Stevenage (1) 2 Harrison 24,75
Gillingham (1) 2 McDonald 45, Akinfenwa 50
Att. 2,424
Entrance: £15
Programme: £3
Mileage: 183/7,240
Match Report
Most realistic Gillingham supporters would have known from Stevenage’s performance at Priestfield on New Year’s Day that the visitors were going to be in for a night when they would be put physically under pressure and any reward would be hard-earned. And on a foggy evening in Hertfordshire that was the way the game unfolded.Manager Andy Hessenthaler revealed on Saturday that a pragmatic approach would have to be taken and his team selection reflected this. There was no place for a luxury-type player, so Luke Rooney lost his place to the more defensively minded Joe Martin and similarly Curtis Weston was replaced by the more robust Mark Bentley.
Gillingham started brightly, but quickly the physicality of the home side held sway. Striker Chris Beardsley was lectured early for leaving a foot in on Alan Julian and went into the book within the first 25 minutes when a late challenge on Josh Gowling left the central defender eventually limping out of the game, paving the way for the return of Gary Richards.
In between the bookings, Stevenage took the lead. A cross from the right hand side was met at the far post by Byron Harrison who rose highest to beat Bentley in the air and squeeze the ball between Julian and the post. The visitors had paid a high price for John Nutter’s inability to get the ball to safety under pressure from the crosser, Lawrie Wilson.
Gillingham struggled to get a foothold in the game, a long range effort from Danny Jackman was goal bound before it was tipped away by Chris Day and the overly officious referee, Andy Woolmer, hacked off the Gillingham support, when Cody McDonald raced clear only to be pulled back for a foul on Kevin Maher, who had supplied the pass. It was a dreadful decision by a referee who didn’t have the best of nights.
As first half stoppage time was entered, McDonald took a pass from Barry Fuller, found a bit of space and struck clinically past Day. The first half had been a real struggle and at honours even, Stevenage probably felt the side most hard done by.
The fog became denser as the second half progressed and the goal being attacked by the home side became difficult to see, several times the ball was lost from vision. Thankfully, Gillingham were attacking the goal populated by a fantastic away following of 648 and they were suitably delighted when their favourites took a 50th minute lead. Jackman fed Martin on the left wing, whose low cross evaded everybody bar Adebayo Akinfenwa on the far post who tucked home from close range.
For a short period, Gillingham were in the ascendancy and Jackman and Akinfenwa had half chances to increase the lead before Stevenage got an equaliser with 15 minutes remaining. A free kick was headed home from the centre of the goal by Harrison, because of the fog it was difficult to see how and why the forward was given a free header to score.
The best of the remaining time belonged to Stevenage, and although Day was forced into a late save following a corner, Gillingham would have been pleased to hang on for a hard-earned point from a game in which the result reflected the balance of play.
Broadhall Way is not the type of ground that appeals to me, the usual prefabricated stands that have no character, but for a club new to the Football League, it does exactly what it says on the tin. Unfortunately, stuck on a busy road and a retail park, the desired fish and chip shop had to be replaced by a plastic Burger King, in fact the chips on view inside the ground looked the better option. A definite plus was the free car park, we arrived early, the Dartford Tunnel proving no obstacle for a change, and because of this we had a fairly good getaway through its only exit.
We knew what we was going to get from this visit and using a well-worn cliché, would have taken a point on the way in, so I’ll settle for it on the way out.
1 comment:
is this ground made out of lego blocks
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