Gillingham 1 Millwall 2

Match 99/15/1304 - Sunday, 8th May 2016 - League One

Gillingham (0) 1 Egan 90+1
Millwall (0) 2 O'Brien 55, Gregory (pen) 90+7
Attendance: 9,375

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: Sold Out
Mileage: 56/6,959

Match Report

It needed a miracle of five fishes proportions but when they turned up with the loaves, Gillingham couldn't muster so much as a box of fish fingers.

For a side that goes into the play-offs with a quite decent chance of winning them, Millwall were not that good. Truth is, they didn't need to be.

The atmosphere at Priestfield was vibrant. Gillingham remained in with a sniff, but matters elsewhere left it out of their hands, whilst Millwall's place in the play-offs was assured but needed a result to ensure home advantage in the second leg. The police had set a limit on 1,100 tickets for the visiting supporters, far too few and it begged the question, originally levelled against Gillingham, that there was a case for opening up the bottom tier of the Brian Moore Stand leaving a block vacant either side for segregation. But, it later emerged, when Millwall fans had infiltrated all areas of Priestfield that it was Kent Police that insisted on the restriction by virtue of not wanting a larger number of visiting supporters around the town prior to kick-off.

It was, of course, a recipe for trouble, which happened but was largely contained in a manner that didn't sit well with Gillingham supporters, but ultimately served its purpose.

A lot is said about momentum coming into the play-offs and the teams were polar opposites. Gillingham's run of eight games without a win had all but destroyed their hopes whilst Millwall's surge had a five wins in six count.

Gillingham's failing to capitalise on good starts was once again evident and they cut out the early chances but Deji Oshilaja's header that was high and wide was about all they managed from the pressure.

After the initial pressure, Millwall started to dominate from midfield. Aiden O'Brien was sent through on goal but was denied by Stuart Nelson and the Gillingham goalkeeper produced a magnificent save to deny Mark Beevers with the follow-up shot hitting the bar.

In the early stages of the second half, Gillingham were still looking to stretch Lions' keeper Jordan Archer for the first time when the visitors took the lead. Nelson smothered Steve Morison's initial shot but the rebound fell kindly to O'Brien who had time to pick his spot into the bottom corner.

With results elsewhere not going Gillingham's way, in fact Barnsley were blitzing the champions Wigan, there was little else to play for but pride and Bradley Dack in particular showed an energy of wanting to go out in style.

Morison crashed another effort against the bar with 15 minutes remaining before ex-Gllingham youngster, Mahlon Romeo saw red for a rash challenge on Brennan Dickenson.

Into six minutes of added time and it seemed Gillingham had at least the consolation of not losing to their local rivals when at the far post John Egan scored off the underside of the bar to level the score.

But it was not to be. A ridiculous challenge from Dickenson led to the award of a penalty from which Lee Gregory scored.

So a season that, unexpectedly offered so much, petered out with pretty much a whimper. Fact is, at the season's start if the realists within the Gillingham support had been offered ninth, a top half finish, we would have said thanks very much. But then, we get greedy don't we.