Oxford United (0) 0
Gillingham (1) 1 McDonald 40
Att. 7,144
Entrance: £18.50
Programme: £3
Mileage: 220/5,280
Match Report
There was a Scally on the pitch, he thought the run was over, it is now.For any neutral at the Kassam Stadium this was just another game. Not particularly high on quality, even allowing for its Fourth Division status, a game won by virtue of dreadful defending rather than a spectacular goal, but for the 768 Gillingham fans present the significance of the occasion will rank up there with the Halifax game in 1993 and the Wembley appearances. The sore that was the lack of an away win since victory at Rochdale on 2nd May 2009, a run that had lasted 34 games, was being picked over by all and sundry and was in danger of becoming a lasting scar.
The agony that was the four minutes of time added, that somehow stretched its way to six, was replaced by raw emotion from players and supporters alike as the referee finally brought to an end not only this fixture against Oxford United but 18 months of frustration.
Out of the debris of Dover came three loan players and the first shoots of recovery in last week’s defeat by Crewe and as I looked down on the celebrating players, I noticed Charlie Lee clapping his appreciation to the fans but appearing to wonder what all the fuss was about.
I got a sense that something special was about to happen with the announcement that Simon King was on the bench. King has been missing for almost the entire length of this away drought and his appearance was enough to convince me that both runs would end together. King caused a bit of worry when he returned to the bench during the warm up and removed boot and sock, but it seemed it was nothing more than to adjust the strapping around his ankle.
But, of course, Gillingham cannot do anything the easy way. In a half as one-sided as the international in the week, the visitors should have reached the half time whistle out of sight as chances came and went with reckless abandon and it took a woefully short back pass to the goalkeeper from Jake Wright that was seized upon by Cody McDonald, who rounded the keeper and slotted into an empty net. Dare Gills fans start to dream, as this was the first half time lead on away soil since Charlton in March?
Gillingham opened with McDonald exposing the home side’s central defensive lack of pace and Wright cynically brought him down to earn a yellow card. Shades of last week’s sending off of Callum Davies, the inconsistency is shouting itself loud and clear. Five minutes later, McDonald was once again sent clear but his touch let him down and Ryan Clarke was able to smother the ball.
A series of half-chances fell to the Gills as they dominated the game in an impressive fashion with only the decisive finish lacking before McDonald’s opener. Such was their superiority that Alan Julian was only once called into action in the first half.
Oxford emerged for the second half and a flea in the ear had the desired effect as they controlled the second half adding to the Gills fans’ nerves. Julian was forced to tip over a Simon Clist free kick early on and was further tested by Alfie Potter and Steve McLean. Doubts were now beginning to creep in as our favourites were failing to have any significant retention of the ball. My thoughts centred on Gillingham literally not knowing how to win away from home, they needed to keep the ball but continually gave it back to their hosts.
The away support were calling for the full-time whistle a clear five minutes before its due time and the signal for four extra minutes were greeted with a groan of dismay. Spiller ran into the box and was brought down, or more accurately, looked for a penalty that he wasn’t going to get. There were a couple of harmless efforts from the home side before the referee brought down the curtain to a chorus of boos from the home fans as their side is now on a run of their own, five straight defeats. But those were joyously upstaged by the delight of the Gillingham faithful and their team and staff, all wildly celebrating their success.
It is over, we no longer need to talk of mythical monkeys and we are on a new run, one away game without defeat.
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