Gillingham (1) 2 Jackman 43, Martin 71
Macclesfield Town (3) 4 Draper 3, Daniel 7, 17, Sinclair 48
Att. 6,841
Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: Sold Out
Mileage: 45/9,644
Match Report
Just about everything that could go wrong went wrong on Saturday. Entering April with four home games remaining against clubs from the lower half of the Division augured well for the promotion aspiration that was still of the automatic variety. But those four games have yielded just two points and three successive away wins have been the means by which the campaign has remained just about on track.Earlier in the month, Hereford and Morecambe came, parked a bus, and Gillingham lacked the guile to break down their resolute defending. Firstly, Barnet and on Saturday, Macclesfield, came with freedom to seek a win and the home side’s defence frailties were exposed for all to see.
Cheap tickets filled half of the Brian Moore Stand and, must to my annoyance, sold the programmes out prior to my arrival, leaving Priestfield’s biggest crowd of the season ready and willing to roar their favourites into the play-offs. Following Easter Monday’s success at Rotherham, Andy Hessenthaler opted to remain unchanged after making seven changes to the side that was comprehensively beaten by Barnet.
Rather than the Barnet performance being a bump in the road, Saturday became a recurring nightmare. Initially, there was nothing to suggest the way the afternoon was about to unfold. Gillingham started brightly and Cody McDonald had an opportunity but pulled his shot wide. It was misfortune that set in motion the afternoon’s events. Garry Richards looked to send a back pass to Alan Julian but the ball rebounded of fellow central defender Simon King into the path of Ross Draper who kept his composure to strike firmly past the keeper for a third minute lead.
The game was set to go from bad to worse as the Cheshire side doubled their lead within three minutes. Emile Sinclair showed a turn of pace to which Richards had no answer, his cross might not have been meant for Colin Daniel, but once it found its way to him of the right hand side of the box, he likewise carefully picked his shot to stun the Gillingham faithful.
The game was virtually over as a contest after just seventeen minutes when Macclesfield added a third goal. Daniel was allowed to cut in from the right unchallenged and fired home via the right hand upright. Reality was that the day was in tatters, optimism allowed 73 minutes to rescue the situation.
Andy Barcham limped out of the match after half-an-hour to be replaced by Luke Rooney, who injected enthusiasm as much as anything else. Gillingham endeavoured to respond and had chances but it was Macclesfield that went closest again when Sinclair forced Julian into a good save with the keeper needing to make a double save as Tyrone Bennett headed the rebound goalwards.
Gillingham needed a goal back before half time and it duly arrived with a couple of minutes remaining. Joe Martin crossed from the left, Mark Bentley headed back across the face of the goal for Danny Jackman to volley past Jose Veiga in the Macclesfield goal. Hopes had been raised within Priestfield.
These were hopes that were quickly dashed at the beginning on the second half. From a Gillingham attack, Adebayo Akinfenwa delayed a pass and from the interception a long ball out of defence allowed Sinclair to race between the Gills central defensive pairing and lob Julian from the edge of the penalty area.
Simon King, who looked a long way from full fitness, had been replaced at the break by Barry Fuller and it was to be a short stay on the pitch for the Gillingham skipper. A reckless challenge from Tony Diagne ended with Fuller being stretchered from the pitch with what appeared to be a serious injury.
If it wasn’t to be Gillingham’s day, it also applied to leading goalscorer McDonald. He looked certain to score on the hour but his shot didn’t carry enough force and Draper cleared from the line. Gillingham eventually reduced the arrears in the 71st minute when Martin scored with a shot from outside of the box.
The crowd did their best to urge the great escape but, in truth, the home side huffed and puffed their way to the finish and on the break it looked more likely that the visitors were going to inflict more damage.
Results elsewhere dumped Gillingham outside of the play-off places, but at least a defeat for Stevenage and a draw the previous evening for Torquay left a top seven place still a possibility. Stranger things that Gillingham winning at already promoted Chesterfield have happened, but it is a big ask.
No comments:
Post a Comment