Gillingham 1 Stevenage 0

Match 39/10/857 - Saturday, 1 January 2011 - League Two

Gillingham (1) 1 Akinfenwa 38
Stevenage (0) 0
Att. 5,429

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 45/6,030

Match Report

Sometimes winning just has to be ugly and this hard-fought victory over Stevenage was one such occasion. It stretched Gillingham’s winning run to five games and installed them in the play-off positions for the first time this season.

A diving header from Adebayo Akinfenwa on 38 minutes was the ultimate difference between two sides that on the day were stronger in defence than attack. Cody McDonald, on another day could have had a hat trick, and some stunning combined defending by Alan Julian and Joe Martin in the closing minutes contributed to the single goal scoreline.

Stevenage set their stall out early in the game when Chris Beardsley was booked for a late tackle on Gills’ skipper Barry Fuller, but overall they were a battling side that will survive their first season in the Football League with something to spare.

Akinfenwa and McDonald’s partnership is blossoming with every game and it was quite significant that on Bayo’s substitution in the 76th minute, McDonald made the point of shaking his hand on his departure. In the 16th minute the partnership produced a one-two that left McDonald advancing on the Stevenage keeper, Chris Day, who narrowed the angle sufficiently to turn away the shot.

Julian was called into action with a good save turning away a Byron Harrison header before the home side opened the scoring. Spiller, having been fed by Akinfenwa, curled in a inch-perfect cross and the big man dived in to score at the near post with a flying header.

The second half saw chances for McDonald to get onto the score sheet, but it just wasn’t his day. A superb block from Luke Foster denied him on one occasion, he should have done a whole lot better with a free header from a Spiller corner and twice more spurned chances.

Stevenage mounted a spirited effort to rescue a point in the final stages and when Alan Julian, fine save though it was, only parried to Ben May, it looked a certainty that the striker would equalise but a fantastic block from Martin, who had reverted to full back following John Nutter’s substitution saved the day.

Not convincing, certainly not pretty, but no Gillingham supporter left Priestfield complaining that they had been short-changed by commitment, something that was severely questioned little more than a month ago.