The Gareth Ainsworth era at Priestfield began with one of the most dominant performances seen in Blue at the ground for some time even if Play Off chasing Colchester United did escape back to Essex with a point that they in truth didn’t deserve! 

Behind at the break to the most controversial goal Priestfield has seen this or indeed for a few seasons, the Gills response was terrific as after totally outplaying Colchester for the entire first half and the vast majority of the second.

There was relief when referee Linington finally spotted the seeming never ending shirt pulling that was taking place every time the ball was played into the visitor’s box when Mandela Egbo tried to change shirts with Oli Hawkins as Romeao Hutton was about to cross with thirteen minutes left, the referee finally pointed to the spot and Max Clark capped another excellent personal performance by driving home his second penalty in successive games to win the point which was the very least that the home side deserved. 

The Gills were on the front foot from the start with the magnificent Jonny Williams at the heart of most things for a Gills side that was still missing skipper Amani Little through suspension. Not on this night that it mattered as the central midfield pairing of Williams and acting skipper Robbie McKenzie were outstanding. 

United keeper Matt Macey was so lucky early on when he couldn’t collect a Hutton cross, but the ball bounced agonisingly away from the blue shirts.

Hutton in the early stages was almost unplayable as Elliot Nevitt was inches if that away from converting a driven ball in by the Gills wing-back. It was then Nevitt’s turn to centre and Joe Gbode this time just didn’t have the reach to convert before Colchester “scored”! 

Owura Edwards and Sam Gale battled for possession as a ball was played down the Colchester left, and with Edwards all over the back of the young Gills defender, Gale “successfully” shepherded the ball behind for a goal kick.

But with the ball clearly over the goal line, a falling Edwards got his foot to the ball and turned it into the path of Jack Payne who drilled home, sparking protests that could have probably been heard in Colchester.

The referee was correctly positioned and needed help from his assistant in front of the Gordon Road Stand, but sadly he was so far behind the play to be of no help!  

Despite this set-back the visitors remained well and truly on the back foot as the noise that Ainsworth had asked the faithful for returned in bucket loads, possibly helped from being on the wrong end of such a terrible decision! 

Jayden Clarke saw a shot deflected fractionally too high from a Jonny Williams corner and then seconds before the break, McKenzie was denied by a fabulous tip-over from Macey. 

The second period followed a similar pattern as the Gills dominated possession 67% to 33 and had 44 touches in the Colchester box as opposed to the six that the visitors had in Glenn Morris’s box on the night that the Gills keeper made his one hundredth appearance in the Gillingham goal. 

The chances kept coming at the other end – Jonny Williams’ cross was inches away from a flying Andy Smith converting; Macey beat out Nevitt’s stinging drive; Hawkins with almost his first touch sent Macey scrambling to his post with a header and the home side had loud cries for a penalty too when Fiacre Kelleher clearly handled a Nevitt ball in the box, but with the assistant closest being the same one whose clear error cost the Gills the goal by which they trailed, the appeals once again fell on deaf ears. 

Quite how Macey wasn’t cautioned as the keeper delayed restarts longer and longer as the half went on is as bewildering as the officials overall performance, so when at the umpteenth time of asking, visiting defenders tried to swap shirts before the final whistle when Hawkins was hauled down, the relief around Priestfield was palpable and so, so deserved. 

In the closing stages there was only going to be one winner which would have been so deserved for Ainsworth and his players, but it just didn’t come.

Jayden Clarke was unlucky with his final touch of the night – an angled drive that didn’t miss by much and then Conor Masterson, who alongside Gale and Smith really do look like a trio that could flourish under the new boss, twice had efforts to win the match as first and off balance he thudded a shot into Macey’s chest and then with the last kick of the game, blazed high into the Rainham End. 

The relief at the final whistle almost immediately after was evident, but on the Colchester faces rather than the home ones and you do have to wonder, if the Essex side that was seen on this night at Priestfield is really worthy of a Play Off place (they sit just three points outside the top seven with seven games to play), it really doesn’t say much about the standard at the top of the division! 

But this was the new Gills boss’s night. After taking the acclaim of the Rainham End himself before the game, at the final whistle whilst Ainsworth was quick to acknowledge the crowd, but almost immediately turned the spotlight on the terrific performance that the Priestfield faithful had enjoyed as those in blue have suddenly become heroes again.

Was this the night that the Priestfield faithful finally got their team back??? 

GILLINGHAM – Morris, Hutton, Max Clark, Masterson, Jonny Williams, McKenzie, Smith, Jayden Clarke (Rowe 81), Nevitt (Wakeling 90), Gbode (Hawkins 69), Gale.

Subs not used – Holtham, Morgan, Ogie, Euan Williams.

Goal: Clark (pen 77).

COLCHESTER UNITED – Macey, Iandolo, Kelleher, Flanagan, Payne (Hunt 39), Read, Simpson, Egbo, Edwards (Scully 25) (Ollife 88), Tucker, Thorn (Aboh 88). 

Subs not used – Connolly, Smith, Taylor.

Goal: Payne (20).

Booked: Iandolo (48), Simpson (51), Thorn (75), Egbo (77).

REFEREE – Mr. James Linington 

Attendance: 5924