Gillingham 3 Notts County 1

Match 93/14/1202 - Sunday, 3rd May 2015 - League One

Gillingham (0) 3 Egan 88, Dickenson 90, Norris 90
Notts County (0) 1 Burke 61
Att. 8,453

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 56/6,592

Match Report

Three goals in the last seven minutes elevated Gillingham into the top half of the table whilst relegating their visitors, Notts County, to League Two.

I was indifferent towards County’s fate and whilst the game remained scoreless and they dipped in and out of the bottom four depending on scorelines coming in from elsewhere I felt happy for the 2,000-plus supporters that had descended on Priestfield in hope that they would see their club survive. After all, with Gillingham, we have been there before and lost the t-shirt.

But once Notts County took the lead with a driven shot from Graham Burke at the near post they become cynical in terms of foul play and time-wasting and quickly lost any sympathy for their situation.

Ten years ago when Gillingham were relegated from the Championship, their following of 5,000 in Nottingham, albeit at Forest, were mocked mercilessly at their fate, so when Gillingham made the game safe in time added with a third goal and the Brian Moore Stand emptied of visitors it felt like pay-back time for that city.

The header to this blog, penned at the beginning of the season, called for Peter Taylor’s minimum requirement to be an improvement. That improvement has been achieved but at the expense of Taylor with much of the credit going to the Gang of Four who oversaw the recovery from the bottom four whilst his successor was being sought.

Justin Edinburgh has maintained the improvement and 12th place is Gillingham’s best finish for 10 years.

John Egan, later to be named as Player of the Year, converted Doug Loft’s cross at the far post to level the score and drop County back into the bottom four and goals in time-added from Brennan Dickenson and an individual effort from Luke Norris sealed their fate.

When the header is written for next season in a couple of month’s time, I’m inclined to believe that more optimistic words than improvement will be used, but with it comes expectations and that is almost a dangerous word.

Gillingham 1 Rochdale 0

Match 87/14/1196 - Saturday 18th April 2015 - League One

Gillingham (1) 1 Dack 14
Rochdale (0) 0
Att. 5,430

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 56/6,270

Match Report

When Andy D'Urso comes to Gillingham, you can guarantee there is only one show in town ...

It was Rochdale’s Keith Hill that left Priestfield fuming at the latest endeavours of a referee that has courted controversy throughout his career and is now into a third year of overtime. Two second half dismissals were the cause of Hill’s displeasure and a result that left Rochdale’s hopes of a play-off place hanging by the thinnest of threads.

On this occasion though, I’m inclined to think that once the Rochdale manager has reviewed the footage he might consider that Mr D’Urso actually got his decisions right for a change.

This was a strange game. Rochdale came knowing that any result other than a win would end their play-off hopes whilst Gillingham had nothing but pride to play for. This led to a sometimes scrappy but competitive game that always had a little edge to it.

That edge led to Rochdale’s Andy Cannon becoming the pantomime villain of the piece as a series of challenges left him writhing in agony one moment only to get to his feet and back into the action on three separate occasions in the first half. In fairness, I thought the first challenge from Doug Loft looked reckless, but the third time that Cannon fell to the ground was pure theatre.

Gillingham took the lead after 14 minutes when a corner from Loft was converted at the near post with a header from Bradley Dack to celebrate his 100th appearance for the club with his tenth goal of the season..

Rochdale’s best chance of the half came moments before the break when a shot from Ian Henderson came back off the inside of a post and though the rebound fell at the feet of Jamie Allen, a fine block saw the ball to safety.

Six minutes of madness saw the visitors reduced to nine men. Cody McDonald, through on goal, was brought down by goalkeeper, Jamie Jones on the edge of the box. After consulting his linesman, Mr D’Urso decided that the red card was to be brandished. Then, in the 70th minute a lunging tackle by Matthew Lund on Bradley Dack brought a straight red.

Gillingham failed to capitalise on their numerical advantage and in the final minutes of the game brought some displeasure from their own supporters as they attempted to kill the game by hitting the ball towards the corners.

Gillingham 0 Fleetwood Town 1

Match 80/14/1189 - Friday 3rd April 2015 - League One

Gillingham (0) 0
Fleetwood Town (1) 1 Evans 18
Att. 7,961

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 56/5,880

Match Report

Gillingham's season is set to drift towards its end as this disappointing performance in front of a big crowd effectively signalled the end of any lingering play-off hopes. Kids for a Quid is always a successful initiative by the club in attracting the next generation of supporters to Priestfield, but on the pitch, it does appear to be a jinx.

Justin Edinburgh continued with his experiment of rotating his main strikers to enable a longer viewing of Luke Norris and it is this particular piece of tinkering that has infuriated supporters, not least today when a lack of a cutting edge has cost Gillingham dear. Norris has had three games and, despite last Saturday's win at Crawley when he didn't do too bad, overall he has failed to impress.

Gillingham enjoyed, if that is the right word, the lion's share of the possession but were frustrated by a resilient Fleetwood side that employed all the tricks in the book as they began running down the clock from the moment they took an 18th minute lead.

Glenn Morris, retaining his place in goal in front of Stuart Nelson, busted a gut to save the ball going out for a corner. There was a short delay as Fleetwood thought a corner had been awarded, whether this broke the concentration of the Gills defence, one wonders. When the throw was eventually taken, Aaron Morris had an opportunity to send the ball to safety but his control only fell at the feet of David Ball whose shot was parried by goalkeeper Morris to the waiting Gareth Evans who stabbed it home from close range.

Gillingham failed to exert Chris Maxwell into a meaningful save in a depressingly poor first half.

At least the home side, sent out early after the break, set about their task with a raised tempo and a driven shot from Norris was deflected wide of the post by Steven Schumacher with a touch that could have ended anywhere.

Cody McDonald was welcomed into the fray on the hour replacing Norris, but it summed up Gillingham's day when his on-target shot inadvertently struck fellow substitute Brennan Dickenson.

Gillingham huffed and puffed their way through the remaining time but Maxwell was comfortably equal to the few half-chances that were offered.

Looking to next season, Amar'i Bell had a really decent game at left back and he could be one that Edinburgh will be looking to bring in on a season-long loan should the opportunity arise. Seven of the youngsters were shown the door this week, some senior players are definitely set for the same exit in the coming weeks as the manager starts to surround himself with his own players.

Gillingham 2 Colchester United 2

Match 74/14/1183 - Saturday 21st March 2015 - League One

Gillingham (0) 2 Ehmer 82, Loft 90+5
Colchester United (2) 2 Moncur 62, Porter 87
Att. 5,319

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 56/5,428

Match Report

It appears to me that pre-season has embarked at Gillingham Football Club. A very strange team selection could only be explained, and was subsequently explained by Justin Edinburgh, that there were players at the club that the new manager needed to see in League One action before making decisions on their futures. Stuart Nelson made way in goal for Glenn Morris and Luke Norris took his place as Cody McDonald's strike partner at the expense of John Marquis. The Southwark Times reported this week that should Neil Harris get the manager's job full-time at Millwall, then the on-loan striker might be subject to a contract offer from his parent club, after being told by previous incumbent, Ian Holloway, that he was no longer wanted. Whether this had any bearing on Marquis' omission only Edinburgh knows.

There is a train of thought among supporters, to which I concur, that the tinkering is best left alone until we have the points required to assure safety.

Life in general has its fair share of "if onlys" and football has at least one every game. Gillingham had two very big "if onlys" and if the first one had been turned into a positive, I'm pretty sure the game would have had a different outcome and we certainly would not have had to suffer an interminable first half.

