Gillingham 1 Doncaster Rovers 0

Match 20/15/1225 - Saturday, 5th September 2015 - League One

Gillingham (0) 1 Hessenthaler 66
Doncaster Rovers (0) 0
Attendance: 5,685

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 56/1,006

Match Report

Forty years is a long time married and deserving of a celebration and it was to New York that we were bound to mark the occasion. But first there was football to clear and considering we were due to leave home not much more than hour after full-time, it speaks volumes of the good lady’s patience that I was seating in my seat for this game.

To lead the table at any time during the season requires a number of factors. The most obvious is, of course, a winning team and the confidence it brings but the undefined factor is lady luck. Gillingham have made it too the summit of League One with a great work ethic, team spirit and the goals of Bradley Dack. But this game against Doncaster Rovers, they also enjoyed the rub of the green as a single, disputed goal saw them to another three points and remain undefeated.

If there was good fortune to come, it didn’t appear so prior to kick off with three of the regular back four missing, Brennan Dickenson, John Egan and Deji Oshilaja all failing fitness tests. The returning captain and midfielder, Doug Loft, was called upon to form a central defensive partnership with Max Ehmer and did an admirable job.

The first half was one of few chances, probably the best of which fell to Rovers’ striker Curtis Main with Gillingham goalkeeper Stuart Nelson advancing from his goal to block his effort.

There was a further scare early in the second half when it appeared Ryan Jackson had tripped Cedric Evina in the box but the referee waved away the visitor’s appeals.

Gillingham’s stroke of luck came on 66 minutes. A shot from substitute Jake Hessenthaler was cleared from the line by Doncaster’s Mitchell Lund, the rebound was returned and once more the goalbound shot was cleared but a linesman’s flag was already indicating that the original shot had crossed the line and the goal was given. Was it in? Initially I thought it was the second effort that had counted, a couple of Rainham Enders said it was well over, video evidence wasn’t quite so convincing, albeit the camera angle was poor.

Gillingham gave me a great send-off; New York can do the rest.