Gillingham lost to a Walsall side who hadn’t won in seven games with an abject performance at the Medway Priestfield Stadium this afternoon.
The Gills couldn’t stop Walsall’s top scorer Andy Cook from scoring a hat trick, and in doing so couldn’t claim back to back League wins.
Former Gill Matt Jarvis caused the Gills a lot of trouble on his debut having joined Walsall on loan during the week. Cook scored with a header in the 10th minute from a free-kick to give the away side the lead, before heading in a Jarvis cross ten minutes later.
He completed his hat trick less than two minutes after the restart in the second half and with it ending any chance of the Gills getting back into the game.
Manager Steve Lovell rewarded last week’s goalscorer Josh Rees with a place in the starting line-up at the expense of Regan Charles-Cook who dropped to the bench. There was a place on the bench and a welcome sight for Gills fans as top scorer Tom Eaves was named as a substitute.
You wouldn’t have thought the visitors hadn’t won in their last seven games as they started off by far the better side. Jarvis really was a thorn in the Gills defence side all afternoon, crossing into the area having beaten Luke O’Neil all ends up but Connor Ogilvie blocked Gordon’s goal ward header.
The visitors were rewarded with the opening goal of the game in the tenth minute. A free-kick into the Gills area, found Cook unmarked and he had the simple task of heading past Tomas Holy to make it 1-0.
The Priestfield faithful were hoping that the Walsall goal would shock the Gills into life and that they would take the game to the visitors. However, despite the Gills trying to unleash the pace of Elliott List and Bradley Garmston but there was a clear lack of end product at the end of any Gills move.
This lack of end product would come back and bite the home side, as the visitors doubled their advantage in the 20th minute. Jarvis once again showed why he was a fans favourite at the time with the club, he got to the by line and crossed into the area where Cook headed home from close range to make it 0-2.
Tom Eaves was introduced to the fray just after the half hour mark to replace the injured Alex Lacey. A foul on the substitute saw O’Neill presented with an excellent opportunity to unleash an effort on goal, his effort went agonisingly wide of the post with the keeper well beaten.
Half time 0-2
With fans just about back in their seats following the half time break, the visitors put the game to bed and in doing so Cook completed his hat trick.
This time it was a long throw that caused the Gills problems, finding Cook in the box who turned and fired home to make it 0-3.
A corner for the Gills found its way outside of the area to O’Neill he fired a shot goal wards but his shot ended up high into the Rainham End.
Mark Byrne got his head on a cross in the 72nd minute, he glanced it goal wards but substitute Brandon Hanlon couldn’t get on the end of the ball as it went wide of the far post.
Regan Charles-Cook on as a second half substitute forced a good save from Roberts as his shot from the left was looking like it was heading for the top corner but for the keeper.
Whilst the Gills had woken up a little they had to beware of the visitors on the counter attack and Gordon showed the home side needed to be careful, as he nipped in front of Ogilvie to go one on one with Holy, but the massive shot stopper stood tall to claim the shot.
Top scorer Eaves went the closest the Gills would had got when his diving header from 15 yards from an O’Neil cross, although had he have scored it wouldn’t have counted as the lineman’s flag had been raised for offside.
Rees could have pulled a goal back with the game in added time. Hanlon did well and got to the by line and crossed into the area but Ress couldn’t direct his shot on target, and that was how the game would end a disappointing performance from the Gills.
Full time 0-3
Gillingham: Holy; O’Neill, Zakuani (c), Lacey (Eaves, 35), Ogilvie, Garmston; Byrne, Reilly (Hanlan, 63), Rees; Parker (Charles-Cook, 46), List
Unused subs: Hadler (GK), Simpson, Ehmer, Oldaker
Walsall: Roberts; Norman, Guthrie, Johnson, Leahy; Jarvis (Laird, 79), Devlin, Edwards, Osborne; Cook, Gordon (Kinsella, 83)
Unused subs: Dunn (GK), Dobson, Morris, Ismail, Mussa
Referee: Darren Drysdale
Attendance: 3,975 (123)
Image courtesy of Kent Pro Images