Gillingham 0 Newcastle United 1

Match 18/14/1127 - Tuesday, 26th August 2014 - C1C 2nd Round

Gillingham (0) 0
Newcastle United (1) 1 Egan (o.g.) 24
Att. 10,204

Entrance: £20
Programme: £3.00
Mileage: 52/1,129

Match Report

There is a term in manager-speak where it is impressed on his players that they “leave nothing out there [the pitch]”. In terms of effort and application, Gillingham left nothing out there against their Premiership opponents, Newcastle United. But, I feel, they may have left out there a single regret and that would be that they could have been braver.

Newcastle were everything that you would expect from the Premier League, their passing was slick, they retained the ball for long periods and their pace in certain areas was frightening and thereby lay Gillingham’s problem. Do you set up to contain and spare yourself the possible humiliation of a heavy defeat or be just that little bit more brave and give yourself the opportunity of producing an unexpected victory?

Despite their possession, Newcastle proved to be almost as toothless in front of goal as their hosts. Apart from their goal, an unfortunate deflection into his own net by John Egan, ironically a former Sunderland player, their only other effort of note was a long range effort from Massadio Haidara that rattled the crossbar after 53 minutes.

The sold out notices went up at Priestfield during the day with just a few spaces in the visitor’s section and the hospitality block of the Medway Stand. For some reason, writing this over 24 hours after the event, no official attendance has been given.

The full house brought with it a good atmosphere and those voices were raised as early as the sixth minute when Cody McDonald attempted to wriggle clear of the impressive Fabricio Coloccini and was felled in the box but the Argentinian’s tackle was perfectly timed.

Newcastle’s opportunities were severely limited by a steadfast Gillingham defensive unit with only a shot from Emmanuel Riviere bringing a comfortable save from Stephen Bywater.

Gabriel Obertan’s pace down the right hand side was problematical but had been largely contained by Gillingham until the 24th minute when he got to the byline and crossed to the near post where the ball hit Egan and deflected into the net. As it turned out, it was cruel way to lose the game.

Cody McDonald was largely isolated up front with Danny Kedwell playing even deeper than the false number nine position that is being heralded this season. The best of the early second half efforts fell to Newcastle and generally from the attacking prowess of the French full back, Haidara, but these were comfortably dealt with by Bywater.

Peter Taylor injected a greater attacking intention with 25 minutes remaining replacing his strike force with Luke Norris and Antonio German. Their pace gave the Geordies defence a few uncomfortable moments including a back pass that Norris chased down and Tim Krul was lucky that his clearance that hit the striker landed back at his feet.

Krul though, was at his acrobatic best moments later when Norris fired in a shot from the edge of the area that was bound for the top corner until the Dutchman’s fingertips intervened to steer the ball over the bar.

That was the closest Gillingham came to finding an equaliser. Nobody can deny their effort and, in midfield, the youthful duo of Bradley Dack and Jake Hessenthaler acquitted themselves very well indeed. But those last 25 minutes when Norris and German ran at the Premiership side’s back line proved that there was an upset there for the taking.

Peter Taylor, in his after match interview, felt that his team could have shown more belief. Where Taylor says belief, I say bravery, much the same thing in my mind.