Walsall 3 Gillingham 2

Match 38/15/1243 - Saturday, 31st October 2015 - League One

Walsall (2) 3 Morris 37, Lalkovic 38, Demetriou 90
Gillingham (2) 2 McDonald 12, Dack 32 (pen)
Attendance: 6,663

Entrance: £14.50 Senior
Programme: £3
Mileage: 380/2,629

Match Report

If I had been watching this game as a neutral, I would have walked away thinking, "what a great game of football". I wasn't a neutral, my team lost, and I walked away thinking "what a great game of football."

If Mystic Meg had trundled down to William Hill’s back in August and asked for odds on Walsall and Gillingham contesting first and second places in the table come the last day of October, then, even if they recognised the power of her crystal ball they would have been scratching their heads to give her long enough odds.

To say that Walsall, whether in their previous home of Fellows Park or their present residence at the Bescott Stadium, is not a happy hunting ground for Gillingham is something of an understatement. No wins there since 1992 and the previous victory to that was back in 1985 and no Gillingham team has scored more than once since 1990 and they still didn’t win that day having scored three times!

Personally, I hadn’t even seen a decent game in my four or five visits; at least that changed this visit.

The opening exchanges highlighted, for the mass of nearly 700 Gillingham supporters particularly, the return to form of Bradley Dack and his continual want to be at the centre of the action. His early free kick was fired over and when he won a tussle deep in his own half his pass to Doug Loft led to the opening goal after 12 minutes. Loft then threaded a beautifully weighted pass into the path of Cody McDonald, who under pressure from a retreating defender slid the ball past the advancing goalkeeper, Neil Etheridge, and into the bottom corner.

After 31 minutes, Dack wriggled his way along the bye-line until he drew a clumsy challenge from Paul Downing to which referee Darren Drysdale pointed to the spot. Dack, brimful of confidence, sent Etheridge to his right and the ball to his left to bring a few misguided Easy, Easy chants from some of the Gillingham faithful (young people who hadn’t endured years of misery at Walsall, it might be guessed).

My own thoughts were, get through to half-time and this game is as good as won. But in the space of 90 seconds, my hopes were dashed and the easy chants were rammed firmly back down throats as two defensive errors wiped out the advantage.

Stuart Nelson might question himself as a shot from 25 yards from Kieron Morris found the bottom corner between the goalkeeper and his near post after 36 minutes and Walsall were level almost directly from the restart. A cross from George Evans was over hit and as the ball landed at the feet of Ryan Jackson, the defender dithered for the moment needed for Milan Lalkovic to poke out a foot and direct the ball past Nelson.

If the first half was pulsating with goals, the second was the same without. Neither team was willing to give an inch and the tackles were hard and not always fair as Mr Drysdale started flourishing his yellow card with regularity.

Both teams had periods of dominance but it appeared that Gillingham were finishing the strongest, before in the first minute of time added, Walsall's Rico Henry created some space on the left hand bye-line to deliver a cross that looped into the air via a deflection towards the centre of the goal. Jordan Cook attempted a overhead kick that only found its way to the angle of the six yard box from where Jason Demetriou volleyed home.

It is always said that what goes around, comes around and having benefitted from late goals in their previous three games it was Gillingham's turn to take one on the chin.

And so it was the "we are top of the league" chant passed from one end of the Bescott to the other. That the baton was able to be passed is a credit to both clubs as was the match, a wonderful advertisement for League One.

Tonbridge 4 Dover Athletic 1

Match 37/15/1242 - Tuesday, 27th October 2015 - Friendly

Tonbridge (2) 4 Pinnock 11, 65, Brown 27, Parkinson 80
Dover (1) 1 #9 10
Attendance Quess: 120

Entrance: By donation
Programme: None produced
Mileage: 36/2,249

I wasn't convinced as to the value of a friendly fixture towards the end of October and, for much of the day, was going somewhere else for Tuesday night football, but time constraints took me to Longmead and in terms of what Steve McKimm and myself got out of the evening, I think we can both be reasonably satisfied.

Tonbridge have had an odd start to the season in terms of postponements due to their opposition's cup commitments and even at this relatively early time stand five games adrift of league leaders Dulwich Hamlet and others. Another postponement on Saturday coupled with Wednesday's game at Grays falling victim of their cup replay at Welling, led to the late arrangement of this friendly against Dover Athletic. With no team sheet available, it was difficult to gauge the strength of the Conference National side with only Ricky Modeste instantly recognisable and Tyrone Sterling and Chris Kinnear Jnr being identified. Tonbridge, over the course of both halves, fielded their entire first team minus the long-term injured.

