Wycombe Wanderers 3 Gillingham 0

Match 63/09/815 - Saturday, 8th May 2010 - League One

Wycombe Wanderers (1) 3 Phillips 45, Bennett 64, Betsy 72
Gillingham (0) 0
Att. 7,110

Entrance: £18
Programme: £3
Mileage: 170/7,535

Match Report

2,300 visiting fans turned up at Adams Park to witness the culmination of their club’s successful relegation fight. 15 or so didn’t bother, it was a pity that they were the players and staff of Gillingham Football Club.

Those that have followed this club through this winless season on the road have had to suffer some inept performances and there have been some games when they have been completely outplayed by much superior teams, but the gutless display against an already relegated Wycombe side ranked as a new low point.

Long before the final whistle a very large and vocal section of the visiting support were venting their rancour against manager Mark Stimson, calling for his head in the wake of this embarrassment.

This was the most unlikely of the possible outcomes to the final day. Gillingham required just a single point and if they were not good enough to acquire even that meagre return then the results of three other matches had to go against them to ensure an immediate return to League Two from which they were promoted last season.

This is the timeline of our disastrous day.

Prior to kick off and the massed ranks of the Gillingham faithful are in fine voice, the vast majority confident of a happy ending.

There are just two minutes on the clock and Gillingham fans are celebrating the news of a goal at St James’s Park, where Huddersfield have taken the lead against Exeter. On the pitch in front of us, Alan Julian was forced to make a couple of decent saves from Kevin McLeod and Matt Phillips.

Gillingham were barely threatening as an attacking force and at 1525 news from Exeter was greeted with a whisper rather than celebration as the relegation contenders had found an equaliser. Meanwhile, Julian was in action once again as an outstretched leg retained the goalless parity.

1540 and the first news of a goal from Edgeley Park and it has gone to Tranmere and as the first half entered its time added Phillips cut in from the right and picked his spot at the far corner with a excellent finish. The half ended with boos with Julian gesturing to the fans to keep the faith. Some were not convinced and the first calls against Stimson began to be heard.

The second half began slightly more brightly for the visitors, Rene Howe at least threatened the goal but news from Stockport signalled that that game was probably over as a contest as Tranmere went two up.

On the hour came the crucial moment in our game. John Nutter crossed for Simeon Jackson to loft over the bar from barely three yards and within a minute Howe set up Dennis Oli who contrived to scuff his shot tamely into the keeper’s hands from close range.


Frustration was replaced by anger when Alan Bennett was allowed a free header from a corner to put the home side two in front. All notions of supporting the team to a comeback were lost as the support turned savagely against the manager. Stimson out and a lot worse rained down and as some took exception to the abuse there were people squaring up to each other.

When Kevin Betsey’s 72nd minute strike took a deflection and looped over Julian, “this is embarrassing” was the fans retort. Game over here and game over at Stockport as Tranmere confirmed their safety with a third goal.

Final hopes now rested at Exeter, but with eight minutes remaining Wycombe fans relayed the news that the Devon club had gone ahead and at this point Gillingham were in the relegation position. There was a brief hope as there was false news of a Brentford goal against Hartlepool, sadly it was disallowed.

As the final whistle sounded on Gillingham short tenure in League One the atmosphere turned very ugly as the players and management came to front up the wrath of the support. Not to acknowledge the fans would have been completely gutless, so why didn’t they just disappear into the dressing rooms because gutless and spineless had been their trademark on this afternoon of despair.

Post match interviews from the manager indicated that whilst a meeting with chairman Paul Scally was scheduled it would not include his resignation. The chairman now has to decide whether to continue to back the man on whom he has lavished continual support or to listen to the vast majority and tell him it is time to take his leave.