McDonald was sent through on goal after just 22 seconds but this shot was smothered by the Colchester goalkeeper, Sam Walker and the chance was lost. This was the start of a good afternoon for Walker who went on to make several good saves and was probably the man of the match.

The first half settled into a stalemate, decidedly low both in terms of quality and entertainment and left Priestfield as flat as a pancake. The children's half-time shoot-out proving to be a lot more exciting.

Thankfully, the second half was a whole lot better. Gillingham's second "if only" moment came just prior to the hour when Jermaine McGlashen, on as a substitute for Aaron Morris, was clearly tripped in the box, only for referee Sheldrake to wave away the appeals. It was a stonewall penalty from my viewpoint, which was very good.

Three minutes later and Gillingham fell behind. An over-hit cross into the box, was redelivered from the left and the partial clearance fell at the feet of George Moncur who drove the ball into the net from around 12 yards.

Gillingham's efforts to get on level terms foundered on Walker's agility until, with eight minutes remaining, Doug Loft delivered a free kick towards the near post and with Colchester's defenders dozing, Max Ehmer glanced a header into the far corner.

Ehmer was subsequently named Gillingham's man of the match and that proved a poisoned chalice as he was caught napping when George Porter found himself in an acre of space to plant a easy header beyond Morris.

Five minutes of added time produced a climactic finish that could not have been envisaged during that tiresome first period. After four of those minutes, Matt Briggs saw a second yellow and a walk to the dressing room that was going to take an age, but one that the referee clearly indicated he was aware of. The time added on, to the time added on, saw Colchester pay for Briggs' deed. A cross into the box was only cleared to the edge and the waiting Loft drilled a shot into the net for his first Gillingham goal.

Newcastle's caretaker manager, John Carver, took exception last Saturday to a comment on Match of the Day about players already in their flip-flops for the summer break. Gillingham's first half performance suggested that the said footwear was also being donned at Priestfield. A little less tinkering and a couple of wins more on the board, then tinker at your leisure, Justin.

Gillingham 1 Doncaster Rovers 1

Match 71/14/1180 - Saturday 7th March 2015 - League One

Gillingham (1) 1 Marquis 44
Doncaster Rovers (1) 1 Forrester 40
Att. 5,909

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 56/5,176

Match Report

Spring has sprung. Parking the car, whose temperature gauge was showing a balmy 15degC, the big decision was heavy or light coat (heavy coat won on the knowledge that underneath the Gordon Road Stand is 10 degrees lower than anywhere else in Priestfield).

Despite the blue skies above, it was still the elements that prevailed with a gusty wind that played its part in both goals and especially the almost bizarre goal that Gillingham conceded.

The congested nature of the middle of the League One table suggested that home wins over Barnsley last Saturday and Doncaster Rovers were necessary to push Gillingham forward and at the same time inflict damage on fellow contenders. That neither happened has been neutralised to a certain extent by the surprisingly easy 3-0 win at rivals, in every sense of the word, Swindon Town in midweek. The two home games, though it would be harsh to consider them poor performances, gave nothing to suggest that a first win at Swindon in 38 years was on the cards.

Naturally enough, Justin Edinburgh, who was serving a touchline ban for indiscreet comments made to an official at Yeovil, went with the same team that demolished the Robins.

The pitch was heavily watered prior to kick-off which seemed a strange decision and one that seemingly caught out several players, Gavin Hoyte in particular, who had trouble keeping their feet. It was once again watered at half-time, again difficult to understand. The awkwardness of the pitch and the wind contributed to a half in which neither team managed to assert themselves. Stuart Nelson continually found touch with his kick outs in his struggle to master the conditions.

The whole game encompassed itself on the final five minutes of the half. Bradley Dack conceded a free kick 40 yards from goal. The referee who had a compulsion to use his spray on every occasion measured out the 10 yards to everybody's amusement given the distance to goal. Nobody was laughing seconds later.

Harry Forrester's free kick sailed high and goalwards and dipped behind Nelson who had advanced from his line and into the net. Fluke or good judgement of the conditions, only Forrester knows for sure.

As a goalkeeper of considerable standing in my youth (West Kent Sunday League Division Five) I feel empowered to ask the question as to why Nelson felt the need to stray from his line. With the kick so far from goal, the ball was always going to be in the air long enough for him to come and collect should the ball arrive around the six yard box. Had he stayed on his line, I feel sure he would have had a comfortable save to make.

The wind was too have an equalling effect within five minutes. Doug Loft lofted a free kick into the box, the wind held the ball up leaving Stephen Bywater indecisive which in turn allowed John Marquis time to nip in front and plant a header into the corner.

The second half progressed largely without incident, Nelson somewhat redeeming himself with a save from Forrester, but petering out to a point apiece, which is what both teams deserved. The outcome reinforced my opinion that this Gillingham side are not quite ready to contest the play-offs, but hopefully can maintain interest to the season's end.

Gillingham 0 Barnsley 1

Match 69/14/1178 - Saturday 28th February 2015 - League One

Gillingham (0) 0
Barnsley (0) 1 Waring 57
Att. 5,905

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 56/5,060

Match Report

What looked a nigh certainty at Christmas, relegation is now only in the vocabulary of the supreme pessimist. The recent run following the demise of Peter Taylor has swept Gillingham into mid-table whilst the supreme optimists, of which there are a few frequenting the pages of social media, are eyeing the distance between the club and the play-off places like a dog with a meaty bone.

It does beg the question, as both camps cast their eyes towards next season, where do we actually want Gillingham to be in the coming months. I thought my opinion was going to appear defeatist, but a random survey of one, the bloke that sits next to me; it seems that my thoughts are not singular. Between now and the end of the season it would be great to remain in contention for a play-off place to maintain interest, but to actually make the end-of-season nerve-tingler, no thanks.

My thoughts go back to 1999 and the infamous play-off final against Manchester City. Once the heartache of that day had subsided, I began to think that maybe fate had served us a good hand. As a club, we were not ready for the Championship, we had a three-sided ground, and the infrastructure was not there. A year later, with the ground complete (well except for the Town End, which still awaits its regeneration) we were ready and having beaten Wigan Athletic we took our place and stayed in the Championship for five years. I believe we have a parallel this season on the field. We have a decent team in the making, but one that Justin Edinburgh needs to put on his own stamp and given a pre-season and some re-working of the squad, we may find that we are better prepared to have a promotion tilt and should we be good enough, lucky enough, then we might find ourselves not only ready for the Championship but also able to cement our position.

With a run of eight unbeaten games, 21 games of consecutive scoring, it was no wonder that the optimists were having their say. Whether some of them fell away after this somewhat unexpected defeat, judging by the after-match comments to Radio Kent, it would appear to be the case.

This was a dog of a game. A blustery wind and persistent rain made for conditions that neither team were able to master. Chances were very much at a premium and the one that won the game for Barnsley came in almost bizarre circumstances.

We can gloss over the first half as a virtual non-event with much of the same in the opening quarter hour of the second. A Gillingham attack down the left hand side saw full-back Bradley Garmston going down behind the bye-line at the Rainham End, with, we now know, a hamstring injury from which he was unable to continue. Substitute Joe Martin was summoned to take his place, but it appeared that his shirt had gone missing and another player from the bench was sent scampering to the dressing room for a replacement. The match was ongoing because Garmston was off the field of play and when the ball was worked to Ben Pearson in the space vacated by the injury his strike towards the far post was parried by Stuart Nelson into the path of George Waring who had a simple tap-in.

