Rochdale 0 Gillingham 0

Match 65/08/749 - Thursday, 7th May 2009 -
League Two Play-off Semi Final 1st Leg

Rochdale (0) 0
Gillingham (0) 0
Att. 4,440

Entrance: £20
Programme: £3
Mileage: 568/8,698

Match Report

It was very fitting that my 2,000th game was reflected by a game of massive significance and at League Two level there is only one notch higher than a Play-off Semi Final, the Wembley final that Gillingham now have home advantage to attain.

At the end of this absorbing goalless draw, I sensed that the majority of Gillingham fans, about 700 I would estimate, were cautiously optimistic, but very much aware that this was a job half-done and not a time for premature celebration.

Perhaps my slightly biased viewpoint would be that had this been a boxing match, we would have taken the points decision by the slenderest of margins. On this I base only the fact that Frank Fielding’s save from Stuart Lewis’ shot was the best save of the match, eclipsing Simon Royce’s stop from Chris Bagnall, low at the right hand post.

A bull that had managed to adventure onto the M60 lengthened the journey considerably and by the time we parked the car we had very little change from six hours travelling time. Parking behind the first Rochdale supporter that was very ready to offer a friendly word and on to a lengthy fish and chip shop queue that not only produced the best fish and chips on the road this season but also another hospitable chat with a Dale fan, who was quick to agree that the least that both sides needed was that the tie was still alive going into Sunday’s second leg.

It must be quite disheartening for these very fair-minded folk that such an occasion can only produce an attendance of 4,440 with 15% of those coming from the visiting side. At Gillingham on Sunday, it will be disappointing if the crowd number was not doubled, even without the help of a sizeable away following.

Mark Stimson picked a side that appeared on the face of it to be defensively minded. He left Mark McCammon on the bench and went with just Simeon Jackson upfront.

The first half produced a cagey affair with the sides largely cancelling each other out. Rochdale had much the greater of the efforts on goal, but they hardly forced Royce into a save of any difficulty. The home side did have the ball in the net seven minutes before the break, but I had long since seen the flag and was not disturbed at the sight of Will Buckley stabbing home. What was a trifle more worrying was the clear handball that had been missed in the build-up, shades of the Norwegian the night previous.

Andy Barcham wriggled along the touchline on the stroke of half time and forced Fielding into the best save of the half.

Some of the shackles came off both sides as the second half took on a far more offensive nature. A Gary Jones 30 yarder brought a decent save from Royce, one for the cameras we joked, but a good stop nonetheless. Curtis Weston was beginning to take a grip on the midfield and a weaving run ended with a pass to Barcham when all around thought a shot was a better choice.

Rochdale continued to create half chances, but for the most part only endangered their terraced fans behind the goal. After the introduction of McCammon and Albert Jarrett, Gillingham, and Stuart Lewis in particular, produced the big moment when they might have returned to Kent with a priceless lead. A poor Fielding clearance was seized upon by Lewis, whose thunderous 25 yard drive was brilliantly turned away by the Dale keeper.

This was the precursor to Rochdale also producing their best moment in the game and Simon Royce was equally magnificent with a fine low stop from Bagnell to keep the scores level going into the second leg.

For the Gills, an excellent defensive display with Richards outstanding in the centre of defence alongside the ever-impressive Simon King, Curtis Weston was both hard working and effective in the centre of midfield and the Ginger Cafu produced another performance to warrant his inclusion in preference to other midfielders who have previously claimed the shirt.

Spotland is a stadium that is unrecognisable from my previous visit some years ago. It is B&Q-ish in shape and character, but comfortable and functional. The Gillingham fans were given the best stand in the ground according to the bloke in the chip shop queue and with the help of good acoustics kicked up a supportive din from start to finish. Now it is up to the home support to see the job through to the finish.

Make no mistake, this tie is far from over, but the pendulum has swung very slightly in our favour. Thursday night was no time to celebrate and given that most of us will have work to do on Monday morning, Sunday night will hardly be better, but perhaps we can be excused the slightest of hangovers should we be contemplating a Wembley visit in our places of employment at the start of next week.