Gillingham 2 Port Vale 2

Match 44/14/1153 - Saturday, 29th November 2014 - League One

Gillingham (1) 2 Egan 29,55
Port Vale (1) 2 N'Guessan 18, Brown 90+4
Att. 4,799

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 52/3,092

Match Report

Passing through the turnstiles at Priestfield I was handed a leaflet outlining the merchandise available in the club shop with Christmas approaching. Hardly unexpected, a stick of Gillingham rock was unavailable, had there been, it would have frustration written all the way through.

Late, on occasions very late, goals have featured throughout this season. Back in August, a win against the old enemy, Swindon Town, was denied by a last minute own goal and a visit to Sheffield United ended in defeat following a goal seven minutes into time added. It was hoped that a corner had been turned in this cycle when at the last home game against Leyton Orient, despite conceding a goal three minutes into added time, Gillingham still found a winner in the 98th minute and then a late equaliser at Bradford City earned a much welcome point.

With certain echoes of Stephen Bywater’s own goal against Swindon, a goalkeeping howler from Stuart Nelson gifted Port Vale a share of the points after Gillingham had appeared to just about hold on to their lead as the four minutes of added time had almost elapsed.

Gillingham had an enforced reshuffle of the defensive back line with the recall by parent club, Wolverhampton Wanderers, of Kortney Hause after a successful loan period. His form has not only been recognised by his club but also of England, as he had made his mark at Under-20 level during his time at Priestfield. In his place, Peter Taylor drafted in from Queen’s Park Ranger, Max Ehmer and also took Charlton’s Harry Lennon on loan. Ehmer, a 22-year-old German, went straight into the team in a five man back line with Adam Chicksen and Gavin Hoyte playing advanced roles as wing backs.

Playing with that five, with Michael Doughty stationed just in front of the central three appeared to give Gillingham problems in midfield in the opening 20 minutes finding themselves outnumbered. After 18 minutes a straight ball found Danny N’Guessan with a yard of space on the edge of the box where such space should have been denied and a shot into the bottom corner gave Nelson no chance.

The acre of space between Gillingham’s deep midfield and the front two became increasingly frustrating as long punts towards Cody McDonald and Brennan Dickenson were easily dealt with by the Valiant’s defence. However the space was put to good use on the half-hour when John Egan strode forward, exchanged passes with Jake Hessenthaler and struck a sweet 25-yarder past the Vale keeper, Chris Neal for Gillingham’s equaliser.

The home side enjoyed a period of relative dominance up to the break and Taylor’s formation with the wing backs had settled down and was working well.

Nelson made a good stop in the opening moments from Ben Williamson, a graduate of Glenn Hoddle’s Academy in Spain, who had been a nuisance for much of the afternoon.

However, it was Gillingham, after a period of pressure, who took the lead on 55 minutes, Egan planting a powerful header from Hessenthaler’s corner into the bottom corner.

Taylor made a surprise double substitution with 20 minutes remaining and whilst he later outlined his reasons for the changes, there are many who felt that the removal of Hoyte and reverting to a flat back four invited the pressure that eventually brought the Port Vale equaliser. The fact that the substitutes, Jermaine McGlashen and Antonio German, made absolutely no impact on the game also brings the decision into question.

When the goal finally came with just 20 seconds of the four minutes added time remaining, the alarm bells had been ringing loud and clear. Colin Daniel struck a post and when Louis Dodds’ effort came back off the underside of the bar to safety, it was hard not to feel that this was to be Gillingham’s day.

Michael Brown skipped a couple of challenges before unleashing a shot from 20 yards. Quite how the shot evaded Nelson I’ve no idea. It wasn’t a shot of great venom and took a couple of bounces before nestling in the corner of the net, for the most frustrating of endings.

Nelson shouldered the blame on the pitch, but many off the pitch would point to Taylor’s baffling substitutions when all appeared steady as you go with his back five.

Frustrating sums up this game, sums up this season.