Gillingham (0) 1 Miller 78
Exeter City (0) 0
Att. 5,638
Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 45/4,763
Match Report
E-I-E-I-E-I-O, up the Football League we go, for the first time this season the song was chorused by the Rainham End. Two straight wins on the road had propelled the Gills into a play-off spot and the confidence of the side is at last beginning to translate itself on the terraces.Those away victories and the heightened profile of the club following the televised FA Cup game against Aston Villa quite possibly added 500 people to the gate this afternoon along with a very respectable following from Devon.
In a first half that was interesting rather than scintillating, Gillingham had the majority of the possession but both teams were denied a lead by the woodwork. Simon Royce was motionless as a clever chip from Neil Saunders hit the bar on 12 minutes and ten minutes later Nicky Southall saw a free kick rebound from the angle of post and bar.
Southall had been brought into the side when Gary Mulligan was ruled out, but the greater significance of this was the release of Dennis Oli to play up top. Oli had a truly memorable afternoon, he won just about every header and his pace and tenacity was a threat to Exeter all afternoon. He scuffed a first half chance, but this was the only blot on a man-of-the-match performance that, for once, even the sponsors recognised.
Mark Stimson’s pursuit of Chris Dickson continues and whilst most will argue that Dickson is a greater predator in front of goal, it would be a gross injustice if Oli was to be the fall guy for his introduction.
The second half was completely one-way traffic. Gillingham dominated the midfield with Curtis Weston and Adam Miller pulling all the strings and with Exeter being pushed back, Lewis and Nutter were given licence to raid the flanks. At times the home side’s football was delightful, but there was seemingly always a final ball that frustrated. Too many times Paul Jones in the Grecians goal was left with easy catches to make.
Miller had the ball in the net on the hour but was given offside without too much argument, before Gillingham finally made their breakthrough with just over ten minutes to go. For the umpteenth time Oli flicked on a header, Simeon Jackson turned and shot but the block fell to Miller who tucked it home.
Gillingham of only a few weeks ago would have gone into their shell at this point and sunk back to their 18 yard box inviting pressure and inevitably a equalising goal, but there is now a greater confidence. Exeter did not get a sniff of their hosts goal in those closing minutes as Gillingham played the ball to the corners and kept possession with relative comfort.
New loan signing Jamie Peters was introduced for the last five minutes and he gave a lively little cameo before the final whistle sounded to the approval of the home support. Gillingham had not beaten Exeter in the manner that they themselves were spanked at St James’s Park earlier in the season, but in terms of the domination of the game this was pay back for that awful afternoon in Devon.
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