The shirt was duly brought to Martin, but it begged the question why not wear it in the first place. The explanation was given by Edinburgh in that he was wearing it but when he pulled his top over his head; his shirt came with it and somehow became lost. Surely any person knows what he was wearing at any given time?

Gillingham huffed and puffed in search of an equaliser. John Marquis as a result of substitutions found himself right wing, then left wing as well as his central starting position. The home side needed one chance to salvage a point from the game and it came into time added-on. A well-worked move ended with Jermaine McGlashen free on the right hand side of the box but he failed to lift the ball over the advancing Tykes’ goalkeeper, Alan Davies who smothered his effort.

Barnsley celebrated a third win on the spin and success first-time out for new manager, Lee Johnson, recruited from Oldham Athletic, so perhaps the result was not quite so surprising.

Performances and results have been very good in the last couple of months, so hopefully this was just a bump in the road. Will that road lead to the play-offs, you know my thoughts.

Gillingham 4 MK Dons 2

Match 65/14/1174 - Saturday 14th February 2015 - League One

Gillingham (2) 4 McDonald 9, Dack 38, Garmston 75, Marquis 81
MK Dons (1) 2 Cole 36, Reeves (pen) 67
Att. 5,107

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 56/4,786

Match Report

This was the week that Sky and BT renewed their television deals at a mind-boggling £5.136 billion. Whilst the Premier League celebrated, the rest of football didn’t.

The massive amount now on offer, a club that finishes bottom of the League will still net around £90 million, means that short-termism and instant gratification are here to stay. The money earned by the Premier League principally now goes abroad in player purchase or into the pockets of foreign owners.

The trickle-down of cash to the lower English leagues are now just crumbs from a rich man’s table and, if you had any doubt where the loyalties of the Premier League lie, then take note of Richard Scudamore’s comment that “the Premier League is not a charity”, thinly-veiled code for “to hell with the rest of you” (or something stronger, if you saw my tweet).

There used to be a day when the old First Division clubs would look to the lower divisions for their star players of the future and, in those days of limited television coverage, the fees obtained were the life blood of these clubs. In the last transfer window only two players, Dele Alli, moving from today’s visitors MK Dons to Tottenham and Matt Grimes’ move from Exeter City to Swansea, made the leap from the bottom two divisions into the Premier League. Alli was immediately loaned back to Milton Keynes. Admittedly, Gillingham were also beneficiaries of a sell-on clause following Ryan Bertrand’s loan move from Chelsea to Southampton being made permanent.

In life, if you allow the roots to rot, then the plant above ground slowly withers away, somehow I don’t think that is going to happen with the Premier League. Whilst their star players approach weekly wages of £500,000, clubs like Wycombe Wanderers, who have supplied players to divisions above them, are forced to close down their academies.

This was, at least a talking-point, in the backdrop to Justin Edinburgh’s home debut as Gillingham manager. A well-earned win at Peterborough in midweek following last Saturday’s swan-song of the Gang of Four had led to a heightened sense of optimism despite the lofty league position of the visitors. One organisation that would not be doing any talking was Radio Kent, who found themselves banned from the stadium by the chairman who had taken exception to BBC reporting of an ongoing court case.

The game offered the opportunity to make the comparison between Alli, whose move had cost Spurs £5 million, and Bradley Dack, probably Gillingham’s most valuable player asset. On the day, Dack looked a cut above the Milton Keynes youngster, but, of course, I am only making the comparison on one viewing.

Gillingham got off to the perfect start with the opening goal after just nine minutes. A free kick awarded just outside the box was touched from Dack to Cody McDonald who saw his shot creep past stand-in goalkeeper Ian McLoughlin, who perhaps could have done better.

Stuart Nelson was brought into the action with a fine save to deny Samir Carruthers but with pressure growing from the visitors they found an equaliser on 37 minutes. Gillingham failed to clear their lines and when the ball fell at the feet of Devante Cole he planted a firm shot into the bottom corner.

But Gillingham roared back and within two minutes were back in front with a beautifully crafted goal. Gavin Hoyte collected a pass down the right hand side; his first time touch was laid into the path of Dack, who kept his composure to stroke the ball past McLoughlin.

The second half began with MKD in the ascendancy but they were fortunate when McDonald’s shot was turned onto a post by McLoughlin.

The pressure on the Gillingham defence finally brought its reward for the visitors when Ben Reeves, who had been a real nuisance since his introduction as a 56th minute substitute, converted a penalty after Carl Baker had been brought down by Hoyte.

Manager Edinburgh must have been thoroughly delighted with the response from his side as they fought back to re-take the lead 15 minutes from time. Dack sent raiding full-back Bradley Garmston free down the left hand side and, following a similar move moments earlier that had brought a shot from the West Brom loanee that was narrowly wide, this time his shot found the bottom corner.

Milton Keynes threw caution to the wind and had a strong appeal for a penalty when the ball struck the hand of Dack before the young midfielder found John Marquis in a counter attack with the striker firing past McLoughlin. The Millwall loanee was substituted to a standing ovation and his partnership with McDonald is certainly blossoming. Both are out of contract in the summer and it would be a major coup for Edinburgh to make their partnership a permanent one.

Dack, an obvious man of the match, had scored one and assisted in the other three in a dynamic performance that would have caught the eye of any Premier League scout not parked up somewhere in France, Brazil or Outer Mongolia.

As Gillingham head into the top half of the table, just two points off the play-offs, supporters are beginning to dream. They are no longer looking over their shoulders at the relegation spots but looking lovingly at that sixth place. Unrealistic? Perhaps. Reason to be cheerful? Most definitely.

Gillingham 2 Sheffield United 0

Match 63/14/1172 - Saturday 7th February 2015 - League One

Gillingham (0) 2 McGlashen 86, McDonald 90
Sheffield United (0) 0
Att. 5,704

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 56/4,694

Match Report

I would guess that it is a good few years since I spent over a month away from Gillingham for League football. Since my last sighting, against Bristol City on 29 December, it appears that a spaceship from Planet Football has landed at Priestfield and supplanted that dull, lifeless team with one that carries a little devil and adventure. But, strangely, the majority of faces are very familiar.

But back on Planet Earth, it is the Gang of Four that are taking the plaudits for the re-emergence of entertainment when watching Gillingham Football Club. Following the sacking on New Year’s Eve of Peter Taylor, the chairman Paul Scally has taken a full month to consider his options, leaving Andy Hessenthaler, Steve Lovell, Darren Hare and Mark Patterson to release that handbrake and watch with interest as the team flourished under their command.

It might well have been that Mr Scally was suitably impressed and considered leaving well alone for the rest of the season, such was the relative success, but, on the day of this League One fixture against a highly rated Sheffield United, after protracted negotiations with Newport County, Justin Edinburgh was announced as the new manager.

Although this was to be the swan song of the Gang of Four, at least all of them remain in employment at the club, Hessenthaler reverts to Assistant Manager, Lovell is promoted to First Team Coach with Hare and Patterson returning to their Academy duties.

And what a swan song it turned out to be ….

Since my last visit, there are a couple of loan additions, Bradley Garmston has arrived from West Bromwich Albion and coupled with Gavin Hoyte it was pleasing to see the wing backs on the front foot. John Marquis has been brought in from Millwall to do the job previously tasked to Danny Kedwell but with the benefit of a few less years on the clock. Until his substitution on 79 minutes, Marquis impressed with his hold-up play if a goal wasn’t forthcoming on this occasion.

After an evenly contested and entertaining first half, the second period opened in the same vein, until a moment of magic from Cody McDonald brought the crowd to its feet just prior to the hour mark. A cross from Jake Hessenthaler was volleyed from the edge of the box, sadly for McDonald it crashed against the bar to thwart his effort for Goal of the Season.

