Gillingham (0) 3 Oli 47, Howe 74, Barcham 85
Southend United (0) 0
Att. 7,657
Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 45/6,830
Match Report
Home sweet home for Gillingham on Easter Monday as a first victory in five games lifted them out of the bottom four into which they had dropped following Saturday’s defeat at Oldham. Dennis Oli returned after suspension replacing the misfiring Chris Dickson with Simeon Jackson sitting out his return on the bench. Skipper Barry Fuller returned to the starting eleven with the aid of a cast on his arm replacing Stuart Lewis.
In a dull first half, Rene Howe had two opportunities to break his duck at the club. The first he dragged wide and the second brought a good save from Steve Mildenhall. Howe is a striker in the mould of Emile Heskey, he brings a lot to the table, but that doesn’t include goals.
But the second half started off with a bang and the home side went on to control the game and win the vital points against a Southend side similarly threatened by the relegation trap door. Curtis Weston, who has been a shadow of the player we know he can be and was ineffectual in the first half, had a shot partially blocked by Mildenhall but it fell to Oli who hooked in from close range.
Andy Barcham was now causing a considerable problem to the Shrimpers rearguard and when Adam Miller connected with his cross the net rippled and most of Priestfield thought the Gills had gone two-up, unfortunately he had missed.
The monkey was finally lifted off Rene Howe’s back in the 74th minute. Simeon Jackson, on for Oli, crossed for Howe to finish. His delight was for all to see.
Barcham and Weston combined with five minutes remaining to seal the game in emphatic style with Barcham crashing his shot into the roof of the net.
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