Gillingham (1) 2 Miller 20, Barcham 65
Milton Keynes Dons (2) 2 McCracken18, Easter 45
Att. 5,465
Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 45/6,240
Match Report
My memories of Gillingham/MK Dons encounters since the concrete city became the first franchised football league club has been those of dour, lifeless encounters usually with the MackieD’s turning up with a lump of a side willing to kick anything that moved.Today’s fixture was anything but lifeless and it was most certainly controversial. It seems slightly against the grain that a Kent-based official should be allowed to referee a Gillingham match, but Phil Crossley has officiated the Gills on three occasions this season alone and alongside his similarly Kent-based assistant, Phil Knight, they showed that their locality is no template for a homer.
Gillingham were left to play a man light for 50 minutes when Dennis Oli was sent off for two yellow cards. Oli’s first was collected when he was adjudged to have dived in the penalty area after a challenge by James Tunnicliffe, from the stands it looked a harsh decision, one that could have gone either way. The second yellow came within eight minutes when Oli fouled Dean Lewington on the touchline. The decision incensed the Gillingham support in the Gordon Road Stand, who thought that the Dons’ defender had made the most of the challenge. My own opinion is that whether it was a foul or not, it was a reckless challenge from a player already on a caution.
Matters went from bad to worse before half time when a decidedly shaky Gillingham back four, polar opposite to last week’s sterling performance at the Valley, conceded a second poor goal as Jermaine Easter hooked in from close range to go into the break a man down and a goal down.
It had all started so well. Rene Howe, who went on to produce a performance that could not have been far short of the man-of-the-match award, sent Andy Barcham clear down the left and his cross to Curtis Weston most certainly should have been buried.
Darren Dennehy, who endured a difficult encounter with Easter and Aaron Wilbraham, conceded a foul on the edge of the box and when the Gillingham defence failed to clear the free kick the ball finally fell to central defender David McCracken who scored from close range at the second attempt.
Gillingham responded quickly when Adam Miller drove home a low free kick within two minutes of the opening goal. The midfielder’s kissing of the badge celebration a clear message to those that had questioned his commitment to the club following comments made whilst on loan at Dagenham earlier in the season.By the time of the Oli sending-off the game had already become bad tempered and Miller showed assistant Knight his scars from a previous high challenge, two very red stud marks on his side whilst continuing a verbal tirade on the official.
The game may, and should, have been ended as a contest early in the second half. More poor defending left Easter clear to lob Alan Julian, who was relieved to see the ball rebound off the bar.
As the home side struggled to come to terms with the personnel disadvantage, Milton Keynes created further chances before Andy Barcham produced a little bit of magic to bring the Gills level. Fastening on to a clearance, Sean O’Hanlon was second best as Barcham outpaced his marker to fire past Willy Gueret.
Paul Ince was next to feel the wrath of the officials as he was sent not to the stands, but down the tunnel for protesting a decision, taking the walk of shame past a mocking Medway Stand.
Those fans were best placed to see the next controversial act by the men in charge when Rene Howe was denied a penalty and the receiver of a caution, once again for simulation.
Dennehy, who had suffered a torrid, error-strewn match, made a stupendous block to deny Easter an almost certain winner before Gillingham had a final chance to capture maximum points themselves with no one on the end of a Howe cross.
Tempers finally spilled over when following a bad challenge on Danny Jackman by Stephen Gleeson, in the ensuing melee Easter was seen to stamp on the stricken midfielder. Par for the course, both Gleeson (who was booked) and Easter (already on a booking) escaped the ultimate punishment.
As at the Valley last Saturday, Gillingham showed great spirit, this time in adversity and most in the stadium would have taken a point at half time with the goal and man disparity. As for the officials, we’ll take one from Cumbria next time.
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