As the game appeared to be drifting towards a very encouraging, but nonetheless goalless encounter, the home side fashioned a goal direct from the route one handbook. Max Ehmer, who it would be remiss of me to fail to report that he was outstanding given my previous criticism of the QPR loanee, hoisted a ball over the top that tempted the Blades’ keeper, Mark Howard from his line, but a long way from home he was beaten to ball by the Gills speedster, Jermaine McGlashen, who touched it pass him into the empty net.

In the time added on, with Sheffield United going for broke to find an equaliser they were stung by a swift counter attack which ended with McGlashen feeding McDonald to lash the ball home to the joyous ovation of Priestfield.

Justin Edinburgh, watching from the stands, probably cannot believe his luck. He must have been asking himself the question, why do this lot need a new manager. A month ago, the question was easily answered, but thanks to the Gang of Four, the new man has the perfect platform from which to build.

Gillingham 2 Tonbridge 0

Match 59/14/1168 - Monday 26th January 2015 - Kent Senior Cup

Gillingham (0) 2 Freiter 65, Webster 83
Tonbridge (0) 0
Att. 250-ish

Entrance: £5 Senior
Programme: Free
Mileage: 54/4,392

Match Report

This was a game 41 years in the waiting.

Back in 1974, FA Cup giant killers Hereford United had made their way into the Football League and their visit to Kent took me to Gillingham for the first time. One of the best games, to this day, that I have seen at Priestfield ensued and a dual allegiance to Gillingham and Tonbridge was born.

As Tonbridge Football Club fell into liquidation, relegation and an ultimately losing battle with Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council to retain their Angel Ground, I was worn down by the ongoing turmoil and Gillingham took an ever greater prominence in my football watching life.

Once the new Tonbridge Angels emerged at Longmead, my interest in the club was rekindled and the two clubs sat happily alongside each other in my affections whilst never the twain shall meet.

As so it was for 20 years before a Kent Senior Cup tie brought the sides together at Longmead leaving me with the quandary of not quite knowing what to wish for in terms of an outcome.

But they say you never forget your first love and by the time this season’s Kent Senior Cup draw pitched to two clubs together, at Priestfield, for the first time in 53 years, my colours were going to be fixed firmly to the Tonbridge mast.

It was a strange experience, even in a low key competition, and one which I don’t think I would enjoy if they were ever to meet in the FA Cup for instance.

Gillingham fielded a stronger than expected team with first teamers, Leon Legge playing against his old club, Joe Martin starting and up front the pairing of Luke Norris and Antonio German offered the opportunity of a starting role in the JPT Area Final at Bristol City on Tuesday with the ineligibility of on-loan John Marquis.

Tonbridge for their part were left with a weakened team with three fringe players and two reserves in their starting eleven.

Tonbridge actually made a good fist of this game and by half-time had enjoyed the lion’s share of possession but lacked any sort of belief in front of goal. Meanwhile Norris and German were labouring upfront, neither doing themselves any favours in regards to potential selection on Thursday.

Gillingham, perhaps with a flea in the ear from Mark Patterson, opened the second with a little bit more intensity and after 10 minutes fashioned the best chance so far when Norris went sent through on goal by Michael Freiter, but embarrassingly lobbed the ball waist height into the arms of Kyle Merson.

After 65 minutes, Gillingham did finally break the deadlock when Charlie Webster crossed to the near post and the deftest of touches from Freiter steered the ball between Merson and the post.

Tonbridge’s best chance, so far, came almost immediately when a cross from the left found Flavio Tavares with space to fire in a shot that brought a good save out of Glenn Morris.

With 15 minutes remaining, Tonbridge brought their support to its feet with a header that appeared goal-bound only to be denied by an acrobatic clear from Norris, perhaps staking a claim for a place as a defender at Bristol City. It was a shame, it would have been nice, and even deserved, to put a name on the scoresheet.

The tie was wrapped up seven minutes from time when Webster converted at the far post with a close range header to confirm a semi-final place for the Gills.

It had been an admirable performance from the Angels and Patterson was magnanimous in his praise for their effort in which he acknowledged that for the first half at least Tonbridge had been the better side.

Gillingham 1 Bristol City 3

Match 52/14/1161 - Sunday, 28th December 2014 - League One

Gillingham (0) 1 McDonald 47
Bristol City (1) 3 Flint 34 Smith 44 Wagstaffe 55
Att. 6,216

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 52/3,814

Match Report

There are occasions when a game has so little redeeming features that you can only have the utmost of respect for the “proper” journalists who can put together 500-plus words when they barely have any raw material to work from.

Gillingham’s match against league leaders Bristol City is one such instance. Prior to kick-off, it didn’t take a football genius to realise that despite City being short of their two principle goalscorers in Aaron Wilbraham and Kieran Agard, they should have more than enough ability in the squad to maintain their position at the top of the table.

Football can be very exciting when matches don’t go to form, but they can be equally quite boring when the expected manifests itself.

Cody McDonald raised the level of excitement with an individual goal a couple of minutes into the second period to half the deficit but those hopes were quickly extinguished within eight minutes when Scott Wagstaff restored Bristol City’s two goal advantage.

When there is little to write about, it can be quite interesting to gauge the feelings of Gillingham supporters through the window of social media and they are not a happy bunch. Two successive away wins have kept the club above the relegation line but a home form that reads one league win in seven games can only lead to discontent with Peter Taylor taking the brunt of the criticism. At the last home game he was subjected to abuse, and whilst none was reported after this game, I cannot imagine there was not the odd disgruntled voice directed at him.

Taylor opted to go with five at the back including playing Jake Hessenthaler at right back, for home matches this is perceived as negative by many supporters. The three in the middle were initially matched up with three from Bristol City, but as Gillingham sank deeper and deeper towards their own penalty area, the visiting full backs were virtually redundant and pressed on into midfield leaving Gillingham hopelessly outnumbered in that area.

Bristol City finally took the lead after 34 minutes of largely one-way traffic. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas had a goal ruled out and Luke Freeman and Marlon Pack brought saves before a corner from Freeman was headed across the face of goal by Aden Flint for Matt Smith to head in from close range.

A second, killer goal came a couple of minutes prior to the break when Greg Cunningham was allowed to run unchallenged down the left hand side before delivering a cross that, it would nice to say evaded the Gillingham defenders, but truth is none of them barely raised an effort to intercept it, leaving Smith to tap home.

McDonald’s run from the inside right channel to the edge of the box and finish with a crisp shot into the far corner raised spirits and hopes of a comeback but when Freeman deftly back-heeled into the path of Wagstaff who finished with a fine curling shot into the top corner, the game was over.

Loud voices of derision rang around Priestfield and the inquest on Taylor was about to begin once more on social media. As this is to be published a couple of days after the event, all is now irrelevant because, as of lunchtime on New Year’s Eve, Peter Taylor was no longer the manager of Gillingham Football Club.

Gillingham 2 Chesterfield 3

Match 49/14/1158 - Saturday, 20th December 2014 - League One

Gillingham (0) 2 McDonald 59, Egan 61
Chesterfield (1) 3 Clucas 22, Legge (o.g.) 54, Ryan 69
Att. 6,841

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 52/3,564

Match Report

Tis the season to be jolly . . .

Gillingham did their level best to enter into the spirit of the festive season with a ticket offer of just £10 for adults, the players throwing gifts to the crowd and a Christmas card on the turnstiles for everybody that wished to take one. Their generosity was extended, via a fragile defensive performance and a last kick of the match miss from Cody McDonald, to the gift of three points to the visitors who returned to Derbyshire fully deserving of their victory.