For some while, as a group, we have discussed the idea of playing James Folkes further forward and McKimm tried this out during the first half, playing Folkes in front of Charlie Webster. Personally, I thought it worked well and could have some mileage should it be needed. Modeste gave Webster a fair testing and if he is struggling to get a place in the team down at Crabble, he would represent a good loan signing for a club that could afford his wages.

Modeste laid on a plate a tap-in for an unknown centre forward after 10 minutes. Tonbridge were level within 60 seconds with an exquisite lob from Mitchell Pinnock. The on-loan Maidstone winger has looked a little rusty since his return but his form in this game was more like the Pinnock of last season, even taking into account the unknown strength of Dover.

Ellis Brown has been a regular substitute that has come off the bench and had the odd chance or two but hasn't always had the best of luck in front of goal, but his finish from the edge of the box showed after 25 minutes was clinical.

Tonbridge created the best of the chances with the goalkeeper saving from Folkes whilst Anthony Di Bernardo was stretched to turn over a Modeste lob.

In the second half, Nick Wheeler was introduced and from one of his trademark runs to the bye-line, he pulled back a pass for Tom Parkinson to poke the ball home from close range.

Time remained for Pinnock to produce another superb lobbed finish to round of a good evening for him and the sparse, but entertained attendance.

Gillingham 1 Southend United 1

Match 36/15/1241 - Saturday, 24th October 2015 - League One

Gillingham (0) 1 Loft 89
Southend United (1) 1 McLaughlin 11
Attendance: 6,981

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 56/2,213

Match Report

Ex-Gillingham defender Joe Martin seemingly drew much self-satisfaction in a recent tweet proclaiming "that he had got under the skin of Gillingham supporters" after a previous tweet in which he dismissed his old club's top-of-the-table status and described them as "lucky". Perhaps Martin had gained a new found confidence after finally breaking into the Millwall side now the season is two months old. If he had been using his twitter account to reflect on this Gillingham performance in isolation, then his 140 characters would have had a bit more credibility.

This was the poorest performance from Gillingham that I've seen this season, but with the aid of a bizarre Doug Loft goal they have scratched a point. In the last eight days they have pinched a win at Crewe with a 93rd minute goal, beaten Scunthorpe with a 91st minute goal and in this game salvaged a point in the 89th minute. The timing of those goals should tell you something about the player's fitness, it certainly tells you everything about the spirit within the camp.

Whether it was the formation that Justin Edinburgh chose to play with two outright wingers or just one of those days without taking the credit away from Southend but, defensively, Gillingham were a shambles in the first half. I cannot remember John Egan having "one of those days" but the warning had already been posted before he failed to make a clearance, leaving Joe Pigott to send Steve McLaughlin through on goal and to lift the ball over the advancing Stuart Nelson for the opening goal after 11 minutes.

The first half progressed with Gillingham frustratingly giving the ball away with careless abandon and creating very little for Rory Donnelly to feed off. Meanwhile Southend were continuing in the driving seat and, had they not been so wasteful, could have put the game beyond their hosts before the break.

Bookings for Gary Deegan and McLaughlin for a poor challenges did little to lighten the mood of Gillingham's supporters, frustrated by their own side's performance.

Edinburgh's half-time team talk at least brought a bit of forward momentum, but the lack of quality resulted in very little being created. Deegan, very visible with a heavy beard, chipping away in midfield, was lucky to try the patience of the referee once more with a foul on Bradley Dack as the youngster surged towards the visitor's penalty area.

As the game entered its last ten minutes, Gillingham through caution to the wind in an effort to salvage something out of the game. Dack narrowly missed the left hand post with a shot from outside the box and the Shrimpers' keeper, Daniel Bentley, made a good plunging save to push away a close range effort from Harry Lennon.

With just a minute left on the clock before entering time added, Loft produced an equaliser which would have definitely resided in Joe Martin's "lucky" box. Dickenson took a throw-in back to the Gills' club captain who lofted an intended cross into the box. For reasons best known only to him self, Bentley had strayed four or five yards from his line and the ball sailed straight over his head and into the net.

It was a fluke, and without question Gillingham have continued their unbeaten run of seven games with more than a hint of good fortune. We know that, and we don't need Martin to inform of us it. See you in December, Joe. That is, if you are still in the Millwall team.

