So near yet so far as “Survival Saturday” turned into “Sinking Saturday” as Gillingham were relegated from League One.

Just as in the immortal movie, the Gills’ Great Escape attempt was agonisingly close, but just as in the war-time blockbuster, the heroes final escape was just too elusive as with Steve McQueen iconic character. Neil Harris’ incredible attempt at a minor miracle failed in the last minutes of the final scenes.

Under the Priestfield sunshine and roared on by the faithful who still believed until the closing stages, the Gills trailed at half time as Rarmani Edmonds-Green flicked out a boot from a corner, but were ridiculously close to be level at the break as Ben Thompson’s brilliant shot on the turn only for the ball to cannon to safety off the underside of Viktor Johansson’s cross bar.

And then again at the start of the second half, Conor Masterson couldn’t keep his shot down as he brilliantly ghosted in at the back post from a Ben Reeves free-kick. The hope of survival came even closer as the game entered the final ten minutes as the whole ground knew that just a single goal would be enough and ironically also deny Rotherham automatic promotion as MK Dons were rampant at Plymouth.

The goal did come, but sadly as so often before it at the wrong end as sub Georgie Kelly majestically struck the ball home after yet another awful defensive mistake by the home side which in the end was to prove the final nail in the Gills coffin!

Harris was able to name skipper Stuart O’Keefe in the starting line-up after he hobbled off at Portsmouth the previous week in an unchanged starting eleven as the Gills went into the game knowing that they’d have to better Fleetwood’s result at Bolton at least to stay in the Division.

As most of the games that Harris has overseen at Priestfield, the opening stages were tight and whilst the Gills offered little going forward, they looked tight and compact at the back yet sadly old failings returned just when the Gills were looking to get into the game as a corner from the right just past the half hour was nodded down by Michael Ihiekwe and Edmonds-Green fortuitously stuck out a right boot and diverted it between the stranded Aaron Chapman and O’Keefe on the goal line – the ball could have gone any way, but like so many times in the previous forty-five League games it went against the Gills.

For a few minutes, it was the old Gillingham as gaps appeared all over the place, but they rallied well and on the stroke of half time again lady luck deserted the home side. Olly Lee’s deep corner was well knocked down by Vadaine Oliver, Jack Tucker prodded the ball through to Thompson who swivelled and shot in an instance only to see the crossbar shudder but the goal line wasn’t crossed!

With Ben Reeves and O’Keefe battling in the middle like little Yorkshire terriers, the visitors were forced onto the back foot after the break. A long Ryan Jackson throw caused mayhem before a deep free kick from Reeves found Masterson and Max Ehmer both converging on the back post and it was the QPR loanee who got there first but could only fire into the Rainham End.

With so much riding on the last half hour for both sides, it really was tough at times to determine who was the side fighting for promotion and the one fighting at the other end, but sadly in the last minute of the game, with the Gills knowing that a single goal would save them, the second goal of the game arrived, and was a horror show for Tucker. The defender seemingly had control of the ball in the corner only to lose the ball and from the resulting pass, sub Kelly gleefully wrong footed Chapman to send the massed ranks of away fans wild and disappointingly onto the pitch.

It was really tough on Chapman, who had pulled off three remarkable reflex saves to keep the Gills in the hunt with the best to deny Ben Wiles’ volley at the far post moments before.

So it’s League Two for Neil Harris and whatever his Gillingham squad will look like in August. In the end it was “just” goal-difference that did for the Gills and if on day one of the Harris reign when the club was ten points from safety, just to have had hope on the final day looked remote at best…

However, whichever way you look at the stats, the simple truth is that thirteen home League goals at Priestfield in an entire season is simply not good enough!

But the new boss came within five minutes of the miracle that we’d all prayed for and now needs the backing of everyone at the club from the Chairman’s office down the furthest seat in the stands away from the Priestfield pitch to continue the recovery in the new League. 

GILLINGHAM – Aaron Chapman, Jackson, Tucker, Ehmer, Masterson (Phillips 74), Tutonda (Sithole 87), O’Keefe, Lee (Carayol 67), Thompson, Reeves, Oliver.

Subs not used – Dahlberg, Lintott, Maghoma, Chambers.

Booked: O’Keefe (17), Tutonda (21), Thompson (71).

ROTHERHAM UNITED – Johansson, Harding, Barlaser, Wood, Osei-Tutu (Mattock 67), Wiles, Ogbene, Rathbone (Odoffin 93), Ihiekwe, Edmonds-Green, Smith (Kelly 80).

Subs not used – Josh Chapman, Bolas, Lindsay, Kayode.

Goals: Edmonds-Green (34), Kelly (89).

Booked: Wood (55), Harding (83), Kelly (90).

REFEREE – Mr Samuel Barrott

Attendance: 8,542

Picture supplied by Gillingham Football Club.