Ebbsfleet United 2 Gillingham 3

Match 06/12/959 - Saturday, 28 July 2012 - Pre-Season Friendly

Ebbsfleet United (0) 2 Ashikodi 51,83
Gillingham (2) 3 Kedwell 4,71 Strevens 29
Att. 915

Entrance: £5 Senior
Programme: £1
Mileage: 54/194

Match Report

Six pre-season friendlies in and I get my first look at Martin Allen’s Gillingham and the initial impression is quite positive. The whole set-up looks a good deal more professional, the warm-ups before the game appeared more vigorous and demanding and on their re-emergence for the second half another routine was worked before the kick-off, whilst on the sidelines unused substitutes were also put through their paces during the match.

On the pitch, especially in a dominant first half, Gillingham’s passing was crisp, movement was good with little triangles moving the ball in all areas of the pitch, in fact it was quite a delight to see. The second half didn’t quite pan out in the same way, Liam Daish evidently blistered the paint in the Fleet dressing room and his side made a much better game of it.

Pre-season or not, Daish would have been particularly annoyed with the way his side conceded the first goal after just four minutes. A straightforward long throw from Charlie Lee was glanced home, unchallenged, at the near post by a slimline Danny Kedwell, who looks to have benefited greatly from Allen’s training regime.

Gillingham extended their lead on the half-hour with a slightly fluky finish to a very well worked move. Joe Martin got free down the right hand side; his cross was guided goalwards by Chris Whelpdale towards the far post where Ben Strevens, virtually sitting on the grass, turned the ball in with his chest.

Gillingham were now in complete control of the game and could have doubled their advantage before the break, Preston Edwards twice making good saves from Lee.

Prior to the match, Allen had stated that the majority of the starting line-up, which included a French trialist central defender, would be getting 90 minutes in their legs while the remainder of the squad would do likewise at Dover on Tuesday.

It was an ex-Gillingham player that emerged as the stand-out player of the second half, Moses Ashikodi. In the 51st minute he capitalised on a mistake by Matt Fish to drive a shot past Stuart Nelson. The visitor’s lead could have been wiped out a minute later when another ex-Gills trialist Liam Enver-Marum struck a post. Martin Allen left his seat in the stand, had a word with Fish on the touchline and the full back became his first substitution.

Gillingham re-established their two goal advantage on 70 minutes. Bradley Dack, the teenager who is making an impression this pre-season, sent a ball over the top to Martin whose low cross was turned in at the near post by Kedwell.

Ebbsfleet were cursing their luck again when Neil Barrett hit a post before Ashikodi had the final say with a delightfully chipped finish after Lee had been dispossessed in midfield. The Ebbsfleet striker has had a mixed career but this is the second time I’ve seen him this pre-season and if Liam Daish can keep his head straight then they have a very good striker at Conference level.

Nothing much changes at Stonebridge Road, despite their £100,000 win to construct new toilets, at present their sniper block remains, whilst the main terraced stand has been renamed in honour of Liam Daish’s seven-year tenure at the club, their longest serving manager.

In his after-match press conference Martin Allen said that he would like to bring upwards of a further five players to the club, spending a little of the Paulo Gazzaniga transfer fee, and adding just that bit extra optimism to this encouraging performance.