Gillingham 0 Swindon Town 0

Match 66/15/1271 - Saturday, 6th February 2016 - League One

Gillingham (0) 0
Swindon Town (0) 0
Attendance: 6,398

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 56/4,944

Match Report

There's an old joke that does the rounds at the end of January, "it's transfer deadline day, otherwise known in Gillingham as Monday". This year was different, Gillingham weren't in the market for money purchases, although the loan deal that secured Dominic Samuel's services through to the end of the season was welcome, but whether they would keep hold of their prized assets. That they did, and in the process turn down a £2 million bid for Bradley Dack, shows a real statement of intent that there is a prospect of promotion and they are going to go for it. In the case of Dack, it was a massive offer, but the player himself hadn't expressed any desire to head west into a relegation battle with Bristol City and at the end of the season he knows that there will be continued interest from clubs further up the food chain. John Egan was an altogether different scenario. Out of contract at the end of the season, nobody could really have blamed the chairman for accepting whatever the offer was from Brentford knowing that in May he can walk away from Priestfield for nothing. But the temptation was resisted and Paul Scally can rightly say to his manager, "I've left you with the tools, now finish the job."

When talking with non-Gillingham people about the club's prospects of promotion, I've described them as the Leicester of League One. No one expected them to be where they are, and everybody is waiting for them to falter, but despite this disappointing result against Swindon Town, they are still in the mix with 30 games gone. The big clubs of the Division are beginning to come good, Wigan Athletic and Millwall are flexing their muscles and Coventry City can hardly be described as a minnow. But swimming with the big fish are leaders Burton Albion, Walsall and Gillingham.

The fact remains that if Gillingham are to be without both Dack and Egan next season they will almost certainly be weaker and, therefore, this season might be their best opportunity.

It was another blustery day at Priestfield, a weather report that I've seemed to purvey each week, wherever I am, for the last three months.

An early mix-up between Swindon's right back, Nathan Thompson, and his goalkeeper, Lawrence Vigouroux allowed Rory Donnelly a free run on goal and as the keeper scrambled to make his ground, the Irishman took aim and planted his shot against the cross bar. It looked the proverbial open goal, and no doubt the wind played it's part, but it was a bad miss that, perhaps, affected his confidence as he went on to have a poor game. It was rumoured that there was a representative from the Northern Ireland management in the stands, I wonder whether that fourth minute miss had him on an early flight back to Belfast, I hope not.

Gillingham needed an early goal to break down a resolute visiting defence and might have got the opportunity from the penalty spot after 10 minutes when Ryan Jackson was brought down in the area. Appeals, on and off the pitch, were turned away by the referee with Justin Edinburgh in animated conversation on the touchline.

The game progressed to the half-hour mark before a sweet strike from Josh Wright was turned over the bar by Vigouroux.

Having had the advantage of the wind in the first half it was particularly disappointing that a large amount of possession hadn't been turned into a goal.

Although they defended well, this was one of the poorest Swindon Town sides that I've seen for many a year. A player, long admired, Yaser Kasim, was as quiet as I've ever seen him and leading goalscorer Nicky Ajose was fed meagre scraps.

The second period was very frustrating. Against the wind, Gillingham struggled to create any clear opportunities and with both strikers having indifferent days, they were a blunt force. So much so, that a fierce shot just wide of the post from defender Egan was about the only effort worthy of mention.