Gillingham (0) 0
Bradford City (1) 2 Daley 45, Boulding 70
Att. 4,866
Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 45/4,889
Match Report
The Borough of Gillingham managed to emerge from the week’s Big Freeze only for its football club to leave their supporters cold with a poor performance against promotion rivals Bradford City. Whilst very few positives can be drawn from a Gillingham perspective, plaudits should be offered to the visitors who looked a really good side, probably the best seen at Priestfield this season.The heavy snowfall that had engulfed Kent in the early part of the week and covered the entire country over the next couple of days had thawed and despite an overnight frost the pitch was perfectly playable. Despite losing their last home match against Lincoln City, the Gills entered the match on a high having won a third successive match on the road last Saturday against Chester City. A Tuesday night postponement at Notts County had lost the opportunity to reinforce their much improved away form.
Bradford City, who came to Priestfield a point in arrears of their hosts, opened the game on the front foot and raided from the wings with Omar Daley and Steve Jones taking it in turns to especially torment John Nutter. Daley drove an early chance into the side netting, sparking an enthusiastic, misguided celebration from the visiting supporters, this was followed by Daley setting up Michael Boulding to force Simon Royce into a save.
As Gillingham finally started to get a toe hold in the game, they had a Simeon Jackson goal disallowed for offside. There was probably no doubting the decision as the linesman’s flag was quickly raised, but it was unfortunate that the first opportunity that fell to Adam Miller had been blocked by the keeper as the Gillingham player slipped at a most inopportune time.
In the 45th minute Bradford City got the lead that their first half performance had deserved, albeit in a controversial manner. The veteran Peter Thorne crossed from the right and found the impressive Daly to slot home from close range. Fury was vented at the linesman as the Gordon Road spectators felt that Daly had strayed offside. The decision was dependent on whether the ball had been passed forward and from the angle of my viewing position it was not possible to be sure. Protests from Gillingham defenders were waved away, but in truth they looked a bit half-hearted.
In midfield, Mark Stimson had chosen to start with Jaime Peters in preference to Nicky Southall and Mark Bentley had returned to his midfield slot replacing the suspended Curtis Weston, who was a big miss on the day. The home crowd was seemingly unimpressed with Stimson’s decision to replace Peters with Southall. It was a straight change, but it was the fall guy of the boo boys, Adam Miller, that the jeering few wanted rid of. Miller wasn’t at his best, but then his best is not good enough for some.
Gillingham were just not at the races in the second half and another change with 25 minutes remaining was ultimately to seal their fate. Garry Richards was withdrawn for the introduction of Mark McCammon, the reshuffle seeing Bentley revert to central defence. On a patch of grass not far removed from where Miller had slipped in the first half, Bentley did likewise whilst attempting a clearance and Boulding was on hand to go one-on-one with Royce, whose valiant effort was not enough to stop the shot entering the net.
The end of the match was greeted with a repeat of the booing that had been in evidence at the end of the Lincoln game. This had been a very poor performance from Gillingham and it is easy to understand the frustration of the home support. It is somehow typical of Gillingham that as their away form significantly improves, all of a sudden their form at home seems to have deserted them.
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