Gillingham came away with a point which stopped the rot but some supporters were not happy and told Justin Edinburgh as he walked down the touchline.

The first 15 minutes saw both sides nervous as they gave the ball away and in the 18^th minute Gills came to life when a long throw into the area by Ryan Jackson found Max Ehmer who from an acute angle saw his shot saved by Neil Etheridge but come back to him & his second effort was deflected for a corner.

Four minutes later a training ground routine saw Bradley Dack 30 yards out slide the free kick into the area for Ehmer but from 15 yards his effort went over the bar.

In the 25^th minute Gills took the lead when Deji  Oshilaja’s long ball down the right wing found Scott Wagstaff who twisting and turning got to the by-line and his cross to the back post found Cody McDonald who headed in from 5 yards.

Five minutes later it was nearly level when Oshilaja gave the ball away and Kieron Morris latched onto it went into the area and his shot from 12 yards was parried away by Jonathan Bond.

The last chance of the half came in the 35^th minute when Jackson on the right crossed into the area and Dack had two attempts at heading it with the second easily saved by Etheridge.

Half time arrived and the Gills went in knowing that they would have 45 minutes to stop the losing run but would they be nervous after what had happened last Saturday.

The second half started with Gillingham having the first half chance when in the 49^th minute Dack on the right wing crossed into the area for McDonald but his header went past the post after this Walsall started to get a grip on the game and in the 56^th minute Jason McCarthy crossed into the area and Andreas Makris headed just wide and then three minutes later they did equalise when Erhun Oztumer on the edge of the area shot causing Bond to drop it and Franck Moussa stabbed the ball home from 5 yards.

This would now be a test of character for the Gillingham team and fair play to them they tried to get another goal, in the 70^th minute another Jackson long throw into the area found Oshilaja but his header went past the post.

Three minutes later they nearly did score when Oshilaja running forward from halfway slid the ball through into the path of McDonald who from 5 yards saw his effort blocked by Etheridge for a corner.

Walsall were still causing the Gills defence a few problems and this was making the crowd nervous. The last real chance of the game came in the 81^st minute when 25 yards out Dack’s free kick was superbly saved at the second attempt by Etheridge.

The final whistle went and there was relief round Priestfield as well as frustration.

 

GILLINGHAM:

30. J.BOND  2. R.JACKSON  4. C.HERD (66)  5. M.EHMER  6. D.OSHILAJA  7. S.WAGSTAFF (45)  8. J.HESSENTHALER 31. C.McDONALD   12. P.KONCHELSKI  23. B.DACK  44. J.WRIGHT

SUBS USED:  33. M.BYRNE (45)  11. B.KNOTT (66)

SUBS NOT USED:  1. S.NELSON  9. R.DONNELLY  18. J.PASK  45. F.NOUBLE  50. J.EMMANUEL-THOMAS

BOOKINGS:  44. J.WRIGHT (45)  6. D.OSHILAJA (82)  11. B.KNOTT (89)

 

WALSALL:

1. NETHERIDGE J.EDWARDS  3.S.LAIRD  4. J.O’CONNOR  5. J.McCARTHY  7. A.CHAMBERS  10. E.OZTUMER 2. K.MORRIS   32. K.TONER  33. A.MAKRIS  44. F.MOUSA (85)

SUBS USED: 18. J.GINNELLY (85)

SUBS NOT USED:   13. C.MacGILLVRAY  6. G.DOBSON  14. I.OSBORNE  15. L.KINSELLA  16.M.PRESTON  24. K.ROBERTS

BOOKINGS:  4. J.O’CONNOR (80)

 

REFEREE: Mr C.BREAKSPEAR

ASSISTANTS:  Mr A.LAVER & Mr C.LYMER

4^TH OFFICIAL:  Mr G.KANE

ATTENDANCE: 5,542 (108 WALSALL)