The afternoon culminated with a less than jolly 6,500 leaving Priestfield in a downcast mood, but not before venting their spleen with manager Peter Taylor bearing the brunt of the criticism, some of which was of an extremely hostile nature.

Taylor has to make his own decisions of course, that is what he is paid for. The few that offended Taylor are a small minority and some people are able to form their opinions from good judgement, some were even decent players in their day (that doesn’t apply to me!). I’ve a problem with Max Ehmer, at this moment in time. Taylor has brought him to the club on loan from Queens Park Rangers and no doubt has an obligation to play him but, in my humble opinion, his inclusion has been at considerable expense. John Egan, has been Gillingham’s best player this season and will, almost without question with no other obvious contender, be crowned Player of the Year in May. He has earned these accolades as a central defender, so why waste that talent playing him at right back to accommodate Ehmer. The German has an unfortunate body language that makes his style look casual, in fact it looks lazy and when he ducked under Jimmy Ryan’s shot for Chesterfield’s winning goal, then his commitment to the cause could also be brought into question.

Taylor’s team selection has irritated me continually this season, but just occasionally a player produces a performance or lack of one that makes you think perhaps he has it right and I’ve been wrong all along. Bradley Dack, is my for instance. I like Dack’s energy; he’s good on the ball and has an eye for a goal, so why has he sat on the bench so many times this season? Perhaps his performance in this game explains Taylor’s thinking. Whilst Dack was his usual effervescent self, he failed to influence the game and was eventually substituted when Gillingham were chasing the game from two down. In fairness, his lack of influence wasn’t singular in a midfield that created very little from the centre of the park.

Gillingham, you would think, would have been buoyed by the sight of Chesterfield’s team sheet. Eoin Doyle, 19 goals this season, was declared unfit and only took his place on the bench because Paul Cook’s squad was so thin in numbers that he was among just four substitutes.

The home side could have gone behind in the opening five minutes when a header from Armand Gnanduillet was cleared from the line by Brennan Dickenson with Stuart Nelson a helpless bystander.

The visitor’s admirable ambition, given their problematic team selection, was finally rewarded after 22 minutes. Ryan swept the ball to Sam Clucas in acres of space wide on the left wing, the full back opted to try his luck from 20 yards with an angled shot that found the far corner, appearing to take a deflection off Egan, who had attempted to close down the initial space given.

Taylor opted to make early second half substitutions, Dack and Dickenson were replaced by McDonald and Jermain McGlashen, but within a minute of their appearance, the visitors doubled their lead. Tendayi Darikwa, who had looked mightily impressive going forward from his right back position, drove a hard, low cross towards the far post in the direction of Gnanduillet and was left to celebrate as Leon Legge inadvertently turned the ball into his own net for the third time this season. Gillingham have now conceded six own goals, even three would seem unlucky, six appears careless.

How often do we witness a poor Gillingham performance when a big crowd has assembled on the back of a ticket offer, almost always is the answer. But at least the home support were treated to a spirited comeback from their favourites. Five minutes after Chesterfield’s second, Doug Loft hoisted a pinpoint cross to the edge of the six yard box from where McDonald was able to steer a relatively unchallenged header past Tommy Lee.

Two minutes later and the home crowd were in full voice as Loft sent in another cross, this time to the far angle of the six yard box, to be met with a diving header from Egan into the bottom corner.

With half-an-hour remaining and the momentum entirely with the home side, Gillingham should have been expected to complete the comeback with a winning goal. But the culminating moment to 15 exhilarating minutes fell to Chesterfield. A ball into the box was miscontrolled; a half-hearted clearance found the dropping ball met with a sweet volley from Ryan, and with Ehmer ducking underneath the ball, it was to nestle in the corner.

Gillingham showed no sign of retrieving the situation in the remaining 20 minutes, until in the last seconds of four added minutes, a long clearance from Nelson was headed on by Danny Kedwell and it seemed a foregone conclusion that McDonald would save the day, the ball inexplicably at the time, went wide of the mark but later it was shown that it was the fingertips of Lee that had preserved the points for the Spireites.

The festive period is underway; Gillingham have exercised the spirit of giving. We can only hope that on Boxing Day they can deliver a knock-out punch.

Gillingham 2 Port Vale 2

Match 44/14/1153 - Saturday, 29th November 2014 - League One

Gillingham (1) 2 Egan 29,55
Port Vale (1) 2 N'Guessan 18, Brown 90+4
Att. 4,799

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 52/3,092

Match Report

Passing through the turnstiles at Priestfield I was handed a leaflet outlining the merchandise available in the club shop with Christmas approaching. Hardly unexpected, a stick of Gillingham rock was unavailable, had there been, it would have frustration written all the way through.

Late, on occasions very late, goals have featured throughout this season. Back in August, a win against the old enemy, Swindon Town, was denied by a last minute own goal and a visit to Sheffield United ended in defeat following a goal seven minutes into time added. It was hoped that a corner had been turned in this cycle when at the last home game against Leyton Orient, despite conceding a goal three minutes into added time, Gillingham still found a winner in the 98th minute and then a late equaliser at Bradford City earned a much welcome point.

With certain echoes of Stephen Bywater’s own goal against Swindon, a goalkeeping howler from Stuart Nelson gifted Port Vale a share of the points after Gillingham had appeared to just about hold on to their lead as the four minutes of added time had almost elapsed.

Gillingham had an enforced reshuffle of the defensive back line with the recall by parent club, Wolverhampton Wanderers, of Kortney Hause after a successful loan period. His form has not only been recognised by his club but also of England, as he had made his mark at Under-20 level during his time at Priestfield. In his place, Peter Taylor drafted in from Queen’s Park Ranger, Max Ehmer and also took Charlton’s Harry Lennon on loan. Ehmer, a 22-year-old German, went straight into the team in a five man back line with Adam Chicksen and Gavin Hoyte playing advanced roles as wing backs.

Playing with that five, with Michael Doughty stationed just in front of the central three appeared to give Gillingham problems in midfield in the opening 20 minutes finding themselves outnumbered. After 18 minutes a straight ball found Danny N’Guessan with a yard of space on the edge of the box where such space should have been denied and a shot into the bottom corner gave Nelson no chance.

The acre of space between Gillingham’s deep midfield and the front two became increasingly frustrating as long punts towards Cody McDonald and Brennan Dickenson were easily dealt with by the Valiant’s defence. However the space was put to good use on the half-hour when John Egan strode forward, exchanged passes with Jake Hessenthaler and struck a sweet 25-yarder past the Vale keeper, Chris Neal for Gillingham’s equaliser.

The home side enjoyed a period of relative dominance up to the break and Taylor’s formation with the wing backs had settled down and was working well.

Nelson made a good stop in the opening moments from Ben Williamson, a graduate of Glenn Hoddle’s Academy in Spain, who had been a nuisance for much of the afternoon.

However, it was Gillingham, after a period of pressure, who took the lead on 55 minutes, Egan planting a powerful header from Hessenthaler’s corner into the bottom corner.

Taylor made a surprise double substitution with 20 minutes remaining and whilst he later outlined his reasons for the changes, there are many who felt that the removal of Hoyte and reverting to a flat back four invited the pressure that eventually brought the Port Vale equaliser. The fact that the substitutes, Jermaine McGlashen and Antonio German, made absolutely no impact on the game also brings the decision into question.

