Gillingham slipped to defeat at a rain soaked Priestfield as Wigan Athletic returned to the top of the League One table.
Two second half goals sealed the points for the visitors, but the drenched home faithful will have left thinking what might have been for Steve Evans’ side as for long periods of this enthralling contest in the downpour, the home side had the edge but, on this day, lady luck favoured the visitors rather than the Gills.
The Priestfield faithful received some good news prior to kick off when top scorer Vadaine Oliver was passed fit to play and for long periods, he and John Akinde posed the Wigan defence all manner of problems in the wet and windy conditions but when it came to chances in front of goal, it just wasn’t Gillingham’s day.
In truly appalling conditions – and that was just for those of us in the stands – the visitors had the first real chance of any note – a low skidding free kick from Callum Lang which Jamie Cumming did really well to hold on. And it was from a long clearance from the Gills keeper that the home side had their first sight of goal as a huge kick was misjudged at the last minute by a defender, but Oliver just wasn’t close enough to take advantage.
Wigan keeper Ben Amos then had to be alert as Danny Lloyd’s free kick was caught on the swirling wind and threatened to drop under the bar, but the former Charlton stopper just back pedalled quickly enough to palm the ball over his crossbar.
The best chance of the half came in first half stoppage time. A vicious low ball was whipped into the Gills box and a sliding Will Keane seemed to have diverted the ball into the net, but somehow Cumming produced an amazing incredible reflex block to deny the Wigan man.
After the break, the home side upped the tempo, and from a great ball in from Lloyd, Akinde’s header was really well saved by Amos at the base of his right post.
But just as the Gills were pushing forward, Wigan took the lead as a swift break down saw James McClean’s deep whipped cross from the left into the far post found an unmarked Max Power who headed past a hopelessly exposed Cumming to give the visitors the advantage.
Yet for the next period of the second half, the visitors looked anything but a side heading to the top of the pile. Oliver was denied an equaliser by a desperate last gasp block after pressing from the Gills front line caused the Wigan defence to literally panic trying to clear their lines, but again as the home side pressed looking for an equaliser they went further behind as Keane hammered home a second eight minutes from time.
Yet the Gills weren’t finished as Amos made two further outstanding saves – the first from sub–Gerald Sithole’s driven ball in from the right and the second somehow denying Robbie McKenzie’s late header from a Lloyd corner – but this really wasn’t the home side’s day.
Whatever is said about Gillingham’s performance on possibly the worst day for football that Priestfield has seen in a while, the reaction of the Wigan players at referee Hair’s final whistle was one of relief as they knew that Steve Evans’ side had put up one heck of a battle – none more so than Max Ehmer and Rhys Bennett at the heart of the back line and young Dan Adshead just in front of them – but sadly on this particular soggy Saturday, the points head north, but the faithful went home knowing that this new look Gills side took another massive step forward – improvement that can only be positive for the weeks and months ahead!
GILLINGHAM: Cumming, McKenzie, Bennett, Ehmer, Tutonda, Adshead, Dempsey, MacDonald, Lloyd, Akinde (Sithole 74), Oliver.
Subs not used – Chapman, Tucker, O’Keefe, Lee, Reeves, Kelman.
Booked: Dempsey (36).
WIGAN ATHLETIC: Amos, Watts, Whatmough, Darikwa, Naylor, Cousins, Power, Keane, Lang (Edwards 89), McClean (Massey 77), Wyke.
Subs not used – Tickle, Pearce, Jones, Tilt, Humphrys.
Goals: Power (64), Keane (82).
Booked: Naylor (14), Massey (86).
REFEREE – Mr Neil Hair
Attendance: 4,503
Picture supplied by Gillingham Football Club.