Gillingham (0) 1 Freiter 57
Brentford (0) 3 Moore 67, 89 Senior 80
Att. 300-ish
Entrance: £4
Programme: Free
Mileage: 45/2,932
Match Report
The FA Youth Cup 1st Round tie was played out at Priestfield Stadium to a backdrop of Guy Fawkes Night celebrations being acted out in the back gardens of the local residents. During the first half, several enormous bangs made me, and no doubt many others, jump as we attempted to focus on our own entertainment being served up. It was a bit like watching football in a war zone, I’m sure fireworks were not so loud when I was a child.
I’m not particularly well versed in the structure of Academy football, but my understanding was that the visitors, Brentford, although in the same division as Gillingham in senior football, are a step higher in the categorisation of Academies.
There were a trio of players on show that have made appearances for the first team under Martin Allen, Mahlon Romeo, Michael Freiter and Sam Muggleton have all taken their place on the bench in the last year. Muggleton came on as substitute in this game, and those that saw him on his first team appearance would remember the huge throw in that he possesses.
In a tight first half, Gillingham probably edged it in terms of the better chances. The Bees’ keeper made two good saves from Freiter and Mitchell Dickenson might well have done better when he headed over from a corner.
The second half began with another good heading opportunity from a corner, this time spurned by Josh Staunton. But the home side were not to be denied, and just short of the hour, a ball over the top allowed Freiter to get behind the Bees back line and from just inside the box and with the keeper narrowing down the angle, the Gills striker coolly lobbed him to give the hosts a fully deserved lead.
I think the Brentford side may well have been just that little bit older through the side as they responded from the set back and got stronger throughout the last half-hour. Their captain, Montell Moore, rifled in a powerful shot from 25 yards. With ten minutes remaining, a defence splitting pass sent Courtenay Senior clear to shoot past Gills’ keeper Luke Nalder and the evening was wrapped up when Moore claimed his second having been sent clear.
This was a good insight into where the club sits in terms of its young prospects and as I said it was largely encouraging. They definitely ran out of legs in the final stages and I’m making the assumption that the visitors were older and therefore stronger, but Freiter, Dickenson and Blanchard caught the eye, whilst Nalder made some good saves.
If nothing else, it was a far more enjoyable evening than Saturday afternoon had been with the seniors!
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