When the goal finally came with just 20 seconds of the four minutes added time remaining, the alarm bells had been ringing loud and clear. Colin Daniel struck a post and when Louis Dodds’ effort came back off the underside of the bar to safety, it was hard not to feel that this was to be Gillingham’s day.

Michael Brown skipped a couple of challenges before unleashing a shot from 20 yards. Quite how the shot evaded Nelson I’ve no idea. It wasn’t a shot of great venom and took a couple of bounces before nestling in the corner of the net, for the most frustrating of endings.

Nelson shouldered the blame on the pitch, but many off the pitch would point to Taylor’s baffling substitutions when all appeared steady as you go with his back five.

Frustrating sums up this game, sums up this season.

Gillingham 3 Leyton Orient 2

Match 41/14/1150 - Saturday, 15th November 2014 - League One

Gillingham (0) 3 Legge 55,74 McDonald 90+8
Leyton Orient (0) 2 Plasmati (pen) 48, Dagnall 90+3
Att. 5,891

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 52/2,697

Match Report

A clear indication that results and performances are not what Gillingham would have hoped for is when an esteemed supporter of the club, the 12th Earl of Harbledown, faced with a fixture clash, decides on Wembley to watch an England team, that, let’s face it, hardly set the nation’s pulses racing.

Ultimately the good Lord saw a similar game as England asked their fans to endure a dire first half, go a goal behind early in the second half but mount a comeback to collect three more points in what is looking a straightforward road to Euro 2016.

With no wins in eight games and positioned 22nd in the League One table, morale among supporters was understandably low but had been boosted with a midweek victory at Crawley in the Johnstone Paint Trophy that has set up an Area Semi-Final tie, ironically drawing Leyton Orient.

Leyton Orient have suffered a similarly stuttering start to the season and, for mid-November, the fixture had attained an over-egged level of importance, but was, undeniably, with home advantage, one that Gillingham would not have wanted to lose.

Gillingham were given an early opportunity to open the scoring when they are awarded a penalty after Brennan Dickenson was felled in the box by Scott Cuthbert. The ever-reliable Danny Kedwell stepped up to take the spot kick, but on this occasion his placed attempt was read by the Orient keeper, Adam Legzdins, who smothered the ball diving to his left.

The half meandered its way to the break and will not live long in the memory. Michael Doughty caught the eye in midfield and his shot that cleared the bar was a sole attempt on goal whilst Orient offered very little going forward.

The second half started with the referee, Darren Deadman, awarding another penalty, this time to Orient after former Gillingham player, Josh Wright was brought down by John Egan. Orient’s skyscraper centre forward, Gianvito Plasmati, stepped forward and his hesitation in his run-up committed Stuart Nelson and the penalty taker was able to roll the ball in the opposite direction to open the scoring.

This very nearly became two almost immediately, a cross from the former Liverpool full back Andrea Dossena saw Plasmati sliding in at the far post but narrowly failing to make contact.

Gillingham were level within seven minutes when a free kick lofted into the area by Jake Hessenthaler was met at the far post by Leon Legge, whose looped header deceived Legzdins to drop under the bar and into the net.

Kedwell, who had struggled to make an impression against the solid Orient central defensive pairing, made way for Cody McDonald and Bradley Dack, once again overlooked to my frustration, replaced Jermaine McGlashen. The pair fashioned an opportunity almost immediately but McDonald’s shot hit a post.

With 15 minutes remaining Gillingham took the lead with a goal almost identical to their first. Hessenthaler once again pumped a free kick to the far post which was met by Legge, but this time his header deceived Legzdins to squeeze in at the near post. It was strange that a goalkeeper that had read a first half penalty so well had been beaten having lost his bearings twice in the second period.

Doughty, who had produced what might well have been a man of the match performance then saw red for a second yellow card for a senseless throwing the ball over the head of an Orient player when a throw had been awarded to the visitors. This gave Orient the impetus for an onslaught in the final 10 minutes.

Gillingham lived dangerously, but were holding on, until three minutes into the five of added time, Cuthbert threw a long cross into the box and Chris Dagnall met it with a powerful header to equalise from close range to the delight of the impressive 800-odd Orient fans gathered at the Town End of the ground.

Seemingly, it was game over, but there was to be a final twist. Well past the added five minutes, a free kick lumped into the box produced a corner and the referee decided there was still time available for its taking. Legge was up, looking for his hat trick of headers, Hessenthaler delivered the corner and a touch fell to McDonald who spun and struck to fire home an unlikely winner.

Three sides of Priestfield joyously celebrated and one wonders how the 12th Earl, who would have been closely following events, might have reacted as perhaps the anthems were being played. Any curses would have been directed at UEFA for their scheduling that forced him into his own personal club versus country dilemma.

Gillingham 1 Crawley Town 1

Match 35/14/1144 - Saturday, 25th October 2014 - League One

Gillingham (1) 1 Legge 44
Crawley Town (0) 1 Edwards 29
Att. 4,850

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 52/2,405

Match Report

Following Leeds United's 2-1 home defeat to Wolverhampton, Massimo Cellino sacked Darko Milanic after just 32 days in the job. Cellino has disposed of the services of two managers this season and three since his takeover of the Yorkshire side in April. Meanwhile, in slightly different circumstances, in the space of 37 bemusing days, Gino Pozzo changed the nameplate on the manager’s door four times at Watford. Both of these clubs have been through severe financial problems and their rich Italian owners are seen as both saviours and villains by the supporters of their respective clubs. Why am I opening with two clubs, not even in the same division as Gillingham? Because it highlights that we should all be careful what we wish for.

There is an air of despondency at Priestfield Stadium and speaking to one of Gillingham’s diehard supporters after the game, he seemed resigned to the club’s relegation from League One. Reviewing opinion on social media, the only salvation from that fate appears to lay in the sacking of manager Peter Taylor accompanied preferably with the sale of the club by Paul Scally.

I’m not here to defend either character, one win in ten hardly warrants the vote of confidence Taylor got from his chairman and the home performance against Scunthorpe and the first half to this game against Crawley Town made for dismal viewing. Football is no longer a game for a cheap afternoon out, supporters earn their money during the week and deserve to be at least entertained when Saturday comes and quite frankly, at Gillingham, we are not being entertained.

Cellino, in particular, proves the point that lack of stability serves no purpose. If Taylor was to depart, where do Gillingham go from there? A fresh start doesn’t always lead to a change in fortunes, in the case of Leeds United, it has proved to be a conntinuance of the decline. A year ago when Martin Allen was surprisingly sacked, Taylor took over a struggling team and despite the budget having been spent by the previous incumbent, managed to gather just enough points to ease the club to safety.

Supporters were hardly enamoured with the style of football that was on show but gave Taylor the benefit of the doubt with due regard to the team he had inherited. During the summer there was a major overhaul of the playing staff and now we have a team that plays, or at least should play, in the image of its manager. Do we like what we see? The answer to that question is an almost universal NO.

Taylor obviously made his summer signings within the budget that the chairman had set and this is where the question of whether Mr Scally has taken the club as far as he can comes into play. The old saying went, Scally might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but back in 1994 he was the only cup on the table, but 20 years on and a radically different industry has evolved in that time, many would wish that he would test the water and see if there was somebody out there with the investment to progress the club. Who are we, mere fans, to know, but he probably has. That might be our wish, but who is to say that the next cup on our table might be that of a Cellino and would we really want that?

The signs of improvement displayed in the midweek game against Preston were quickly dispelled in a first half performance that had a lot more echoes of Scunthorpe. Gillingham should have been dead and buried by the half-time whistle, but with the benefit of a towering header from Leon Legge went into the break on level terms.

