Wycombe Wanderers 1 Gillingham 0

Match 40/10/858 - Monday, 3 January 2011 - League Two

Wycombe Wanderers (0) 1 Winfield 64
Gillingham (0) 0
Att. 4,617

Entrance: £18
Programme: £3
Mileage: 178/6,208

Match Report

Gillingham fans returned to their Theatre of Nightmares on Monday and the matchday announcer was not going to allow them to forget their last visit. His interviews with the mascots relived that fateful day with his questions to the kids allowing replays of the goals on the video screen and, did you know, that Gillingham haven’t scored at Wycombe since 1999, he added with a tad too much relish.

Wycombe are a good side that won’t be too far from the top of the table come May and had already won the reverse fixture convincingly in November, so it was to be expected that the five game winning run was going to come under pressure.

There were minor snow flurries as we walked the chilly path through the industrial estate to Adams Park. Often depicted as picturesque, its only real redeeming feature is the backdrop of the rolling hills. Such is our record here, we are never going to see it as a place of beauty.

Gillingham started brightly and created a clear shooting opportunity in the first minute, sadly it fell to Matt Lawrence, a central defender who blasted over the bar. The home side then seized the initiative and Gillingham were subjected to a mainly rearguard action, although they were never really threatened.

Gillingham’s front line partnership of Adebayo Akinfenwa and Cody McDonald that had been so effective during the successful run was being well-marshalled by Dave Winfield and ex-Gill Leon Johnson.

The game encapsulated itself around a 10 minute period from 65 minutes. Wycombe took the lead following a corner that was headed against the cross bar by Scott Rendell, the rebound found Winfield in space to head home. 10 minutes later, Cody McDonald ran onto a Luke Rooney pass, lobbed the keeper, only to see the ball hit the bar and was cleared to safety.

Gillingham made a good effort to retrieve the deficit with sustained pressure in the final minutes, but the moment McDonald’s effort rebounded from the woodwork it was written that the matchday announcer would have another year to add to his tally on our next visit.

As we walked away, we felt that whilst not deserving to win, a draw would have been a fair reflection of the game. If Gillingham were not to get promoted this season, I hope Wycombe do, not that I have any particular affection for the club, I’m just sick of Adams Park.

Wycombe Wanderers 3 Gillingham 0

Match 63/09/815 - Saturday, 8th May 2010 - League One

Wycombe Wanderers (1) 3 Phillips 45, Bennett 64, Betsy 72
Gillingham (0) 0
Att. 7,110

Entrance: £18
Programme: £3
Mileage: 170/7,535

Match Report

2,300 visiting fans turned up at Adams Park to witness the culmination of their club’s successful relegation fight. 15 or so didn’t bother, it was a pity that they were the players and staff of Gillingham Football Club.

Those that have followed this club through this winless season on the road have had to suffer some inept performances and there have been some games when they have been completely outplayed by much superior teams, but the gutless display against an already relegated Wycombe side ranked as a new low point.

Long before the final whistle a very large and vocal section of the visiting support were venting their rancour against manager Mark Stimson, calling for his head in the wake of this embarrassment.

This was the most unlikely of the possible outcomes to the final day. Gillingham required just a single point and if they were not good enough to acquire even that meagre return then the results of three other matches had to go against them to ensure an immediate return to League Two from which they were promoted last season.

This is the timeline of our disastrous day.

Prior to kick off and the massed ranks of the Gillingham faithful are in fine voice, the vast majority confident of a happy ending.

There are just two minutes on the clock and Gillingham fans are celebrating the news of a goal at St James’s Park, where Huddersfield have taken the lead against Exeter. On the pitch in front of us, Alan Julian was forced to make a couple of decent saves from Kevin McLeod and Matt Phillips.

Gillingham were barely threatening as an attacking force and at 1525 news from Exeter was greeted with a whisper rather than celebration as the relegation contenders had found an equaliser. Meanwhile, Julian was in action once again as an outstretched leg retained the goalless parity.

1540 and the first news of a goal from Edgeley Park and it has gone to Tranmere and as the first half entered its time added Phillips cut in from the right and picked his spot at the far corner with a excellent finish. The half ended with boos with Julian gesturing to the fans to keep the faith. Some were not convinced and the first calls against Stimson began to be heard.

The second half began slightly more brightly for the visitors, Rene Howe at least threatened the goal but news from Stockport signalled that that game was probably over as a contest as Tranmere went two up.

On the hour came the crucial moment in our game. John Nutter crossed for Simeon Jackson to loft over the bar from barely three yards and within a minute Howe set up Dennis Oli who contrived to scuff his shot tamely into the keeper’s hands from close range.


Frustration was replaced by anger when Alan Bennett was allowed a free header from a corner to put the home side two in front. All notions of supporting the team to a comeback were lost as the support turned savagely against the manager. Stimson out and a lot worse rained down and as some took exception to the abuse there were people squaring up to each other.

When Kevin Betsey’s 72nd minute strike took a deflection and looped over Julian, “this is embarrassing” was the fans retort. Game over here and game over at Stockport as Tranmere confirmed their safety with a third goal.

