Gillingham 4 Scunthorpe United 0

Match 29/12/982 - Saturday, 3 November 2012 - FA Cup First Round

Gillingham (0) 4 Fish 59, Burton 65, Kedwell (pen) 76, Birchall 90+3
Scunthorpe United (0) 0
Att. 4,017

Entrance: £15
Programme: £3
Mileage: 45/1,970

Match Report

If I could have script-written this FA Cup First Round tie, then Adam Birchall, back from his loan spell at Dartford and sitting on the bench, would have been brought on to score the winning goal. It didn’t quite pan out that way; when Birchall was introduced with eleven minutes remaining, bringing to an end his 16 month wait for a League appearance, Gillingham were three goals to the good and their place in Round Two assured. In time added on, his tap-in from a yard won’t win goal of the season, but will probably be the most emotional goal, for both players and supporters, scored this season. I don’t mind admitting it brought a lump to my throat as the striker celebrated with wild abandon.

Martin Allen might have wished to play down Gillingham’s role as favourites for this tie with a Scunthorpe side a division higher, but I don’t think this thumping will register as any sort of upset. Sitting in the bottom four, only of couple of wins all season and despite the installation of Brian Laws as their new manager, the Lincolnshire club must have arrived at Priestfield fearing the worst.

Allen, perhaps with Gillingham’s match on Tuesday against Cheltenham in mind (even at this stage of the season it has the ring of a six-pointer), once more rang the changes with the likes of Danny Kedwell rested to the bench and Tom Flanagan to the stands.

Gillingham fans were still reeling with the shock of Martin Allen’s red trousers (part of red, white and blue day) when Stuart Nelson was forced into an early save from Mike Grella, significantly, when the game reached its conclusion this was the only real save the Gills’ keeper was asked to make.

The League One side were the more positive in the first quarter of the game, but once the home side had survived that period they then asked practically all of the questions. Myles Weston had an afternoon of threat and frustration as his pace was too much for the Iron defence but the final product was lacking. The half ended in deadlock despite Matt Fish and Chris Whelpdale going close. Andy Barcham, making his first appearance back at Priestfield with Scunthorpe, was almost anonymous.

The thought of a midweek replay at Glanford Park among a heavy schedule of travelling in the coming weeks was the subject of concern during the half-time period but those worries were dispelled in a scintillating second half display. From the outset the game became one way traffic and Adam Barrett and Charlie Lee saw efforts saved before Gillingham finally took the lead on the hour. Iron keeper Sam Slocombe did well to parry a Whelpdale shot but only into the path of Fish who squeezed the ball home from a tight angle.

The lead was quickly doubled when Weston found Deon Burton at the far post who directed his header back across the face of the goal into the opposite corner.

The visitors were being overrun at this point and, with 15 minutes remaining, Danny Jackman surging into the penalty area was brought down for as uncontentious penalty as you would wish to see. Kedwell, on for Burton, leathered the ball home from the spot in his usual style and Gillingham’s name was in the hat for the next round.

All that was left was for Birchall to add the most delicious of icing to the cake. He came on for Weston and was almost immediately involved in a well-worked move that might have produced a goal for the diminutive striker. But that moment came on 93 minutes, Slocombe was only able to parry Kedwell’s header to the far post where Birchall was lurking to tap the ball into the bottom corner. Sixteen months of rehabilitation and concern for his future was washed away in a moment of joyous celebration that was embraced by the entire Gillingham family. Perhaps it wasn’t quite a “not a dry eye in the house” moment but I’m sure there were many more than just me who wiped away a tear in recognition of, hopefully, the final chapter in one man’s endeavour to resurrect his career from the debris of a pre-season friendly at Welling.

The classic programme covers that are being replicated for this centenary season today came from the 1971-72 season.