Oli Hawkins first goal of his injury ravaged season wasn’t enough to give Gillingham their fourth win on the bounce as rock bottom Forest Green Rovers frustrated Stephen Clemence’s side to snatch a point in a 1-1 draw.
After one of the most non-descript first halves that the Priestfield faithful will have seen in years, Hawkins’s towering header from a rare moment of quality from Connor Mahoney gave the Gills the lead that they just about deserved.
Sadly, less than ten minutes later, the visitors took advantage of a horrible defensive slip and Callum Jones drilled the equaliser. Both sides had chances to win the game, but the boo’s that echoed down from the stands at the final whistle showed just how disappointed the home fans were.
To be fair, Forest Green arrived and duly parked the proverbial bus, but on the opening half the home side just couldn’t find a way through. Time and again new signing Remeao Hutton was left in acres of space down the right yet time and again, the Gills attack went left.
The only effort even worthy of the word – well nearly arrive just before the break when a Rovers midfielder forced Jake Turner to his knees to make the “save”.
After the break thankfully the game improved if only just. The Gills finally got the crowd involved and from a Hutton ball down the channels, a sliding defender took the ball away from keeper Luke Daniels and was so close to slicing into his own net.
Macauley Bonne then did have the ball in the net after a defender’s clearance had ricocheted off George Lapslie but Bonne who had run offside in the build, hadn’t regained his position and despite a fine curling finish into the bottom corner, the flag went up and the goal disallowed.
Hawkins then flashed a header wide from another Hutton centre, and when a corner was only half cleared Shad Ogie drilled the ball across the face of the Rovers goal and how no-one got a touch is unbelievable.
Gillingham then finally did seize the advantage when Mahoney’s header was magnificently headed home by Hawkins sparking scenes of celebration suitable for the big striker whose season has been so ruined by injury. In truth it was probably the only decent ball that Mahoney put into the box all afternoon on an afternoon that the on-loan midfielder probably won’t look on too eagerly!
Gillingham were that much on top but one misjudgement from the unlucky Ogie released Kyle McAlister down the right and as he cut into the Gills box, he threaded the ball to Jones who drilled the ball into the top corner for the most of unexpected equalisers.
All of a sudden it was Rovers on the front foot – Connor Masterson and Turner somehow combined to block one effort; Ogie brilliantly headed a McAlister effort off the line whilst Matt Stevens should really have hit the target from the edge of the box instead of dragging his effort wide of a statuesque Turner’s left post.
Not even nearly ten minutes of stoppage time could see a home winner, but they got mighty close.
Sub Ashley Nadesan flicked on a ball into the box and Scott Malone volleyed into the side netting; Ogie again recovered a deep ball into the box and this time a flying Nadesan was able to get on the end of the bullet centre but the ball flew inches wide, and then the home sides afternoon was summed up in the final minute when a Hutton free kick bounced through the Rovers box and was inches away from a debut winning goal for the new defender.
The point leaves the Gills still one place outside of the Play Off places but level on points with the MK Dons who Clemence’s side travel to face next weekend.
GILLINGHAM – Turner, Hutton, Masterson, Ehmer, Ogie, Malone, Coleman, Lapslie (Jonny Williams), Mahoney, Bonne (Nadesan), Hawkins
Subs – Morris, Max Clark, McKenzie, Dieng, Nichols
FOREST GREEN ROVERS – Daniels, Bernard, Moore-Taylor, Inniss, Robson, Jones (Oyedele), McCann, Osadebe (Bunker), McAllister, Stevens, Thompson (Dabo)
Subs – Simkin, Johnson, Taylor
REFEREE – Mr Hicks
Image courtesy of Gillingham FC