A sensational Scott Malone volley sealed a triumphant end to 2023 for Gillingham as his 72nd minute pile driver gave Stephen Clemence and his players a fully deserved win over Sutton United and left the Gills three points from the League Two Play-Off places going into the New Year.
After initially being left out of the side that had been beaten on Boxing Day for the tireless Max Clark – who enjoyed his best game in Gillingham blue before simply running out of steam – “super-sub” Malone was in the right place when Connor Mahoney’s corner dropped to him and without hesitation, Malone’s strike flew into the top corner of the visitors’ net sending the Priestfield faithful wild with a mixture of delight and relief!
Malone’s reaction of cupping his hand to his ear was perhaps a bit over the top, but after seeing their side completely dominate and overwhelm an extremely poor Sutton side without finding a way through, very few home supporters cared one little bit.
Clemence was without Tim Dieng from Boxing Day’s disappointment through injury and also left Malone and the unlucky Tom Nichols on the bench with Dom Jefferies, Max Clark and Oli Hawkins starting, with the big striker making his first start of the season, and showed just what the Gills had been missing with a super performance that must have been very close to being awarded the Man of the Match.
The whole atmosphere at Priestfield was so much better than Boxing Day, it was amazing as the home side fed off the returned enthusiasm and dominated proceedings from start to finish with Ashley Nadesan a completely different player from the one who had struggled against Crawley – he barely gave any of the Sutton defence time on the ball – and early on was denied well by the visitors’ Australian keeper David Bouzanis, and from the corner, Nadesan arrived late at the near post with his header flashing narrowly wide.
Gillingham then had two loud penalty appeals waved away by referee Rock before the visitors had their first of very few opportunities as a brilliant, wicked ball across the Gills box curled beyond any Sutton players and went just past the far post.
The Gills took an even bigger foot hold in the game on twenty-five minutes when Harry Smith was shown a straight red card for the ugliest of ugly late challenges on Max Ehmer which left the Gills skipper on the deck needing attention.
A man up, “all” the Gills needed now was a goal and Hawkins came so agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock in the run up to half time as Nadesan flighted a super ball over from the right and Hawkins’ brilliant header was magnificently saved by Bouzanis, and following up, the tireless Jonny Williams was denied by a late block.
Sadly, for the Welshman, it was his last involvement as he hobbled off shortly afterwards with Connor Mahoney replacing him.
The second half began in similar fashion with the visitors forced further and further back towards the Rainham End. Hawkins saw a floated header drop just the wrong side of the post before Clemence made the triple change on 62 minutes that in the end was to prove decisive with Malone, Nichols and Jayden Clarke replacing Max Clark, Nadesan and Cheye Alexander.
The Gills continued to push and probe, and the newcomers added fresh impetus and Nichols was desperately unlucky not to get on the end of a Mahoney cross that also eluded a stretching Hawkins by inches at the back post.
The deadlock was deservedly broken with eighteen minutes left when Malone nearly broke the roof of the net with a superb volley that so nearly took the roof off the Rainham End to give the home fans finally some Christmas cheer.
When Omar Patrick forced Turner into a low save in the second minute of stoppage time, it was the Gills keeper’s first save of note in the entire game such had been the home side’s dominance as they finished the calendar year with their twenty-seventh win of the year which is the club’s best this century and the best since 1999 – and the fourth best in Club history.
2024 starts on Monday at Colchester United with renewed hope for the New Year…
GILLINGHAM – Turner, Alexander (Jayden Clarke 63), Max Clark (Malone 63), Masterson, Ehmer, Ogie, Jefferies (Lapslie 81), Coleman, Jonny Williams (Mahoney 45), Nadesan (Nichols 62), Hawkins.
Subs not used – Morris, Bonne.
Goal: Malone (72).
Booked: Coleman (36).
SUTTON UNITED – Bouzanis, Jackson, Kizzi, Milsom, Goodliffe (Sowunmi 45), Clay, Fadahunsi (N’Guessan 45), Beautyman (Hart 77), Pereira (Angol 31), O’Brien (Patrick 66), Smith.
Subs not used – Arnold, Hart.
Booked: Goodliffe (9), Hart (83), Clay (84).
Sent Off: Smith (26).
REFEREE – Mr David Rock
Attendance: 6334
Picture supplied by Gillingham Football Club.