Gillingham (0) 3 Wright 78,82,86 (3 pens)
Scunthorpe United (1) 2 Madden 4, Toffolo 73
Attendance: 6,859
Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 58/7,184
Match Report
For 75 minutes of this game Gillingham were outplayed by a Scunthorpe side that, at the start of play, sat third in the table. It was difficult to quantify how good the Iron were because Gillingham were so bad. Stuart Nelson had single-handedly kept the home side in the game saving four one-on-one's with his feet before in the 73rd minute conceding a second goal through his legs as Harry Toffolo bought a raffle ticket from 25 yards out. What happened next is something that I've never witnessed and, as unlikely comebacks go, ranks alongside Barcelona's stunning comeback on Tuesday evening in the Champions League against Paris St Germain. I have seen many a recovery from two goals down, never have I seen one completed by virtue of three penalties, scored by the same man, in just nine minutes. It was madness.
Gillingham afforded Scunthorpe the Freedom of Priestfield, such was the space in which they were allowed to work, about the only thing they didn't do was herd sheep. In the fourth minute, the home side were opened up as easily as a can of beans. With nobody tracking runners, Kevin van Veen got inside Deji Oshilaja to cross for Paddy Madden to strike from six yards.
The opening half was to continue in the same vein as the impressive van Veen strolled around the Priestfield wastelands feeding the direct running of Madden. Only Nelson stood between Gillingham and total humiliation.
Chris Herd salvaged a situation he had created for himself with a last gasp tackle to thwart Tom Hopper and it was a miracle that Gillingham got to the break just a goal down.
The momentum continued in favour of the visitors and it was surprising that it took until 17 minutes from time for them to score their second, a personal nightmare for Nelson when Toffolo's shot went through his legs.
Gillingham were handed the opportunity of a consolation when Bradley Dack was brought down in the box with referee Robert Lewis pointing to the spot. Josh Wright stepped up shot right, Luke Daniels guessed correctly diving left but was unable to save to offer Gillingham a lifeline.
Four minutes later, Mr Lewis was once more pointing to the spot as an errant hand was spotted. Once more Wright took the responsibility, this time Daniels once more dived left as the ball went right as Gillingham gained parity.
Unbelievably, a third penalty was awarded in nine minutes when Wright himself was fouled. The time the midfielder went back to the goalkeeper's right, as he went left a third time to send Priestfield into rapture.
Somehow the remaining minutes were seen out as Scunthorpe threw everything to salvage something out of a game they had dominated for so long.
There could never have been a truer quote than the one that says fact is stranger than fiction; only a fantasist would write this nonsense!
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