Negative tactics are one of Taylor’s critics’ assertions and the lack of any sort of pressing in midfield with two banks of four seemingly willing to concede 30 yards of grass in front of them frustrating everybody around me. Crawley dominated, or were allowed to dominate with Keith Keane having a free rein to dictate, they created and failed to take, several good chances. Gwoin Edwards tested Stuart Nelson before a simple, straight pass from Keane split the Gillingham defence to give Edwards the opportunity to convert from the angle of the box with a shot that Nelson got a hand too, but failed to stop the ball from trickling into the far corner. Further chances, a shot from Matt Harrold that hit a post and a header from central defender Joe Walsh, should have extended the visitors lead before Legge’s powerful header from Jake Hessenthaler’s corner levelled the scoreline.

In fairness to Taylor, his half-time change of Bradley Dack for the ineffective Jermain McGlashan made the difference in the second period, but why Dack sits on the sidelines defeats me anyway.

Keane was no longer allowed to rule the roost in the middle of the field and with that the dominance of the game changed hands although Crawley would point to the lack of serious saves needed from Jamie Ashdown with the central defensive pairing of Walsh and Leacock standing strong. As Gillingham grew into the game, the debut influence of Michael Doughty, on loan from Queens Park Rangers, grew with them. So it was something of a surprise, and to the annoyance of many, that he was substituted with 12 minutes remaining, but with very few games under his belt this season, it was to be expected that he wouldn’t last the full 90 minutes.

A point was not enough to stop Gillingham dropping into the bottom four and the calls for Taylor and Scally to take responsibility for that situation becomes ever louder. Are those people calling it right, who knows, but those fans at Leeds and Watford might say loud and clear, be very, very careful what you wish for.

Gillingham 0 Preston North End 1

Match 34/14/1143 - Tuesday, 21st October 2014 - League One

Gillingham (0) 0
Preston North End (0) 1 Gallagher 59
Att. 4,632

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 52/2,353

Match Report

Firstly, it has to be said, that this was a massive improvement on Gillingham’s last time out at Priestfield and that humbling defeat by Scunthorpe. Unfortunately, the result was the same leaving the Kent club with their heads only above the relegation line by virtue of goal difference and have now gone six league games since their last win.

This was a game of two very different halves that was largely governed by the stiff wind caused by the remnants of Hurricane Gonzalo that had battered Britain all day. It was necessary to take advantage of your turn to have Gonzalo at your backs, Gillingham may feel slightly unlucky not to have entered the break with a lead but, in not doing so, the second period was always going to be a much different game.

Preston North End are no mean side, they came into the game with five straight wins and, having extended that, sit very nicely in third place in League One.

Gillingham are being hurt by an injury list that shows no sign of abating. Danny Kedwell and Stuart Nelson have returned to first team duty after their time on the sidelines, but in their place, Aaron Morris and Kortney Hause were absentees from this game.

Kedwell, back with his usual bundle of enthusiasm, nearly opened the scoring in the opening minutes. A cross from Joe Martin saw the striker throwing himself at the ball and meeting it with a firm header. A yard to the left or right would surely have seen the ball nestling in the net, but it was straight at the Preston goalkeeper, Jamie Jones, who blocked his effort on the goal line.

The visitors responded with a header from Joel Garner that hit the bar but Gillingham were denied again when John Egan’s header from a corner was cleared from the line.

The game was proving to be very entertaining despite the difficulty caused by Gonzalo and after 35 minutes a cross-cum-shot from Brennan Dickenson caught the wind and deceived Jones who was mightily relieved to see the ball strike the bar and cleared to safety.

The storm was actually gathering momentum into the second half and Priestfield became rain-lashed in the process. Preston now had the benefit of the wind and the possession stats swung heavily in their favour. After 55 minutes, they hit a post with a close range shot and a few minutes later, a header from Callum Robinson also struck a post. The warning signs were very much there but they were not to be heeded.

From the resultant corner following Robinson’s header, the ball was retrieved on the right, swung back in by Chris Humphrey to the far post from where Paul Gallagher buried his header.

The goal and the subsequent substitutions drew much of the momentum from Gillingham’s game and the last half hour was largely controlled by the visitors. They struck the woodwork a fourth time when Gallagher hit the bar with a shot after being set up by the veteran Kevin Davies.

Gonzalo has blown its course; we now need the wind of change to turn in Gillingham’s favour as they stare at the trap door. Peter Taylor will come under mounting pressure should the winnable game at Priestfield against Crawley on Saturday end in another disappointment.

Gillingham 0 Scunthorpe United 3

Match 31/14/1140 - Saturday, 11th October 2014 - League One

Gillingham (0) 0
Scunthorpe United (1) 3 Madden 41, Bishop 72, McSheffrey 90+3
Att. 7,042

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3.00
Mileage: 54/2,229

Match Report

Every club has a low point in their season; it is just a question of degree. For Chelsea, it might be that they lose in the semi-final of the Champions League or for Maidstone, they might already have had their low point when they were beaten at Tonbridge (tee-hee). For Gillingham, I desperately hope that this defeat against Scunthorpe United was their nadir because if they are to sink to a depth lower, then I don’t want to be around to see it.

The situation coming into this game was nothing new to Gillingham. An opposition without an away win all season and manager-less following the midweek sacking of Russ Wilcox after a run of four successive defeats. We’ve been there before, and more often than not, it ends in tears.

Gillingham’s defence was short of the services of Kortney Hause, who was on England Under-20 duty whilst Stephen Bywater retained the goalkeeper’s jersey despite the midweek heroics of Stuart Nelson, returning from injury sustained in the first game of the season.

It started well enough, Scunthorpe were opened up down the right hand side leaving Cody McDonald with a scoring opportunity, albeit from a tight angle, but he crashed his shot into the side netting.

And from that point, it went progressively downhill. Gillingham had their warnings, the visitors were picking them off on the break and made chances, one of which being a disallowed goal when Paddy Madden headed in at the far post.

Whilst Gillingham laboured in midfield, misplaced passes aplenty, they managed to draw a fantastic save from Bobby Olejnik, who tipped over the bar a header from Luke Norris.

One suspects that frustration was the root of a very poor challenge from Gillingham’s captain Doug Loft that brought a straight red card. If nothing else, the crowd’s reaction as Loft’s studs made contact with the shin of Luke O’Neill, gave the game away and the referee was left with very little choice.

The period between the sending off on 34 minutes and half time was one in which things went from bad to worse. A straight pass from Sean McAllister, dissecting the centre backs and inside Joe Martin, allowed Madden to round Bywater and slide the ball into an empty net before Gillingham’s manager, Peter Taylor, was sent to the stand following the throwing of an empty water bottle that supposedly bounced out of the technical area.

If ten men are usually galvanised by adversity, it didn’t happen for Gillingham. Scunthorpe used their man advantage to great effect, controlling the weakened midfield and counter attacking dangerously on regular occasions.

A cross from the right, following a short corner, was headed in by Neal Bishop after 72 minutes, who was allowed time and space to make an unchallenged run into the six yard box to score. It was woeful defending.

Amine Linganzi, a second half substitute for the totally ineffective Josh Pritchard, brought another wonder save from Olejnik, in a rare moment of Gillingham ingenuity, before a pass between the centre backs from Deon Burton saw Gary McSheffrey race clear and round Bywater to complete the rout.

Perhaps this was an accident about to happen. It is almost a fact of history that when Gillingham induce a decent attendance by virtue of a ticket offer, they invariably fail on the pitch, Kids for a Quid had boosted the crowd to 7,000-plus on this occasion.