Final hopes now rested at Exeter, but with eight minutes remaining Wycombe fans relayed the news that the Devon club had gone ahead and at this point Gillingham were in the relegation position. There was a brief hope as there was false news of a Brentford goal against Hartlepool, sadly it was disallowed.

As the final whistle sounded on Gillingham short tenure in League One the atmosphere turned very ugly as the players and management came to front up the wrath of the support. Not to acknowledge the fans would have been completely gutless, so why didn’t they just disappear into the dressing rooms because gutless and spineless had been their trademark on this afternoon of despair.

Post match interviews from the manager indicated that whilst a meeting with chairman Paul Scally was scheduled it would not include his resignation. The chairman now has to decide whether to continue to back the man on whom he has lavished continual support or to listen to the vast majority and tell him it is time to take his leave.

Wycombe Wanderers 1 Gillingham 0

Match 58/08/742 - Saturday, 11th April 2009 - League Two

Wycombe Wanderers (1) 1 Akinde 41
Gillingham (0) 0
Att. 6,306

Entrance: £16
Programme: £2.50
Mileage: 177/7,492

Match Report

Gillingham’s hopes of automatic promotion realistically hit the rocks on a cow patch of a pitch at Adams Park this afternoon. A host of missed second half chances including a penalty kick was their final undoing as they battered their hosts in a stirring, but fruitless, second half display.

Gillingham fans travelled in numbers to Wycombe’s home set amongst the rolling Buckinghamshire hills and were in fine voice prior to kick off. They were almost immediately silenced as Chris Zebrowski hit a post after just three minutes. Referee Lee Mason failed to spot a clear handball by the ex-Millwall forward prior to the attempt and it was not to be the last time that the Premiership referee got it wrong.

Simon King was forced from the field after just nine minutes with a cut head and it was fully 12 minutes before he was to return after presumably some emergency needlework. Anxious eyes continually were attracted to the player’s tunnel as Mark McCammon filled in at centre half and Wycombe pressed to make the most of their man advantage. Finally, King returned in a numberless, nameless shirt and this caused a brief moment of amusement within a couple of minutes when a challenge was deemed worthy of a booking by the confetti-carding Mason, who asked for the defender to turn his back to show the plainness of his shirt.

Despite Gillingham surviving their 10 man period without any great scare, the home side finally made the breakthrough with five minutes of the half remaining. This time last year, John Akinde was a Kentish hero (at least in non-league circles) with a fine display at Wembley for Ebbsfleet in their winning FA Trophy side including laying on the winner. Today he was to turn into the villain, sliding the ball past Simon Royce having been on the end of a superb through ball from Lee Sawyer. Gillingham’s half-hearted appeals for offside were brushed aside. On the balance of play, Wycombe just about deserved their half-time lead.

Gillingham attacked the goal behind which their fans were massed with increased vigour from the outset of the second half. Chairboys’ keeper Jamie Young was forced into his first save of the afternoon, comfortably fielding a low shot from Simeon Jackson. Within a couple of minutes Jackson was offered the opportunity to level the scores after he was brought down in the box. Referee Mason initially waved away the penalty appeal, but a linesman’s flag brought about a change of mind. Much dispute ensued, another yellow was brandished and a couple of minutes elapsed before Jackson, usually secure from the spot, blasted the ball high over the bar to spurn the golden opportunity.

I got the sense that having been made to look foolish by his linesman’s decision to flag for the penalty, Gillingham, and Simeon Jackson in particular, could have played for a fortnight and not got another decision from Mr Mason. On three occasions I felt they had better claims for a penalty than the one that was awarded and in the process Jackson picked up a booking for diving.

The game was now completely one-way traffic, but in the spirit of fair reporting, it has to be said that Wycombe defended superbly and one block from Tommy Doherty was outstanding. Curtis Weston had a header comfortably dealt with by Young and a John Nutter free kick was only a whisker over.

Much joy was taken by the Gillingham simpletons at the substitution of Adam Miller who showed as much endeavour in midfield as any of his counterparts. Miller unfortunately, but almost understandably, reacted towards his detractors as he made his way to the bench.

When the final whistle sounded, Gillingham’s second half effort had come to nothing and with it came the realisation that this also ended the all-but mathematical chance of automatic promotion. The poor run of results of recent, just one point from their last four games needs to be arrested beginning with Easter Monday’s home fixture against Dagenham, if they are, at least, to make the play-offs with the dream of a Wembley return.

Adams Park is nice looking stadium with a backdrop of the Buckinghamshire hills that belies the fact that it based at the end of a business park. It is dominated by one large stand, quite similar in appearance to our Medway Stand. The away support were based in an all seated area behind a goal and the view was unobstructed and the leg room good. Behind the other goal Wycombe fans stand on a covered terrace. The club promotes a community spirit with welcoming officials and, quite uniquely, a programme especially for the away support with a picture of a visiting player, Andy Barcham on this occasion, adorning the cover. The pitch, however, shows the effect of Wasps playing rugby union on it. The grass seemed overly long and the bounce was far from true.