Gillingham slipped to their first League defeat in six games as Doncaster Rovers lived up to Steve Evans’ own thoughts that the Yorkshiremen will be heavily involved in the promotion race as the Gills returned to Kent on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline.
After a first half performance that left the manager admitting later that his side didn’t turn up, the Gills were fortunate to only be one down at the break.
A much better start to the second half saw skipper Kyle Dempsey beat former Gills loanee Joe Lumley to level the scores, but the home side were back in front moments later which was tough on Jack Bonham who made a terrific save in the build-up.
That said in the end, it was Bonham who kept the score at 2-1 with a couple of late sensational saves but the five-game unbeaten run was over as Doncaster continued their impressive home run taking it to just one defeat in eleven.
Evans made one change to the side that beat Swindon the week before with Alex MacDonald coming into the eleven in Scott Robertson’s place, whilst on the bench, Josh Eccles returned from suspension and there was a return for Jacob Mellis after a couple of months out.
The opening period was bossed by the home side as Gillingham couldn’t get going but limited the home side in the opening half hour to Andy Butler’s header – that went over – and Tyreece John-Jules’ shot – that went wide.
The home side did find a way through on the half hour when Reece James drilled the ball beyond Bonham and into the bottom corner. The goal finally kick started the Gills afternoon and Jack Tucker was fractions away from Connor Ogilvie’s flick and MacDonald shot into the side netting from 25 yards, yet the visitors were indebted to Bonham for keeping the score at one-nil as he made a great block on the stroke of half time to deny Taylor Richards.
The manager later admitted that he wanted to make five changes at the break but in the end made just two – Zech Medley for MacDonald and Mellis for John Akinde – and the changes looked to have worked as the Gills started the second period so much better and they were level within six minutes as Dempsey got on the end of Vadaine Oliver’s flick and beat Lumley from the edge of the box.
The Gills though were level for just a matter of minutes, and it was tough on Bonham who made an excellent save to deny Ben Whiteman at the end of a swift Doncaster break, only for Brad Halliday to drill the rebound home.
Josh Sims then drew another great save out of Bonham – a curling left footed drive brilliantly turned aside by the Gillingham keeper – before home sub Fejiri Okenabirhie crashed a shot against the frame of the visitor’s goal with almost his first touch as the home side looked to seal the points.
Bonham’s excellent afternoon continued when he denied Jon Taylor late on and Gills sub Trey Coyle could have earned Evans’s side an unlikely point late on, but his volley flew wide.
A tough afternoon for Evans and his charges in Yorkshire, but at least Gillingham don’t have to wait too long to try and get back on track as Accrington Stanley come to Priestfield on Tuesday for an early kick off.
DONCASTER ROVERS – Lumley, Halliday, Anderson, Butler, John, James, Whiteman, Sims, Smith (Coppinger), Richards (Taylor), John-Jules (Okenabirhie)
Subs – Hasani, Lokilo, Jones, Amos
GILLINGHAM – Bonham; Jackson, Tucker, Ogilvie, O’Connor (Coyle), McKenzie, Dempsey, MacDonald (Medley), Samuel, Akinde (Mellis) (Eccles), Oliver.
Subs – Walsh, Drysdale, Woods
REFEREE – Mr Kettle
Image courtesy of Gillingham FC