Gillingham (0) 1 Kedwell 48
Torquay United (0) 0
Att. 7,574
Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3.00
Mileage: 45/5,333
The cake is baked, it now just needs icing.News had long since filtered through that both Northampton and Rotherham were losing their respective matches and Gillingham supporters, who had been left of the edge of their seats by a late Torquay rally, were able at the final whistle to celebrate their first-ever promotion in front of a Priestfield Stadium audience.
As the players danced with joy in front of an adoring Rainham End, below us in the Gordon Road Stand, Martin Allen and his chairman, Paul Scally embraced in a manner than many, myself included, had seriously doubted on his appointment in July.Allen and Scally didn’t appear to be ideal bed fellows. The manager it was assumed from previous tenures was a man that would manage on his terms and his terms alone and Gillingham supporters, at least thought they knew, that Scally was a controlling chairman. Martin Allen’s record made him a respected choice but could his relationship with Scally survive the season, even the chairman himself reminisced that he had previous considered Allen, but was scared of him.
Allen revamped his squad in the summer and Scally made significant investments in bringing the likes of Deon Burton to the club and it was feared that the crunch might come if and when Allen needed to go back to his chairman to further strengthen his squad at a later date. Allen did indeed go back, in came Myles Weston, later in the season he went back again for Leon Legge, there were several loan signings in between, and Scally backed his man every time.
The embrace told us all that our concerns had been unfounded and if there is any justice in football, their pair will celebrate Gillingham’s first title in 50 years in the next couple of weeks. For 90 per cent of the season they have led the table and even the most one-eyed of Port Vale fans would have to accept they are the team that deserves the accolade.
All the day needed to round it off was a Roy of the Rovers moment and it duly arrived three minutes into the second half when the local lad playing for the team he supported as a kid, Danny Kedwell, received a peach of a pass from the ever-improving Steven Gregory and from the corner of the six yard box drove a volley past the Torquay keeper and into the bottom corner.
Another boisterous Priestfield crowd had grown just a little edgy through a first half in which the home side dominated the early stages but lost their momentum after the midway point of the half. After a couple of minutes, Adam Birchall’s 20 yard strike clipped the top of the crossbar on its way over as Gillingham mounted an opening period of sustained pressure. However, ex-Gillingham striker Rene Howe issued a warning when he struck a post.
After Roy Race (of the Rovers) had put the home side in front, Gillingham failed to take their chances and Torquay slowly edged their way back into the game. A penalty shout as Elliott Benyon went down in the box had the Rainham End anxiously awaiting the referee’s decision and they thanked their lucky stars when Aaron Downes met a corner only to place his free header wide.
With five minutes remaining Torquay must have realised that this was not their day to play the part of party-poopers when a free kick, given away needlessly by Leon Legge, 25 yards from goal, was crashed against the bar by Kevin Nicholson.
It proved to be the last scare and the final whistle confirmed Gillingham as the first club in the Football League to earn promotion this season and from that point to celebrations ensued. This was another game that epitomised the character and resilience of Martin Allen’s side. It hasn’t (hardly ever, in fact) been pretty, but they are a damned hard side to beat and many previous Gillingham sides would have lost this game and many others like it this season.
Once the celebrations have passed with, presumably the title added to the honours list, the cold reality of next season in the higher level will take hold, but this summer no one should doubt the ambition or the partnership of Messrs Allen and Scally.
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