Words like stunning, superb, stupendous and sensational have been used to describe some of Gillingham’s football over the previous three Saturdays.

Sadly on the day when Steve Lovell’s side were supposed to begin their “march to the arch” in the FA Cup, those superlatives changed from extremely positive to dour, disappointing, desperate, and even downright depressing as just over 2,000 of the Priestfield faithful were crammed into the Medway Stand making generation of any kind of atmosphere almost impossible as the Hartlepool bus was well and truly parked and in truth deserved the replay they clearly made the long trip South for.

It was desperately frustrating afternoon for the home side, as despite once again having bucket loads of possession, neither keeper had a shot to save worthy of the name and on the rare occasions players on both sides actually found some space, the shooting radars were, shall we, be polite and say not working.

Playing their fourth home game in fifteen days, Gillingham really struggled to break down the visitors in the opening half and slowly as it went on, Hartlepool actually came forward on the rare occasion with some conviction and in quite possibly the poorest first halves seen at Priestfield in some considerable time, shots from Hartlepool’s Nicky Featherstone – which disappeared into the empty Rainham End – and full back Mark Kitching, who dragged his shot well wide of the Gillingham goal.

The second half began with Billy Bingham replacing Connor Ogilvie – the opposite swap to seven days before – and Brandon Hanlan at least showing what the Gills might do as he cut in from the left, but couldn’t get enough curl on his shot to hit the bottom corner.

Featherstone then completed his set – sending a shot high and wide into the Brian Moore Stand, before a real let off for the home side as Noble blazed high and wide with full back Kenton Richardson in acres of unmarked space one pass to his right.

Gills kept trying to press all the way to the end, but the creativity that had destroyed Bradford and Fleetwood just wasn’t there!

Late on Mark Byrne was denied by a brave save at his feet, but when Darren Oldaker sent the last kick of the game disappearing into the Rainham End, the chorus of boos that followed summed up the afternoon.

Gillingham are at least still in the hat for the next round – that’s all really that anyone can take from this disappointing encounter that won’t live long past the Hartlepool bus left the car park exit in anyone’s memories.

 

GILLINGHAM – Holy, O’Neill, Ehmer, Zakuani, Hanlan (List 74), Eaves, Charles-Cook, Fuller, Oldaker, Byrne, Ogilvie (Bingham H/T).

Subs not used – Hadler, Parrett, Parker, Nasseri, Simpson.

Booked: Charles-Cook (88).

 

HARTLEPOOL – Loach, Kitching, Magney, Noble, Donaldson (Woods 92), Featherstone, Anderson, Richardson, McLaughlin, Dinanga (Muir 77), James (O’Neill 71).

Subs not used – Catterick, Hawkes, Newton, Murphy.

Booked: Noble (54).

Referee: Mr Brett Huxtable

Attendance: 2,224

Picture supplied by Kent Pro Images.