Gillingham (0) 0
Barnet (1) 2 Furlong 23, O'Flynn 53 (pen)
Att. 6,033
Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 45/7,270
Match Report
At this stage of the season the BBC Predictor becomes a bit of an addiction as supporters attempt to foresee their future destinies, nobody saw this one coming. This was supposed to be the easiest of the remaining fixtures against a side that has stared relegation in the face for much of the season, but Gillingham slumped to a two goal defeat in front of an expectant attendance of over 6,000.Last week’s fine performance at Brentford was firmly despatched to the history folder as the home side produced a display that was polar opposites of their previous outing.
There was much scratching of heads as the team showed a couple of changes from the starting line up at Griffin Park. Why change it after a good performance when it was left to the same players to fix it after a bad day at Grimsby? Of course, the majority of supporters are not privy to what has gone on in training during the week, who has picked up injuries or illnesses and Mark Stimson was quick to defend his decisions on Radio Kent with the explanation that Adam Miller had only trained for half-an-hour this week, but it is common knowledge that he has been playing with a hernia for weeks, so why choose today to rest him? Likewise, Stimson bemoaned the lack of a fully fit Mark McCammon, now he has him and when his partnership with Simeon Jackson is beginning to show signs of coming together, he drops him to the bench. We can only ask why and when there is a reaction from the disappointed support, Stimson reacts as if to say “what the hell do you lot know”?
Another excuse was made for the totally baffling withdrawal of Andy Barcham, once again it was injury, but the player himself looked less than pleased to be substituted, especially by a centre half being thrown forward. When Barcham was promptly named man of the match, you had to laugh because the alternatives were tears or rage.
I’ve largely supported Mark Stimson when sections of the crowd have not, but today’s horror show can be partly laid at his door and his team selection. Don’t come on the radio and have a go at supporters, take a hard look at your own decisions, because today they did not stack up.
The game was scrappy from the outset on a drying pitch that was not helpful. Barnet made the early running as Gillingham wasted possession with careless abandon. The veteran Paul Furlong gave the home side a warning shot across the bows as he shot wide in the 13th minute before heading home ten minutes later. Debutee Josh Wright gave the ball away; John Nutter failed to get close to John O’Flynn who crossed for Furlong to score with ease. If this was the wake-up call required, Gillingham failed to answer and were lucky not to go in further behind as a Nicky Deverdics strike cleared the bar.
With news from elsewhere encouraging at half-time, surely Gillingham would improve significantly after the break, sadly the answer was an emphatic no. In the 50th minute a shot from Nutter, comfortably saved by Jake Cole, was the first on target for the Gills, before Mark Bentley clumsily brought Furlong down in the box with the resultant penalty converted by O’Flynn to double the deficit.
McCammon was introduced at the expense of Dennis Oli and although he enlivened the flagging home side he also wasted the best chance when he shot wide following good work from Barcham. Five minutes injury time would normally be seen as a lifeline in these circumstances, but today it was almost sadistic persecution of those wearing the blue and white colours.
I like many others must learn a lesson from today. If I was any good at predicting the results of football matches, I would have taken a bucket-load of cash from the bookies every Saturday, I haven’t, so give the Predictor the elbow.
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