Gillingham 3 Bristol Rovers 1

Match 122/16/1429 - Friday, 14th April 2017 - League One

Gillingham (0) 3 Wright 64 McDonald 90,90+5
Bristol Rovers (0) 1 Bodin 73 (pen)
Attendance: 5,916

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 58/8,355

Match Report

There is still work to do but the manner in which this win was celebrated, on and off the pitch, suggested that avoidance of the drop was within touching distance. Although Bristol Rovers arrived with their own play-off aspirations this was considered by most to be the most winnable of Gillingham's remaining fixtures.

Those were the stakes for a must win game and, given a draw would suit neither team, a cagey first half ensued with neither side wanting to be chasing the game in the second period.

For the purist, and Gillingham supporters in particular, the quality of the game was poor with the home side doing what they have done all season, giving the ball away with careless abandon.

From the outset of the second half the game opened up with both sides in search of the vital victory. Both sides had chances, Josh Wright shot wide after being set-up by the hard-working Cody McDonald and, for the visitors, Billy Bodin wasted a chance dragging a shot hopelessly wide after being sent clear.

Gillingham took the lead on 64 minutes when, following a long throw by Mark Byrne, the ball fell to Wright who lashed it home from the edge of the six yard box.

Synonymous with Gillingham's season and their absolute inability to keep a clean sheet, Bristol Rovers equalised within 10 minutes via an awful bit of defending from Deji Oshilaja, who needlessly dragged Tom Lockyer to the ground just inside the box on the right hand side. Bodin converted from the spot with a shot straight down the middle.

The vital win went the way of the home side as the game entered the final minute of normal time. A huge kick through the centre from Gillingham's goalkeeper, Tomas Holy, found McDonald surrounded by two towering Rovers defenders. The striker wriggled his way clear and from the right hand side of the box unleashed a ferocious shot that rocketed into the top corner between Joe Lumley and his near post.

Route One was repeated in the final seconds of the match when a ball over the top was seized upon by McDonald who ran on to lob the advancing Lumley to celebrate with his manager who had sped down the touchline to hail his striker.