Gillingham’s hopes a good Christmas crumbled like the finest Christmas cake as goals in each half gave Colchester United a 2-0 Boxing Day victory that set the Gills ambitions on the back foot again.
After the creditable and encouraging draw with Cheltenham pre-Christmas, hopes were high as the Gills travelled through the Dartford Tunnel towards the JobServe Community Stadium. Sadly, the trip home was anything but joyous as the Gills fell to another desperately disappointing away defeat.
The Gills named the same eleven as had drawn with Cheltenham, but they started badly as Lyle Taylor hammered the home side ahead in the sixth minute – Owura Edwards and Jack Payne combined, and Payne had a shot well saved by Glenn Morris but Taylor netted the rebound.
Colchester had a “goal” ruled out before Morris made another fine save at the foot of his right post to deny Edwards before a massive let off for the Gills as Arthur Read drove a ball across the face of goal which needed just a touch.
It took the Gills thirty minutes to create any chance of note and when they did, it fell to Jack Nolan who fired over after good play from Robbie McKenzie and Jayden Clarke.
Despite struggling for most of the half, the Gills so nearly went in at the break level – Nolan’s drive was spilled by keeper Matt Macey and as the ball wrong footed Elliot Nevitt, Romeao Hutton shot straight at the keeper.
Payne thought he had doubled the home sides lead minutes into the second half prodding wide and Taylor had another “goal” ruled out as the home side looked set to make it eight unbeaten and seven League clean sheets on the trot.
Bradley Dack and Tim Dieng came on just past the hour and it finally seemed to get the Gills going, and Dack shortly afterwards curled a free kick straight at Macey.
The home keeper’s fingertips then kept the home side ahead as McKenzie got on the end of Shad Ogies ball into the box, McKenzie hit a magnificent volley which Macey kept out with a sensational save.
The Gills piled forward looking for an equaliser the gaps were left and with just under ten minutes left, the home side sealed the points and sent the large travelling support home in disappointment. Tom Hooper took advantage of a mishap in the Gillingham half and threaded the ball through to substitute John Kaymani-Gordon whose low drive beat Morris into the bottom corner.
Both sides had chances late on without even threatening either goal, and not threatening the Colchester goal is just a sorry repetition of the Gills season. Next up a Monday night trip to AFC Wimbledon on Monday night.
COLCHESTER UNITED – Macey, Iandolo, Flanagan, Payne, McDonnell, Read (Bishop), Egbo, Edwards (Gordon), Donnelly, Thorn (Anderson), Taylor (Hopper)
Subs – Smith, Kelleher, Goodliff
GILLINGHAM – Morris, Hutton, Ehmer, Masterson (Dieng), Max Clark (Ogie), Coleman (Andrews), McKenzie, Jayden Clarke, Nolan (Little), Rowe (Dack), Nevitt
Subs – Turner, Jonny Williams
Referee – Mr. Hallam