Gills lost their third game in a row but what a way to lose and the performance was not good with some supporters stating that there was no passion.

It seemed that confidence is in bits as they looked like a side scared of the ball.

The first 15 minutes saw both sides cancelling each other out and not causing any problems with Gillingham having handed a debut to Tomas Holy in goal.

The first chance of the game came in the 17^th minute when Jerome Binnom-Williams running down the left wing got to the by-line and his low cross fired in saw Craig Mackail-Smith under pressure shoot just past the post.

The next half chance in a half that was not for the purists came in the 29^th minute when a Marcus Maddison free kick 25 yards out was easily saved by Holy.

Gillingham finally had a chance in the 31^st minute when Mark Byrne on the right crossed into the area where leading scorer Josh Wright was, but his header under no pressure went over the bar.

The rest of the half was poor with the only excitement coming in the 39^th minute when referee Brendon Malone went off injured to be replaced by Assistant referee Christopher Wade.

The second half was completely different to the first as both sides actually looked as if they wanted to win and there was action at both ends albeit half chances.

In the 49^th minute Maddison driving forward from halfway tried his luck from 25 yards but Holy saved easily. In the 54^th minute substitute Harry Cornick received the ball from a throw and cut inside and his shot went past the post.

Three minutes later Gills could or maybe should have taken the lead when Ryan Jackson on the right crossed into the six yard area where Cody McDonald was and his header under pressure went straight at Luke McGee.

In the 63^rd minute a Jackson long throw into the area was half cleared to Cornick but from 8 yards he blasted it over the bar.

Two minutes later Cornick on the right got to the by-line and his low cross to the near post was flicked goalwards by Bradley Dack but went wide.

Peterborough had weathered the Gills attacks and in the 71st minute captain Chris Forrester tried his luck from 30 yards forceing Holy to tip over the bar, in the next minute Mackail-Smith latched onto a loose ball in the area and from 15 yards his shot went just past the post.

In the next minute Gills in a counter attack saw Dack pass to Wright and his curling effort from 25 yards was easily saved by McGee.

Peterborough nearly scored in the 75^th minute when Michael Smith on the overlap crossed into the area for Mackail-Smith unopposed but from 8 yards his flicked header went wide.

The game was drawing to a close with Gillingham and Ade Pennock thinking here was a point and a rare thing a clean sheet when Junior Morais running forward was not closed down and his cracking shot beat Holy to win the game.

The crowd booed at the end and the home crowd were not happy.

 

GILLINGHAM:

30. HOLY  5.M.EHMER  6. D.OSHILAJA  7. S.WAGSTAFF (29)  9. R.DONNELLY (45)  10. C.McDONALD (73) 14. L.MARTIN 23. B.DACK 29. O.MULDOON  33. M.BYRNE  44. J.WRIGHT

SUBS USED: 2. R.JACKSON (29)  34. H.CORNICK (45, DEBUT)  19. J.PARKER (73)

SUBS NOT USED:  1. S.NELSON  8. J.HESSENTHALER  16. E.OSADEBE  21. E.LIST

BOOKINGS: 23. B.DACK (80)

 

PETERBOROUGH:

1. McGEE 2. M.SMITH  4. M.BOSTWICK  6. J.BALDWIN  8. C.FORRESTER  11. M.MADDISON  13. C.MACKAIL-SMITH (90+2) 18. L.DASILVA LOPES (57) 21. T.NICHOLS (20) 29. J.BINNOM-WILLIAMS 42. A.GRANT

SUBS USED:  37. J.MORAIS (20)  10. P.TAYLOR (57)  3. A.HUGHES (90+2)

SUBS NOT USED: 14. M.TYLER  16. B.INMAN  23. C.CHETTLE  38. A.BORG

BOOKINGS: 42 A.GRANT (35)

 

REFEREE: Mr B.MALONE

ASSISTANTS: Mr C WADE & Mr R.SMITH

4^TH OFFICIAL: Mr L.MARKS

ATTENDANCE: 7,569