s goal for the time remaining, the best chance of which falling to substitute Elliott List.

Gillingham 1 Sunderland 4

Match 25/18/1618 - Wednesday, 22nd August 2018 - League One

Gillingham (1) 3 Eaves 3
Sunderland (3) 4 Maguire 4, Honeyman 17, Power 19, Maja 59
Attendance: 8,438

Admission: £17 Senior
Programme: £3
Mileage: 56/1,215

My first trip back to Gillingham since disposing of my season ticket left me excited at the prospect but not knowing what to expect either of the team, who had made a solid start to the season, or myself. Would I be thinking that I’ve missed this, even at this early stage, or not?

The first thing that I didn’t miss was the inability to park anywhere close to the ground. One-up for the Longmead car park! The road down which I normally turn was closed for roadworks and this led to a meander around a dozen and one streets looking for a space. Admittedly there were 8,500 people in the ground, but this was just about the worst trouble I’ve encountered in about 30 years parking the car.

Eventually, my bum touched my seat just as the referee blew his whistle to start the game. I needed that perfect timing as within three minutes Gillingham were ahead when a Luke O’Neill cross was met with a towering header from Tom Eaves to give them a perfect start.

My reaction was everything I would have wanted, 44 years of loving the club doesn’t disappear overnight. Out of my seat and punching the air with all the delight of a kid at Christmas.

But, just as quickly, that turned to the head in hands that has been endured the majority of those 44 years.

Some sloppy defending allowed a header to travel to the far post from where Chris Maguire was able to convert with a close range, unchallenged header.

The despair quickly doubled and trebled as the impressive George Honeymoon was proffered the freedom of Priestfield to plant a right footed shot, albeit with a deflection, into the top corner after 18 minutes and, two minutes later, woeful defending from Bradley Garmston allowed Lyndon Gooch to set up Max Power.

Gillingham, to their credit, fought hard to recover and created chances but against a side like Sunderland, who should only have a one season sojourn in League One, you have to take them.

Another poor piece of defending, this time from O’Neill, robbed in the middle of the field saw the ball tapped home by Josh Maja to place a particularly unfair reflection on the scoreline.

In essence, I already know that I have made the right decision to switch my primary allegiance to Tonbridge. I have revelled in my involvement with the club. That is not to say that Gillingham won’t be the first club for whom their result I seek and I will be in attendance at every available game but, no, I’m not missing them.