Cody McDonald stole unmarked into the MK Dons penalty box in the 72nd minute to head home a winning goal that moves Gillingham up to 12th place, earned a fourth win in the last 7 league matches, and gave Justin Edinburgh the perfect present ahead of his 47th birthday on Sunday.
The home side thought they should have been ahead in the first half but Frank Nouble’s goalbound shot deflected in off an offside Bradley Dack. Seconds later though, MK Dons earned a penalty as Paul Konchesky blocked Keiron Agard in the box, but Stuart Nelson used his legs to save Dean Bowditch’s penalty as the first half ended even.
Neither side could really find a way through two determined defences to get that clear opportunity until McDonald timed his run to perfection to meet Dack’s left wing cross.
With both sides looking uncomfortably over their shoulders at the relegation zone at the start of the game both would have looked for a quick start, but despite chances for each side, neither was able to bring the opposing goalkeeper into the action.
Samir Carruthers fired a left foot volley that hit the stanchion behind Stuart Nelson’s goal after a deft knock-down from Dean Bowditch to open the action for the MK Dons. At the other end, the overlapping Scott Wagstaff’s deep cross was headed back over David Martin by Bradley Dack, but Dons’ skipper Dean Lewington was on hand to hook off his own line.
The clearance went straight to Frank Nouble who, from a tight angle, hit the side netting. Bailly Cargill and Jake Hessenthaler had to put their bodies on the line to block shots from Keiron Agard and Bowditch respectively as MK Dons appeared to be imposing themselves. However, Gillingham hit back immediately as Cody McDonald’s touch on halfway took him away from Lewington onto the right wing. McDonald skipped past Lewington’s recovering challenge and rolled a pass into Dack, whose shot was deflected behind off Paul Downing.
The Priestfield crowd came to life after 37 minutes; their ire being directed at Mr Huxtable who had just cautioned Cody McDonald for his reaction to a freekick being awarded for levering Lewington from underneath a dropping ball. And the volume increased further when Paul Konchesky became the third Gillingham player to go into the referee’s notebook four minutes later in an increasingly frustrating half for the home side.
Gillingham thought they had made the breakthrough two minutes before the interval, but were denied by the assistant’s flag. Nouble picked up the ball on the left wing and drive into the area through the challenge of George Baldock. Nouble’s shot was goalbound but deflected off Dack, who had inched beyond the last defender, and nestled into the opposite corner of the net.
Just before the interval, Agard made a burst into the right side of the area and was clipped by Konchesky with Mr Huxtable pointing immediately to the spot. The reaction of the Rainham End was instant with a chorus of boo’s directed towards both the official and MK Dons forward, but these turned to cheers as Bowditch’s penalty hit the legs of Scott Nelson who had dived to his left with the clearance being completed before anyone from MK Dons could react.
The start of the second half seemed to follow the same pattern as much of the first; lots of soft fouls breaking up any chance of play developing. That said, Max Ehmer twice had to block MK Don’s half-chances. First getting a leg to an Ed Upson header, then a shot from Ben Reeves deflecting off the defender for a corner. Gillingham’s first real sight of goal wasn’t until the 64th minute when Nouble’s shot was deflected forcing David Martin into a save by his left post.
The home side took the lead on 72, and it all stemmed from a 70-yard run down the left wing by Nouble that forced Upson into conceding a cheap corner. Dack played a one-two with Konchesky before swinging a dangerous cross into the middle. McDonald timed his run behind a cluster of defenders marking Jay Emmanuel-Thomas to head unchallenged past Martin for his seventh of the season.
Gillingham were disappointed not to double their lead within moments as Cargill directed a header straight at Martin then, when substitute Jack Hendry misplaced a pass to Josh Wright, the midfielder, having opened up the angle, could only sidefoot a shot at the MK Dons keeper.
Another MK Dons replacement, Ryan Colclough, almost made an impact within 30 seconds of joining the match, flicking a ball into the path of Carruthers, whose shot on the run was powerful but ended up in the Town End stand. And this was to be MK Dons clear sight of Nelson’s goal as Gillingham held on for a vital victory that moves them up to 12th in the League One table tonight.
GILLINGHAM: 1- Stuart Nelson; 7- Scott Wagstaff, 5- Max Ehmer, 19- Bailly Cargill, 12- Paul Konchesky; 8- Jake Hessenthaler, 44- Josh Wright, 23- Bradley Dack; 50- Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, 10 Cody McDonald, 45- Frank Nouble (2- Ryan Jackson 79).
Subs not used: 13- Tom Hadler, 6- Deji Oshilaja, 9- Rory Donnelly, 20- Darren Oldaker, 24- Greg Cundle, 33- Mark Byrne.
Goal: Cody McDonald 72
Cautions: Scott Wagstaff 24, Cody McDonald 37, Paul Konchesky 41.
MK DONS: 1- David Martin; 2- George Baldock (16- Jack Hendry 53), 23- Paul Downing, 3- Dean Lewington, 12- George B Williams; 7- Samir Carruthers, 6- Ed Upson, 8- Darren Potter, 10- Ben Reeves; 9- Dean Bowditch (28- Nicky Maynard 64), 14- Kieron Agard (49- Ryan Colclough 79).
Subs not used: 19- Lee Nicholls, 11- George C Williams, 17- Daniel Powell, 25- Chuks Aneke.
Cautions: Samir Carruthers 55, Darren Potter 68, Dean Lewington 90+2
Attendance: 5,682 (350 away)
Referee: Mr Brett Huxtable
Assistants: Mr Carl Fitch-Jackson and Mr Louis Marks
Fourth Official: Mr David Rock