Gillingham 2 Chesterfield 1

Match 30/08/714 - Saturday, 6th December 2008 - League Two

Gillingham (2) 2 Miller 18, Jackson 45
Chesterfield (0) 1 Lester 60
Att. 4,622

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 45/3,506

Match Report

What possesses a team to take the field and play and behave in manner that Chesterfield did at Priestfield yesterday. Was it a preconceived tactic to knock a Gillingham side with a fearsome home record out of their stride or was it a result of the run around that the home side had inflicted on their unwelcome visitors.

Whatever it was it was far from pretty as Chesterfield literally set about kicking lumps out of their opponents. Six bookings is not only a fair reflection of the way they set about their task, they were fortunate to get away with no worse. During the first half there appeared no way that Chesterfield could avoid finishing the game with ten men or even less, with the aid of a lenient (to the extreme) referee, they managed it.

They compounded their sins midway through the second half when Jamie Ward laid on the ground supposedly injured, Barry Fuller put their ball out of play so he could receive attention, upon which Ward promptly got to his feet without the trainer being necessary and from the resulting throw-in Kevin Austin refused to give the ball back to Gillingham. It was gross bad sportsmanship, but something that was only in keeping with the rest of their performance.

Priestfield echoed to the sounds of “Cheat” being directed at Austin, but this could have been aimed at any number of the Chesterfield side. Ward, with 12 goals to his credit this season, was far more adept at feigning injury than giving any problems to the Gillingham central defensive pairing of Simon King and Gary Richards, who shackled him to the point of obscurity.

At half time Gillingham were winning this game at a stroll. Adam Miller had given the home side the lead and then was instrumental in the build up to a sublime Simeon Jackson finish to put them two up. For all this, Miller seemingly cannot win over some of Gillingham’s support, who cheered when his number was put up for substitution, what more does the bloke have to do?

Lee Richardson sent his Chesterfield side out early for the second half and had obviously got into their heads during the break. As had been the case with Stockport the previous week, the visitors enjoyed a much improved second period, though their attitude to the beautiful game remained unchanged.

When Simon Royce inexplicably went walkabout on the hour, the Spirites were back in the game courtesy of a Jack Lester goal and the stroll was threatening to turn into a stumble. Had Royce not redeemed himself with an absolutely blinding save from a close range Lester volley then the Chesterfield bad boy tactics would have taken home a point. But justice prevailed and they returned to Derbyshire empty handed and for that football can be thankful.