Quirky Priestfield picture: No. 2

Leatherhead 0 Tonbridge 2

Match 35/15/1240 - Wednesday, 21st October 2015 - Ryman Premier

Leatherhead (0) 0
Tonbridge (2) 2 Wheeler 3, Miles 45+1
Attendance: 291

Entrance: £7 Senior
Programme: £2
Mileage: 104/2,157

Match Report

In life, I'm far from a pessimist but not really an optimist and, in football, would classify myself firmly as a realist. This season is going so well, I'm going to have to turn myself in a glass half full kind of guy. With both Gillingham and Tonbridge continuing to challenge at the right end of their respective divisions, come March time, I can see myself having to make difficult choices on a Saturday afternoon as to where to watch my football. I will cross fingers and toes that I am forced to make those choices.

This game was a perfect example of Tonbridge's credentials to be around the top end of the table, not only now in October, but also in April of next year. They opened the scoring early, dominated the first half before adding a second and throttled the life out of any second half revival from a disappointing Leatherhead side.

Tonbridge's away form so far this term is outstanding, seven games have yielded 18 points with a single goal conceded at Harrow Borough back in August. The dominance of the visiting back line, coupled with the ineffectiveness of the hosts, gave the impression that Leatherhead could have played until next August and still not scored.

On a pitch that could have passed for a bowling green, Mitchell Pinnock's cross field pass from left to right would have befitted any top class bowler landing at the feet of Nicky Wheeler who produced an unerring strike from the edge of the box into the bottom corner to open the scoring after just three minutes.

Tonbridge dominated the first half to the dismay of the home support who were labelling their team, "weak, feeble, useless and embarrassing" after 20 minutes of chasing the ball without success. The Leatherhead manager, Richard Brady, obviously concurred with the viewpoint making a double substitution after just half-an-hour.

Louis Wells, in the Tanners' goal, made a comfortable save from Jack Parter and Nathan Elder also saw a header from a Wheeler cross saved. Luke Blewden was narrowly wide after a surging run. Just when it seemed that Tonbridge's first half efforts were going to yield just the single goal they doubled their lead in the time added on. A Wheeler corner was headed on at the near post to the far, from where Sonny Miles had the simple chance to head home.

The second half became a non event as Leatherhead had neither the craft or the cutting edge to mount any sort of comeback. In the 91st minute, a free kick saw Anthony Di Barnardo make his first comfortable save of the match. Luke Blewden may have put a cherry on the top of the cake with a final surge on goal but this was a very professional performance.

Gillingham 2 Scunthorpe United 1

Match 34/15/1239 - Tuesday, 20th October 2015 - League One

Gillingham (0) 2 Dickenson 59, Lennon 90+1
Scunthorpe United (0) 1 Laird 53
Attendance: 4,823

Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 56/2,053

Match Report

A 92nd minute defeat for the home town football club, 216 miles south would have barely registered on a day when the catastrophic loss of 900 jobs at the Indian-owned Tata steelworks had occupied the minds of the people of Scunthorpe. A message of support was fitting and appeciated with applause from the 150 or so hardy Iron supporters that had made the journey. Heavy job losses have been suffered by the Medway towns in the past with the closure of the dockyard in Chatham, which makes it all the more embarrassing that some took to social media to poke fun rather than offer sympathy.

In London or Manchester, where their football clubs are offered such wealth through television, such an event would barely cause a ripple on the company accounts, but in towns such as Scunthorpe, and indeed Gillingham, where each person through the gate is a cherished supporter rather than a irritating customer, the effect on the club's resource will be felt for a long time to come.

This will effect, probably quadruple the 900 people that are about to lose their jobs, from the suppliers through the local shops to the tea ladies that watered the workforce. Many would support Scunthorpe United and many will no longer be able to afford their matchday ticket.

Of course, none of this would happen in China, whose dumping of cheap steel has caused the value to slump. We need to protect our industries and their communities and whilst we are looking at the bigger picture, we would also protect the likes of Scunthorpe United, for whom the Government and the Football Association will show little interest.

In truth, this was a game which Gillingham didn’t deserve the three points, but nobody can deny the spirit shown after going a goal down and reduced to ten men with the sending-off of Josh Wright with nine minutes remaining.

