Gillingham 3 Leyton Orient 2

Match 41/14/1150 - Saturday, 15th November 2014 - League One

Gillingham (0) 3 Legge 55,74 McDonald 90+8
Leyton Orient (0) 2 Plasmati (pen) 48, Dagnall 90+3
Att. 5,891

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 52/2,697

Match Report

A clear indication that results and performances are not what Gillingham would have hoped for is when an esteemed supporter of the club, the 12th Earl of Harbledown, faced with a fixture clash, decides on Wembley to watch an England team, that, let’s face it, hardly set the nation’s pulses racing.

Ultimately the good Lord saw a similar game as England asked their fans to endure a dire first half, go a goal behind early in the second half but mount a comeback to collect three more points in what is looking a straightforward road to Euro 2016.

With no wins in eight games and positioned 22nd in the League One table, morale among supporters was understandably low but had been boosted with a midweek victory at Crawley in the Johnstone Paint Trophy that has set up an Area Semi-Final tie, ironically drawing Leyton Orient.

Leyton Orient have suffered a similarly stuttering start to the season and, for mid-November, the fixture had attained an over-egged level of importance, but was, undeniably, with home advantage, one that Gillingham would not have wanted to lose.

Gillingham were given an early opportunity to open the scoring when they are awarded a penalty after Brennan Dickenson was felled in the box by Scott Cuthbert. The ever-reliable Danny Kedwell stepped up to take the spot kick, but on this occasion his placed attempt was read by the Orient keeper, Adam Legzdins, who smothered the ball diving to his left.

The half meandered its way to the break and will not live long in the memory. Michael Doughty caught the eye in midfield and his shot that cleared the bar was a sole attempt on goal whilst Orient offered very little going forward.

The second half started with the referee, Darren Deadman, awarding another penalty, this time to Orient after former Gillingham player, Josh Wright was brought down by John Egan. Orient’s skyscraper centre forward, Gianvito Plasmati, stepped forward and his hesitation in his run-up committed Stuart Nelson and the penalty taker was able to roll the ball in the opposite direction to open the scoring.

This very nearly became two almost immediately, a cross from the former Liverpool full back Andrea Dossena saw Plasmati sliding in at the far post but narrowly failing to make contact.

Gillingham were level within seven minutes when a free kick lofted into the area by Jake Hessenthaler was met at the far post by Leon Legge, whose looped header deceived Legzdins to drop under the bar and into the net.

Kedwell, who had struggled to make an impression against the solid Orient central defensive pairing, made way for Cody McDonald and Bradley Dack, once again overlooked to my frustration, replaced Jermaine McGlashen. The pair fashioned an opportunity almost immediately but McDonald’s shot hit a post.

With 15 minutes remaining Gillingham took the lead with a goal almost identical to their first. Hessenthaler once again pumped a free kick to the far post which was met by Legge, but this time his header deceived Legzdins to squeeze in at the near post. It was strange that a goalkeeper that had read a first half penalty so well had been beaten having lost his bearings twice in the second period.

Doughty, who had produced what might well have been a man of the match performance then saw red for a second yellow card for a senseless throwing the ball over the head of an Orient player when a throw had been awarded to the visitors. This gave Orient the impetus for an onslaught in the final 10 minutes.

Gillingham lived dangerously, but were holding on, until three minutes into the five of added time, Cuthbert threw a long cross into the box and Chris Dagnall met it with a powerful header to equalise from close range to the delight of the impressive 800-odd Orient fans gathered at the Town End of the ground.

Seemingly, it was game over, but there was to be a final twist. Well past the added five minutes, a free kick lumped into the box produced a corner and the referee decided there was still time available for its taking. Legge was up, looking for his hat trick of headers, Hessenthaler delivered the corner and a touch fell to McDonald who spun and struck to fire home an unlikely winner.

Three sides of Priestfield joyously celebrated and one wonders how the 12th Earl, who would have been closely following events, might have reacted as perhaps the anthems were being played. Any curses would have been directed at UEFA for their scheduling that forced him into his own personal club versus country dilemma.