After seven successive home wins, 2020 at Priestfield began with a game where that run ended, but it wasn’t for the want of trying as Gillingham came agonisingly close to a victory against Portsmouth.
The first ninety minutes of League One football at Priestfield in the new decade has promised so very much for the months ahead. Despite falling behind to Gareth Evans’ 26th minute strike, the Gills faithful’s confidence that their heroes could get back into the game grew as the second half wore on and eventually the Gills pressure told as Super Sub Alex Jakubiak was on hand to net his seventh goal of the season to salvage a point.
The draw sends Steve Evans side into the New Year on the back of a run of just one defeat in twelve games and they head into their FA Cup appointment with West Ham United full of confidence.
The continuing development of this side under Steve Evan and Paul Rayner must surely have even the fiercest critics of their appointment at least beginning to wonder what might be come the first weekend in May.
The very start of the game threw many in the crowd as the Gills attacked the Rainham End in the first half for possibly just the second or third time this season, but it didn’t stop the home side having the first chance as Olly Lee saw his drive beaten out by Pompey keeper Alex Bass after Connor Ogilvie’s long throw had been helped on by Max Ehmer.
Portsmouth came to play and this made for a terrific spectacle and from their first attack, there were two almighty scrambles in front of the Gills goal – during the first, Jack Bonham made a brilliant point-blank block.
Connor Ogilvie than gave his manager a nervous few minutes after a heavy collision left the goal scoring hero from Sunday’s win over Rochdale looking extremely dazed for several minutes.
The Gills struggled to get a firm hold on the game and the home side were indebted to another terrific save from Bonham from a swift raid as the Gills stopper denied Evans again – Barry Fuller on hand to clear the loose ball.
The Pompey goal that was threatened did eventually come just before the half hour and it was that man Evans who gave Bonham no chance from the edge of the box.
And so, for the first time since November 2nd, the home side were behind at Priestfield. The home fans were anxious, but they never turned on their heroes who visibly grew with that backing.
The response from those in Blue was instant and Stuart O’Keefe was only millimetres away from levelling as his angled thunderbolt came back off the angle of post and bar.
Patience was always going to be the key as the home side were always conscious of being caught for a second which would have sealed the points for the visitors. But the Gills kept probing and the introduction of Alex Jakubiak eventually turned the game Gillingham’s way.
Alfie Jones showed real class and his fabulous touch into Fuller’s path allowed the full back to smash an effort at goal that Bass did brilliantly to touch over the bar.
The Gills now had the momentum and ten minutes from time sub Jakubiak latched onto a loose ball and thumped the ball home to extend the unbeaten run to nine without defeat and take the Gills to within just two points of the Play Off places with a massive League month ahead… First up though is the “magic of the FA Cup!”
GILLINGHAM – Bonham, Fuller, Ehmer, Tucker, Ogilvie, O’Keefe (Marshall 69), Jones, O’Connor, Lee, Hanlon, Mandron (Jakubiak 69)
Subs – Hodson, Ndjoli, Charles-Cook, Pringle, Walsh
PORTSMOUTH – Bass, Bolton, Burgess, Raggett, Walkes, Naylor, Close, Harness, Evans (Hawkins 82), Curtis, Harrison (Marquis 82)
Subs – Brown, Downing, Pittman, Cannon,
REFEREE – Mr Young
ASSISTANTS – Mr Cooper and Mr Byrne
FOURTH OFFICIAL – Mr Brown
ATTENDANCE – 5724 (1180 away)