Scunthorpe, who came into the match on the back of three successive victories, were the better side in a first half largely devoid of chances and any great excitement. The much-travelled Gary McSheffrey fired marginally wide off the far post with a curling shot and went closer still when he stretched Stuart Nelson with a free kick from the right hand side.

Gillingham’s only chance of a poor half fell to Jake Hessenthaler who headed a Bradley Dack free kick wide.

Justin Edinburgh brought Brennan Dickenson and Jermaine McGlashen into the action at the start of the second half to inject a bit of life into the lacklustre performance. Their introduction and the start of the second half were delayed for a couple of minutes as the officials wrestled with a malfunctioning indicator board, which all seemed a bit pedantic.

When the game finally restarted there was, at least, a bit more intent from both sides.

After eight minutes of the second half, Scunthorpe opened the scoring. A right wing cross from Scott Wiseman cleared the aerial efforts of both attackers and defenders at the near post and as the ball bounced, left back Scott Laird fired in with a meaty volley that gave Nelson no chance.

Gillingham responded within five minutes when a Dack corner was sent to the far post from where Dickenson climbed the highest to head into the bottom corner.

Referee Lee Swaby, an inexperienced official, was already taking rather too much of centre stage when with nine minutes remaining he reduced the home side to 10 men after deeming that Wright’s challenge had been dangerous. It seemed a very harsh decision.

Sensing their opportunity, the Iron poured forward in search of a winner but solid defending reduced them to a single pot shot that was well over and with the clock having entered the time added on, a free kick from the left sailed all the way to the far post and, initially it was thought straight into the net, but Harry Lennon was credited with a touch.

There remained time for a final head in hands moment when an instinctive save from Stuart Nelson from a close range Murray Wallace header following a corner. For the Scunthorpe supporters, faced with the long journey home, it must have seemed the inevitable conclusion to a very bad day. One can only hope that the town recovers from this major setback thus allowing their local club to prosper.

Tonbridge 1 Kingstonian 1

Match 33/15/1238 - Saturday, 17th October 2015 - Ryman League Premier

Tonbridge (1) 1 Elder 45+1
Kingstonian (1) 1 Kempton 28
Attendance: 545

Entrance: £10
Programme: £2.50
Mileage: 36/1,997

Match Report

If you are under the age 34, you will know no different other than the points system that awards three points for a win. The reward for winning games was increased from two to three in 1981 in order to devalue the 0-0 draw away from home that was stagnating the game. Over the years it has largely been considered a success, although, evidently, statistics show there are no less draws per season than there was back then. A draw at home, therefore, is almost always considered two points lost rather than one gained, but there are days when you look back and think to yourself, I'll take that.

Over the course of 90 minutes Tonbridge edged this game and if one team deserved the spoils then it was them, but prior to kick-off I had a gut feeling that I might have to be satisfied with a point and there were periods in the first half when I was definitely settling for a draw.

Kingstonian, who came into the game on the back of an unbeaten run of eight games, but were also on a run of drawn games with three consecutively, started brightly and there was an early scare for the hosts as a corner flashed across the face of goal and ended with an agricultural blast high and wide from Alan Inns.

Jake Kempton, irritating and admirable in equal measure throughout the game, managed an eventful opening ten minutes, firstly latching on to a huge punt from K’s goalkeeper, Rob Tolfrey but firing hopelessly off target and then picking up an eighth minute yellow card for a poor challenge.

Tonbridge started to work their way into the game and a free kick from Mitchell Pinnock found its way to Nick Wheeler, whose shot sailed over the bar. This was quickly followed by a blinding save from Tolfrey, who clawed a Nathan Elder header out of the top corner.

The end-to-end nature of the game continued when Dan Bennett struck a post and Luke Blewden drove in a shot that was deflected wide. The match had set itself for an intriguing muscular battle between the Tonbridge front pairing of Elder and Blewden and the mountainous, solid defensive duo of Inns and Sam Page and when the attack won the day, there was the excellent goalkeeping of Tolfrey to come to the Kings aid.

Kingstonian eventually opened the scoring after 28 minutes. A driving run from Bennett ended with a one-two and a shot that could only be parried by Anthony Di Barnardo into the path of Kempton who was left with an easy touch home.

Tonbridge responded immediately but a poor finish from Elder was scant reward for the driving run of Jack Parter.

On the stroke of half-time, a long ball into the channel was chased down by Blewden and his dragged back pass to the edge of the box brought a clinical finish from Elder.