But the fact is three successive defeats and no win in four has left Gillingham sitting perilously above the bottom four only by virtue of goal difference. I guess many would have already reached the conclusion that this is going to be a season of struggle, but if this game is not to be their low point then the outcome is going to be significantly worse.

Gillingham 0 Walsall 0

Match 25/14/1134 - Saturday, 20th September 2014 - League One

Gillingham (0) 0
Walsall (0) 0
Att. 5,344

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3.00
Mileage: 52/1,838

Match Report

My 140 words on Twitter following this match suggested that this posting would amount to just three paragraphs. The first would relate that Walsall were poor, the second would say that Gillingham were worse and the final paragraph would simply be the final whistle. A reply told me that I would have been better off going to Longmead where Tonbridge had drawn 3-3 with Hendon. I couldn’t argue AngelJoy’s point.

Every so often, one of these games come along with few redeeming features. Walsall, on the back of a midweek hammering at Rochdale, applied themselves well, passed the ball a whole lot better than their hosts but had no cutting edge whatsoever. Whilst Gillingham could only really point to the clean sheet, with the central defensive pairing once again outstanding, as their positive.

Jermaine McGlashan’s pace continued to be Gillingham’s best outlet, but all too often the final ball was either lacking on his account or there was nobody on the end to convert. Luke Norris, sliding in but failing to make contact, in the 70th minute was a perfect case in point.

In the opening minutes, Kortney Hause twice inadvertently stretched Stephen Bywater with deflections towards his own goal before Ashley Grimes shot weakly to allow Bywater a comfortable save.

Late in the game, James Baxendale wasted an opportunity to win the game when a free header failed to find the target and although that would have been harsh on Gillingham, overall the Saddlers deserved the points more than their hosts.

Little more than three paragraphs, but truth is, I’ve made a silk purse from a sow’s ear.

Gillingham 2 Peterborough United 1

Match 24/14/1133 - Tuesday, 16th September 2014 - League One

Gillingham (1) 2 McDonald 26,87 (pen)
Peterborough United (1) 1 Taylor 45
Att. 4,819

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3.00
Mileage: 52/1,786

Match Report

Home is where the heart is. Priestfield or Longmead might not have the grandeur or kudos of the Nou Camp and there’s certainly no Messi or Neymar gracing the turf but, in my opinion, watching a football match without any passion for either of the sides playing lacks an edge.

Peterborough United came to Priestfield, second in the table, with an expensively assembled side. They have acquired a wonderful knack over recent years in unearthing diamonds from the lower leagues and selling them on for phenomenal sums of money. This time around they were parading Marcus Maddison, an attacking midfielder from Gateshead for whom they paid a reported £600,000. Also on show was a livewire winger, Jon Taylor who has arrived from Shrewsbury Town and captaining the side on the night was Jack Payne, who as we all know, learnt his trade at Gillingham and has developed into an even better player under the tutelage of Darren Ferguson.

The match started in a helter-skelter fashion; Jermaine McGlashan’s pace stretched the legs of the visitor’s defence whilst Taylor was doing a similar job going in the opposite direction.

Peterborough dominated the early stages and Kortney Hause and John Egan were posed questions to which they found answers in both the first 20 minutes and the following 70 thereafter. Both were superb in the centre of defence and it was a mystery to me how both of them were overlooked by the sponsors when making their man of the match judgement.

As Gillingham found a foothold in the game, they were rewarded with the opening goal in the 26th minute. Bradley Dack shot from the edge of the box bringing a parrying save from the Posh keeper, Ben Alnwick. Jake Hessenthaler retrieved the ball and his cross was met with a close range header from Cody McDonald.

Alnwick might have done better with the direction of his parry and the goal appeared to rattle his confidence. A mix-up between him and Christian Burgess almost offered McDonald a second.

As half-time approached with Gillingham comfortably holding onto their single goal lead they were dealt a dispiriting blow as a misplaced cross from the right by Taylor looped over the head of Stephen Bywater to nestle into the far corner of the goal. It was a complete fluke.

The second half was proving an equal affair making for a thoroughly entertaining game of football. Joe Newell striking a shot against a post for the visitors being the closest either side came to scoring. After 70 minutes Taylor went down injured after what appeared from the side lines to be a fairly innocuous challenge from Jake Hessenthaler. However, the referee saw it differently and the young midfielder saw yellow for the challenge. Taylor was unable to continue and a major threat for the Posh had been inadvertently removed.

An unnecessary handball, six minutes from time, by Burgess allowed Gillingham the opportunity to restore their lead. McDonald scored from the spot for his 50th Gillingham goal and an unexpected victory was there for the taking.

Gillingham’s 100% home record remains intact, for them as for me; home is where the heart is.

Gillingham 2 Crewe Alexandra 0

Match 19/14/1128 - Saturday, 30th August 2014 - League One

Gillingham (2) 2 Dack 18, McDonald 45
Crewe Alexandra (0) 0
Att. 4,998

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3.00
Mileage: 52/1,181

Match Report

The great swathes of empty seats at Priestfield suggested an atmosphere of After The Lord Mayor’s Show but the hard core of Gillingham’s support were treated to their team's best 45 minutes so far this season.

Admittedly this was one of the poorest Crewe Alexandra sides seen at Priestfield in recent years despite arriving with the title of one of Gillingham’s bogey sides having won on each of their last four visits. Steve Davis’ side may try to play their football in the true tradition of Crewe teams but, at present, there is nobody with the talent of a Nick Powell or the goals of a Chuks Aneke that has put the gloss on their performances in Kent over that period.

For the opening half of this game, Gillingham fans got a true glimpse of what Peter Taylor is trying to achieve. Their crisp passing game was almost a reflection of what we would expect of a Crewe team, with the midfield trio of Bradley Dack, Jake Hessenthaler and Aaron Morris exacting dominance over their visiting counterparts and opening the spaces for the pace of Jermain McGlashan to exploit.

The opening goal after 18 minutes was a real beauty. Following a McGlashan raid and cross, Crewe failed to clear their lines with the ball falling at Dack’s feet 20 yards from goal. A step inside and a curling left foot shot into the top corner gave the Crewe goalkeeper, Ben Garrett, no chance.

Gillingham closed out their half with a second goal that their superiority deserved. A wonderful through ball from Hessenthaler saw Cody McDonald in the clear and one-on-one with Garratt. The goalkeeper blocked the striker’s initial effort but the ball looped high into the air towards the goal and McDonald following in, needed no more than a touch to complete the task.

The second half was a coast for the home side with Crewe mustering a couple of shots that failed to test Stephen Bywater to any great extent whilst McGlashan just failed to add a gloss to this performance with a header that struck a post. Perhaps the criticism would be that this was a Crewe team that were there for the taking by a far greater winning margin.

Leon Legge was a casualty from the successive defeats against Barnsley and Newcastle and he has a battle on his hands to regain his place in the side. Kortney Hause is improving with every game whilst his central defensive partner, John Egan, had a splendid game and is looking to be the cream of Taylor’s close season signings.

McGlashan took the award of Man of the Match for his exciting running at defenders. The lack of a consistent end product meant that, for my vote, I would have chosen any one of the midfield trio.

It is home, sweet home for Gillingham, but to make an impact on this division that form needs to be taken on their travels. A change to the considered old fashioned 4-4-2 proved as comfortable as an old pair of slippers on this occasion but whether it is secure enough to take into the next away game against Coventry City, back at the Ricoh, that is for Peter Taylor to decide. But, on home soil, hopefully the eye-catching style can continue and some of the folk that came along to see Newcastle United of the Premiership will soon return to watch Gillingham in League One action.