Gillingham 1 Swindon Town 1

Match 65/07/682 - Saturday, 26th April 2008 - League One

Gillingham (1) 1 Richards 1
Swindon Town (0) 1 Aljofree 88
Att. 6,334

Entrance: Season ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 45/5,954

Match Report

The R word now looms larger than large on the horizon. Three minutes from the end at Boundary Park, the word was being spelt out in full as Cheltenham were holding Oldham and barring a mathematical miracle, Gillingham were bidding fond farewell to Division One. Lewis Alessandra then provided a certain symmetry to matters witnessed earlier at Priestfield, Oldham won 2-1 and Gillingham’s fragile (but probably futile) hopes go forward to the last day.

How different those last day hopes might have been if Gillingham had held out beyond the 88th minute, when Swindon’s skipper, Aljofree, which sounds very much like a favourite curry, left a bitter taste in the mouth as he hooked in after Gillingham failed to clear a corner. It had started so positively with Gary Richards meeting a Southall free kick to give the Gills a first minute lead. The home side went on to dominate the first half and had a penalty appeal turned down as the referee gave a free kick outside the box when it was clearly inside, even from my more distant viewpoint.

The second half was typical Gillingham, slowly their nerves got to them, they sank deeper and deeper towards their box and despite the minutes ticking away and Swindon not really threatening, the equaliser came almost as an inevitability. This is the fourth consecutive game that they have failed to hold on to a lead, having surrendered the advantage with draws at Millwall and Bristol Rovers and last time out at Priestfield in the defeat to Swansea.

All this leaves a depressingly desperate scenario for next Saturday at Elland Road. Firstly, Gillingham have to win against a Leeds team that should they retrieve their 15 point penalty on appeal would be in a automatic promotion position and even playing for the title. Even without the points return the Yorkshire giants are certain of a play-off place. Having done the easy bit, Gillingham will then have to watch the results bounce off the teleprinter and hope that Bournemouth fail to win at Carlisle and Cheltenham are beaten at home by Doncaster Rovers. So not much more than a kid wanting Christmas every day.

Next week, when the R word spells not only relegation but reality, will be the time to begin the inquest of a season that Mr Scally labelled in his programme notes as unpredictable, personally unpalatable would have been a better word.