A massively contentious refereeing decision will take the shine off a hugely enjoyable and entertaining draw between Gillingham and Mansfield Town.
After Macauley Bonne magnificently volleyed home side footed from Conor Mahoney’s cross, referee Miles took centre stage seven minutes from half time.
Ethan Coleman was adjudged to have fouled George Maris thirty yards out and with the official seemingly in the process of cautioning the Gills midfielder.
The visitors were allowed to take the free kick and the ball found Davis Keillor-Dunn who just about scrambled the ball past Jake Turner, cue scenes of howling protest both on and off the pitch with the Rainham airing their protests by questioning if the official “could” referee and on the pitch being surrounded by Shaun Williams and his troops, Just for the record, the official did not caution Coleman.
The mood was not helped in Gillingham’s very next attack, Bonne was fouled, and as the home side took a free kick themselves that released Jonny Williams only for the official to call back the free kick as being “taken too quickly”!
The home crowd were further incensed in the second period when Pye fumbled a Jonny Williams drive straight to Bonne’s feet who was flattened, there is no other description for it, by giant Mansfield skipper Adam Flint. decision corner despite the obvious disbelief on Bonne’s face.
Then to add further insult to the Gills “injury,” in the closing stages of the game, sub-Ashley Nadesan sprinted away down the wing, Keillor-Dunn had three attempts to bring down the flying substitute, dangerously catching Nadesan being fully three yards behind the ball! Decision from Mr Miles, “just” a yellow card!
Neil Harris would have been delighted by his sides start as inside ninety seconds as Mahoney sent over the perfect cross for the arriving Bonne to brilliantly reposition himself mid-stride to gloriously net his first goal for the club.
The same move on fourteen minutes nearly doubled the lead, but this time a wrong-footed keeper was extremely fortunate to get fingertips on the ball and managed to claw it out.
Mansfield’s first real chance of any note came on the half hour when Lucas Akins flashed a header across the face of Turners goal before seven minutes from the break Mansfield levelled through Keillor-Quinn.
Almost immediately the Gills thought that they had a chance to go back in front through Jonny Williams following their own quickly taken free kick, but they were called back!
The loud screams for a home penalty came five minutes after the break – again falling on deaf ears, before Turner did well to bravely block an effort from Keillor-Quinn, before a second great save to deny the same player shortly afterwards from a quick free-kick.
The dual between the pair then came to a head when the Mansfield man was magnificently denied by the Gills keeper to snatch the ball off his feet as he tried to waltz round Turner.
Shad Ogie fired an effort from distance that cleared the Rainham End, before Harris introduced Nadesan and within seconds of his arrival a flying run down the wing was crudely and cynically ended by Keillor-Quinn, who incidentally was withdrawn shortly afterwards when the official should have “asked” the Mansfield man to leave sooner by the official!
The game’s final chance fell to Nadesan as his over the shoulder hook from Shaun Williams’ corner flew just over the bar.
For the neutral this must have been an enthralling and fascinating game to watch but whatever your opinion, all any football fan, player or manager alike wants from a match official is consistency – on this day that was far from what we got!
GILLINGHAM – Turner, Alexander, Malone, Masterson, Ogie, Coleman, Mahoney (Nadesan), Shaun Williams, Jonny Williams (Jayden Clarke), Jeffries (Lapslie), Bonne
Subs – Morris, Nichols, Ehmer, McKenzie
MANSFIELD TOWN – Pym, MacDonald, Bruntt, Bowery, Flint, Ollie Clarke (Swann), Keillor-Quinn (Johnson), Lewis, Reid, Maris, Akins
Subs – Gale, Flinders, Cargill, Boateng, George Williams
REFEREE – Mr Miles
Image courtesy of Gillingham FC