Two goals five minutes either side of half time condemned Gillingham to League One defeat to Peterborough United.

Yet again though, Steve Evans must surely be delighted at his side’s efforts whilst at the same time be as frustrated as the Priestfield faithful who left the ground shaking their heads that they’d seen their heroes beaten in a game that they, at the very least, deserved a point from.

The Posh arrived at Priestfield in the top three in the League and as the division’s top scorers with Mohamed Eisa and Ivan Toney both in double figures already. Despite this, Gills skipper Max Ehmer and Connor Ogilvie arguably played gave them their most uncomfortable afternoon of the season and indeed the only shot that either had on target throughout the game came when Eisa drilled home the penalty that eventually was to prove the match winner. 

By then the visitors were already in front courtesy of full back Joe Ward’s sensational drive at the end of the first half which gave Peterborough the lead out of absolutely nothing and in truth against the run of play. 

From start to finish, Brandon Hanlon proved a real thorn in the visitors’ side throughout with his pace causing Mark Beevers in particular an afternoon that he won’t want to remember in a hurry. 

The only thing ‘lacking’ from Hanlon’s game was the backing of referee Breakspear, as time and time again, Hanlon’s pace got him away from the defence only to be bundled over before he made it into the box. 

So sadly for the Gills, time and time again there wasn’t a blue shirt to capitalise on all of Hanlon’s great work, and whilst Mikael Mandron’s first league goal for Gillingham set up a grandstand finish that was extended by five minutes, the home side couldn’t find a way through a second time.

Indeed, before Ward’s goal just before half time, the Gills had restricted the visitors and the biggest threat to Jack Bonham’s goal came from his own defenders as on two occasions the Gills keeper had to race from his line to hack the ball to safety.  At the other end, Peterborough keeper Christy Pym excelled to keep out Mikael Ndjoli’s point blank effort after the ever-impressive Hanlon found his strike partner at the back post. 

Totally out of the blue, the visitors had the lead with a true wonder goal that would later feature on the Sky Sports Goal of the Day poll.  Ward picked up possession a couple of yards in from the touchline and simply advanced before letting fly with an missile-like drive of a shot that flew beyond the diving Bonham and nestled in the top right corner of the net and even had some of the Rainham End applauding – a strike truly out of the top drawer!

Yet the Gills literally came within inches of replying almost instantly Mark Byrne did well down the left and his cross dropped onto the foot of Stuart O’Keefe who’s volley flew over the angle of post and bar – missing the woodwork by a coat of paint – from such margins games are won and lost, and sadly for the Gills, this was to be the third time that they’ve more than matched a side at home this year only to in the end get nothing out of the game.

Sadly, for the Gills, their task got even steeper just after the break as Byrne was adjudged to have handled at a corner and Eisa converted from the spot sending Bonham the wrong way. 

The Gills really didn’t come out of the traps for the second half and it took them until the closing stages to get back the dominance of the early stages, not that the visitors endeared themselves to the home fans with the tricky Siriki Dembele on the one hand causing Gillingham many problems, but on the other hand hitting the Priestfield turf on at least three occasion as though shot by a sniper! 

That and the ‘cuteness’ of Eisa on many challenges with Ogilvie raised the tempo and brought the faithful back into the contest and when sub Mandron raced onto a poor back pass and hammered the ball past the advancing Pym, all of a sudden home base was bouncing again as Peterborough were forced back for the period which Posh boss Darren Ferguson’s father (Sir Alex) once christened “squeaky bum time!”

Byrne thundered a goal bound shot into the crowd following a corner which was blocked by an unaware Blue shirt; Ogilvie’s header from a Mark Marshall corner could only have been a fraction wide of the right post from a corner, and if only sub Alex Jakubiak’s vicious cross from the left swung left instead of right, the ball would have flown into the top corner.  But the Gills don’t get fortune like that at the moment and the chance and any points were gone.

So, the Gills now head for Shrewsbury on Tuesday and Accrington next weekend, with manager Evans knowing that his side are so close to being a challenging side – the challenge now is to win that first away game.

GILLINGHAM – Bonham, Tucker, Ogilvie, Ehmer, O’Connor, O’Keefe (Marshall 82), Jones, Lee (Mandron 63), Byrne, Hanlon, Ndjoli (Jakubiak 57)

Subs – Walsh, Bonham, Charles-Cook, Pringle

PETERBOROUGH UNITED – Pym, Beevers, Eisa (Woodyard 85), Knight, Dembele (Butler 73), Bennett, Toney, Blake-Tracy, Boyd, Ward (Kanu 89), Mason

Subs – Chapman, Thompson, Barker, Burrows

REFEREE – Mr Breakspear

ASSISTANTS – Mr Wilson & Mr Vickers

FOURTH OFFICIAL – Mr Howard