The second half saw a complete change in the momentum of the game. It was as if the Kingstonian half-time team talk had taken the course of “we have a point, let’s keep it” and they went into a defensive shell, rarely threatening the Tonbridge goal in a one-way second half.

The wave after wave of Tonbridge attacks foundered ultimately on the agility of Tolfrey. The goalkeeper comfortably saved an Elder header, but his plunging save to deny a close range shot from Elder was brilliant.

James Folkes, who had another good afternoon, ended a mazy run with a shot that was touched over by Tolfrey before the Elder-Tolfrey competition ended with the goalkeeper coming out on top once more with a diving save.

Kingstonian are in the last throes of losing their home ground at Kingsmeadow, but the constant bad natured, verbal abuse of an obviously old adversary in Steve McKimm from the visiting support made it very hard to engender sympathy for their plight.

Points lost, or one gained depends on the old glass half full attitude. A point won, from a highly entertaining game, would be my take.

Tonbridge 2 Hastings United 2

Match 32/15/1237 - Tuesday, 13th October 2015 - Ryman League Cup

Tonbridge (1) 2 Brown 1, Folkes 25
Hastings United (1) 2 Temba 11, Richardson-Brown 50
Hastings United won 3-0 on penalties
Attendance: 294

Entrance: £10
Programme: £0.50
Mileage: 36/1,961

Match Report

I noticed a few people leaving the ground as the final whistle blew on this Ryman League Cup tie. Perhaps they were unaware that the game would be going to straight to penalties, or perhaps, they were very much aware of Tonbridge's abysmal record in penalty shoot-outs.

Without a game in the last 10 days Steve McKimm opted for a strong line-up with Sonny Miles, Nick Wheeler and Luke Blewden sitting on the bench. Hastings meanwhile, rested to their bench Sam Crabb, Sam Adams, ex-Angel Billy Medlock and ex-Tunbridge Wells' Jack Harris, all players whom I presume are considered first team regulars.

Given their lofty league position, the Ryman League Cup was a competition where there was a genuine chance of Tonbridge making good progress, if not winning it.

On the top of the new media suite a scoreboard has been introduced and it didn’t take long, less than a minute, for it to be put to good use. Ellis Brown outmuscled a defender, or was it a blatant shove, at the far post to drill a shot past the despairing Josh Pelling.

Tonbridge looked in complete control of the game when the ball was cleared from the line to deny them a two goal lead before a weak back pass from Lawrence Ball allowed Bright Temba to nip in and round Anthony Di Bernardo to place the ball into an empty net.

Nathan Elder headed a James Folkes cross wide before, in the 25th minute, Folkes began and finished a splendid move with a shot from inside the box after linking up with Brown to open up the opportunity.

The opportunity was there for Tonbridge to put the game to bed, but Hastings were not prepared to lay down and Simon Johnson fired wastefully over as did Tyrell Richardson-Brown. Just prior to the break, Folkes was needed to clear the ball from the line as Temba once again rounded Di Bernardo.

Five minutes into the second half the visitors were rewarded for their attacking intentions. A cross from Sam Cole was met cleanly on the volley by Richardson-Brown to level the score.

A couple of minutes later, a Richardson-Brown lob had Di Bernardo acrobatically clawing the ball to safety.

Wheeler and Blewden were introduced as Tom Parkinson, back from injury, ran out of steam and the ineffective Mitchell Pinnock were replaced. Immediately the tempo was increased and Tonbridge started to look the likely winners. Jack Parter ended a surge from the back with a shot over the bar and, with five minutes remaining, Blewden opted for power rather than placement when sent clear and blasted his shot high, wide and not too handsome.

One final chance saw Charlie Webster create an opportunity for Brown but Pelling was equal to the effort.

And so to penalties and the continuance of Tonbridge’s wait for a winning tie-breaker. Medlock stepped up first for Hastings and confidently buried his effort and when Pelling saved Lee Carey’s spot kick it was advantage to the Sussex side.

Cole made it 2-0 before Blewden drove his kick straight at the keeper. Ollie Rowe missed Hastings’ third kick but this was immediately cancelled out as Wheeler saw Pelling dive to his right to push away his effort.

Chris Cumming-Bart completed the penalty spot rout to condemn Tonbridge to a fifth shoot-out defeat and the unenviable record of having never won one.

A month on, and with some difficult league fixtures behind them, Tonbridge might look back on this defeat as a blessing, but for now it feels like an opportunity for silverware lost.