Gillingham (0) 0
Luton Town (1) 1 Parkin 3
Att. 5,339
Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 45/565
Match Report
Today was the day dubbed Super Saturday as Great Britain’s Olympic team were expected to rain medals in Beijing. A morning in front of the television had brought the joy of Adlington, Hoy, Wiggins and the Mens’ Four swimming, cycling and rowing their way to gold with silvers and bronzes being added to the pile.Sadly, no such inspiration was drawn at Priestfield this afternoon.
Luton Town are a club that has been dealt a heavy blow. Thirty points deducted, they are going to draw on a spirit of adversity that was evident in an superb piece of defending on 70 minutes. Gillingham had three close range attempts that were all blocked in quick succession. It was a head-in-hands moment that said “how did that not go in”; the reason being Luton defenders putting their bodies on the line.
If not for the heavy penalty, Luton would be one of the favourites for a quick return to League One and their position at the foot of the table is going to disguise the fact that they are a decent side for some while to come.
Sam Parkin, a strong, old fashioned centre forward peeled off the back of Gillingham’s defence to tuck a precise header past Alan Julian in the third minute and from that point Luton set about their task to frustrate the home side. Crofts and Bentley failed to get any meaningful possession in midfield and from the scraps that were on offer Jackson and McCammon made absolutely no impression on a solid Luton back line. McCammon’s first touch let him down time and again and on this occasion Jackson didn’t look like scoring. Just where are the goals going to come from? In his after match radio interview, it didn’t sound like Stimson had any idea either.
Gillingham’s faithful were in no mood to draw any positives by the finish. A half-time chorus of boos reached a crescendo at full time with the well worn “what a load of rubbish” echoing around the rooftops. There were a few minor pluses, Tyrone Berry was a tricky handful on his full debut and Simon King deserved his man of the match award for valour in the face of Parkin.
A week ago at Bournemouth, quick passing on the ground had produced chances aplenty, but our return to Priestfield has seen the hoofed ball return long before it becomes desperate. Curtis Weston added a little craft on his appearance as substitute and should feature at Darlington.
Back to the sofa then for Scintillating Sunday when our rowers and cyclists will hopefully produce another crock of gold, sadly I’ve a hunch that our track and field team are going to be Gillinghamesque, huff and puff with no end product.
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