Lincoln City (0) 0
Gillingham (2) 4 Gowling 20, McDonald 41, Hone (o.g.) 59,
Akinfenwa 69
Att. 3,022
Entrance: £13
Programme: £2.50
Mileage: 380/9,483
Match Report
It is very easy to devalue the performance of your own side by passing comment on the deficiencies of the opposition, so I will say that Lincoln City were absolutely rubbish and move on.Such is Lincoln’s form that the lads in the local fish and chip shop were predicting that Gillingham would win by a net full, whilst we were far more cautious and were ready to accept that an odd goal success would be enough; those lads knew their stuff and it wasn’t restricted to a decent piece of haddock!
On the back of last week’s disappointing display against Hereford, Andy Hessenthaler drafted in Josh Gowling into the centre of defence to line up against the side for whom he spent a month on loan earlier in the season and Danny Spiller on the right side of midfield, leaving Jack Payne on the bench.
Another impressive away following from Kent numbering 535 were sheltered from the warm spring sunshine in their block of the Co-Op Stand and were left slightly nervous as the home side started the better with ex-Gill Luke Howell bringing a smart save from Alan Julian from a close range header.
Andy Barcham showed that a return to form was to emerge from this match when he outpaced his defender and brought a save from Imps’ keeper Elliott Parish. Gillingham were already staking their dominance and the power of Adebayo Akinfenwa and pace of Cody McDonald were too much for the confidence-lacking Lincoln back line.
There was a sense that once the visitors made the breakthrough the hosts would fold and that first goal came in the 20th minute and almost inevitably it would be Gowling returning to haunt his former loan club. Kevin Maher’s corner was headed in by the Afro-headed one to the joyous acclaim of the Gillingham support. One way traffic now ensued, with Akinfenwa powering a shot that must have burnt the hands of Parish and McDonald rather wastefully blazing over. Howell wanted to prove something to his ex-employers, forcing Julian once again to save, before McDonald notched his 23rd goal of the season converting Barcham’s pin point cross with a well-placed header.
Barcham was provider once more with a through ball for McDonald to outpace the home defence and shoot goalwards, his effort was turned into his own net by Mark Hone and although the Gills ace marksman took the acclaim of the visiting support, I don’t think it will take the dubious goals panel too long to decide that the goal wasn’t his.
Akinfenwa was absolutely magnificent and it was only fitting that the fourth and final goal was his. He started the move and finished it with a diving header from Barcham’s cross. It gave Gills’ fans the luxury of an Easy, Easy chant and many home fans the opportunity for an early tea.Sincil Bank is the home of my favourite stand in League Two, if not the whole of the Football League. The Lincolnshire Echo Grandstand, with its colourful seating, straddling the halfway line looks a relic of a bygone age but to my surprise was built as recently as 1987. Outside of the ground, Lincoln Cathedral offers an imposing backdrop and would make for a great photograph if we had been seated in the Echo. The rest of the ground is modern and functional with the Gills fans making great use of the acoustics of the Co-op Community Stand.
Overall, results were not particularly favourable in terms of an automatic promotion place but the win at least edges the Gills back into a play-off position.
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