Gillingham (0) 1 Kedwell 63 (pen)
Port Vale (1) 1 Richards 33
Att. 4,676
Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3.00
Mileage: 45/1,454
Match Report
This is a mini posting due to a holiday . . . at last!Gillingham needed to recover some respect following the embarrassing capitulation at Wimbledon last week and although they failed to collect the maximum points some semblance of pride was restored with a thoroughly decent performance.
Ultimately it took a twice taken penalty from Danny Kedwell to rescue a point but it was no more than Gillingham deserved. Port Vale came into the game as the Division’s leading scorers and with defensive absentees in Andy Frampton and Barry Fuller it was on the cards that the home side would come under a lot of pressure but they coped admirably and in the main took the game to their visitors from Burslem.
Port Vale took a 33rd minute lead when Matt Fish misjudged to cross allowing Tom Pope to head back across the face of the goal for Marc Richards to tap home from close range. It was a bit of a shame for Fish, looking to establish himself following Fuller’s expected season-long absence, who otherwise had a pretty solid game.
The other point worthy of mention in the first half was the continuing good form of Luke Rooney, who is frustrating and exhilarating in equal measures but never ceases to attempt to entertain.
On the hour Gillingham were offered a deserved opportunity of an equaliser when Frank Nouble was brought down on the edge of the box. Priestfield let out a collected groan as Kedwell’s penalty attempt was saved by Stuart Tomlinson. Those groans turned to cheers as the linesman flagged to alert the referee that the keeper had moved from his line. Kedwell kept his nerve and stroked his second attempt into the opposite corner with the keeper diving the same way as his first.
Gillingham made the most of the running in the final half-hour but could not break down a resolute Vale defence, but despite not winning the game, they would have been pleased to hear appreciative applause at the final whistle rather than the negative reception they have received in more recent times.
Off to Dubrovnik, where hopefully a Croatian match might find its way onto the blog pages.
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