Gillingham (1) 3 Samuel 12, Guthrie (o.g.) 61, Wright 90+2
Crewe Alexandra (0) 0
Attendance: 5,656
Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3.00
Mileage: 56/5,631
Match Report
Fortunately, the Crewe side that turned up at Priestfield, looked every inch one destined to find itself in League Two next season.
The afternoon began positively with the news that Bradley Dack and John Egan had taken part in the early warm-up with some sprints, raising hopes of an earlier than expected return to action.
This was one of those games where Gillingham, as the home side, needed an early breakthrough before frustration set in and it duly arrived after 12 minutes. Jermaine McGlashan, making a rare start, sent in a cross from the right that looked wildly overhit but, from beyond the far post, Luke Norris kept the ball alive with a header back across the face of goal to Dominic Samuel who nodded in from close range.
The game meandered its way through a relatively dull first half with George Williams, Max Ehmer and Samuel bringing saves out of Ben Garratt, but with Crewe offering absolutely nothing in reply until on the stroke of half-time, a 25-yard volley from Zoumana Bakayogo thumped against the right hand upright to the surprise of Stuart Nelson and everybody else in Priestfield.
Early in the second half, Williams had another good effort well saved by Garrett low to his left before another shot from distance, from Crewe's George Cooper needed a fine low save from Nelson.
Crewe were posing a greater threat in the early stages of the second half and Tom Hitchcock, a thorn in Gillingham's side in the past, should have done better than pull a shot wide after 59 minutes.
Two minutes later and the home supporters breathed a little easier as they doubled their advantage. A cross from the left from Josh Wright should have been dealt with by either of two defenders but it found its way to Samuel, whose driven shot struck the inside of the near post only for the rebound to strike Jon Guthrie and into the net. It was the type of misfortune that always befalls those teams at the bottom.
From the build-up to the goal, Doug Loft sustained an injury that looked like a recurrence of his recent achilles problem and it was reported that he later left the ground on crutches.
We are approaching, if not arrived at, the business end of the season and the desire to be in two places at the same time. Tonbridge and Gillingham have had very similar seasons with both maintaining play-off spots and harbouring ambitions for automatic promotion. My attention had been drawn to an astonishing fight back underway at Longmead; Tonbridge three goals down had managed to draw level and then with eight minutes remaining had gone ahead.
Gillingham wrapped the game up in time added on when McGlashan made his way, from the corner flag along the bye-line and pulled the ball back for Wright to side-foot home his first-ever goal for Gillingham.
There will not be an easier win in the run in than this one, but it could be the catalyst to a timely return to form.
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