Gillingham 2 Notts County 2

Match 20/08/704 - Tuesday, 21st October 2008 - League Two

Gillingham (1) 2 Mulligan 39, Southall 63
Notts County (1) 2 Butcher 65, Facey 79
Att. 4,396

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 45/2,611

Match Report

Two-nil and you mucked it up, the 100 or so Notts County fans rather less politely sang behind the goal and they were not far from calling it correctly. More incredible than Gillingham losing their two goal lead was that the final result meant that from their first 12 games of this season Notts County have now drawn nine of them.

It was the curse of the returning player that finally undid the good work that the home side had put in for the first hour of the game. Delroy Facey, brought to Gillingham by Ronnie Jepson with a big reputation, failed to win any hearts with the Priestfield support. He scored a memorable goal at Swansea, but for the rest of the time he looked fat, lazy and hopeless. Last night, following a Gillingham attack that had broken down he galloped, yes, galloped into the open space afforded on the right hand side and let fly from the edge of the box into the top left corner with the aplomb of a top notch striker. He has hardly set the world alight at Meadow Lane, on Saturday he scored his first goal for the club, but there was a certain inevitability about last night’s outcome. He certainly moved more about the Priestfield pitch than he ever did in Gillingham’s colours.

Following Saturday’s encouraging 2-2 draw at Bradford City, Simeon Jackson, scorer of both goals, failed to pass a fitness test prior to the game. Andrew Crofts, now seemingly at odds with manager Mark Stimson, was not selected even for a place on the bench.

It was the first chilly night of the season but the performance overall was warming. Andy Barcham, whose loan spell from Tottenham is about to expire was a livewire and Nicky Southall showed all of us contemplating retirement by the coast that a dose of sea air is invigorating.

Gillingham went ahead on 39 minutes when a Southall free kick deflected upwards off the County wall and Mulligan was first to pick up the loose ball. A really well-worked goal in the 63rd minute from Southall gave Gillingham a lead that looked unassailable. Unfortunately they fell for the sucker punch, conceded quickly and then allowed Facey to steal the show. As the last ten minutes wound down Gillingham themselves were the side hanging on and thankful for the final whistle.

A half-time substitution for the unwell Simon King had not helped matters at the back, but from two-nil up, we really mucked it up.