Gillingham 1 Southend United 1

Match 36/15/1241 - Saturday, 24th October 2015 - League One

Gillingham (0) 1 Loft 89
Southend United (1) 1 McLaughlin 11
Attendance: 6,981

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 56/2,213

Match Report

Ex-Gillingham defender Joe Martin seemingly drew much self-satisfaction in a recent tweet proclaiming "that he had got under the skin of Gillingham supporters" after a previous tweet in which he dismissed his old club's top-of-the-table status and described them as "lucky". Perhaps Martin had gained a new found confidence after finally breaking into the Millwall side now the season is two months old. If he had been using his twitter account to reflect on this Gillingham performance in isolation, then his 140 characters would have had a bit more credibility.

This was the poorest performance from Gillingham that I've seen this season, but with the aid of a bizarre Doug Loft goal they have scratched a point. In the last eight days they have pinched a win at Crewe with a 93rd minute goal, beaten Scunthorpe with a 91st minute goal and in this game salvaged a point in the 89th minute. The timing of those goals should tell you something about the player's fitness, it certainly tells you everything about the spirit within the camp.

Whether it was the formation that Justin Edinburgh chose to play with two outright wingers or just one of those days without taking the credit away from Southend but, defensively, Gillingham were a shambles in the first half. I cannot remember John Egan having "one of those days" but the warning had already been posted before he failed to make a clearance, leaving Joe Pigott to send Steve McLaughlin through on goal and to lift the ball over the advancing Stuart Nelson for the opening goal after 11 minutes.

The first half progressed with Gillingham frustratingly giving the ball away with careless abandon and creating very little for Rory Donnelly to feed off. Meanwhile Southend were continuing in the driving seat and, had they not been so wasteful, could have put the game beyond their hosts before the break.

Bookings for Gary Deegan and McLaughlin for a poor challenges did little to lighten the mood of Gillingham's supporters, frustrated by their own side's performance.

Edinburgh's half-time team talk at least brought a bit of forward momentum, but the lack of quality resulted in very little being created. Deegan, very visible with a heavy beard, chipping away in midfield, was lucky to try the patience of the referee once more with a foul on Bradley Dack as the youngster surged towards the visitor's penalty area.

As the game entered its last ten minutes, Gillingham through caution to the wind in an effort to salvage something out of the game. Dack narrowly missed the left hand post with a shot from outside the box and the Shrimpers' keeper, Daniel Bentley, made a good plunging save to push away a close range effort from Harry Lennon.

With just a minute left on the clock before entering time added, Loft produced an equaliser which would have definitely resided in Joe Martin's "lucky" box. Dickenson took a throw-in back to the Gills' club captain who lofted an intended cross into the box. For reasons best known only to him self, Bentley had strayed four or five yards from his line and the ball sailed straight over his head and into the net.

It was a fluke, and without question Gillingham have continued their unbeaten run of seven games with more than a hint of good fortune. We know that, and we don't need Martin to inform of us it. See you in December, Joe. That is, if you are still in the Millwall team.

Quirky Priestfield picture: No. 2