Goals from Vadaine Oliver and Trae Coyle secured Gillingham their second 2-0 win in less than 72 hours and a home win over old foes Swindon Town.
The win extended The Gills’ good run of form against the Wiltshire side to just one defeat in the last ten meetings but the first win at Priestfield since January 2014 as Oliver’s seventh goal of the season, and third in three days helped the Kent side to three vital points.
Substitute Coyle’s strike ten minutes from time sealed the win which takes Steve Evans’ side up to eleventh and four points out of the Play Off places. Incidentally, this was the nineth time this season that a Gillingham League game had been decided by that score!
Perhaps surprisingly given that the Gills “only” played at Bristol Rovers sixty-three hours earlier, manager Evans named an unchanged side and they responded by extending the club’s unbeaten League record to five games.
With everything that followed, The Gills started poorly and but for a terrific challenge from Jack Tucker they would have been behind in the first minute, Tyler Smith was clean through and just as he looked to test keeper Jack Bonham, Tucker appeared from nowhere to deny the striker. Bonham was called into a great save to deny Diallang Jaiyesimi’s near post drive even before the five-minute mark had been reached.
The home side finally got into their stride and opened the scoring on seventeen minutes when Oliver raced onto John Akinde’s flick from Ryan Jackson’s through ball, holding off a defender as he did – just as he had done in Bristol – and also as he did on Wednesday, he gloriously found the net with a crashing drive.
Ahead then but the lead almost only lasted for six minutes as the Gills goal had an amazing let off on twenty three minutes when the frame of the goal was hit not once but twice – Jonathon Grounds crashed a shot against the bar and Tyler Smith then headed the rebound against the bar as well.
The game became a midfield battle which continued into the second half despite the efforts of Oliver and Akinde who worked tirelessly throughout – in Akinde’s case prior to his withdrawal on the hour for Coyle.
As the second period continued, the visitors were inches away from levelling as Matt Smith’s drive missed by a fraction. Anthony Grant skied a great chance for Swindon with just thirteen minutes left as his curling effort cleared Bonham’s crossbar and disappeared into the Brian Moore Stand.
With ten minutes left, the Gills got the second goal that they needed as “supersub” Coyle netted. Dominic Samuel did really well and as his ball found the Arsenal loanee, Coyle duly advanced before burying the ball into the bottom corner for a strike that surely would have sent the Rainham End wild – if only!
Three points then for The Gills and a result that would have gladden the hearts of the missing supporters perhaps more than most and now the attention switches to a competition that the manager openly doesn’t like as Gillingham head for the Abbey Stadium in Cambridge as the knock out stages of the Papa John Trophy begins…
GILLINGHAM – Bonham, Jackson, Tucker, Ogilvie, O’Connor, McKenzie, Dempsey, Robertson, Samuel (MacDonald 84), Oliver (Drysdale 90), Akinde (Coyle 62).
Subs not used – Walsh, Eccles, Willock, Woods.
Goals: Oliver (17), Coyle (80).
Booked: Robertson (12), McKenzie (63).
SWINDON TOWN – Kovar, Curran, Baudry, Grounds, Odimayo, Grant (Lyden 85), Matt Smith, Payne, Donohue (Conroy 37), Tyler Smith (Parsons 88), Jaiyesimi
Subs not used – Caddis, Fryer, Haines, Holland.
Booked: Payne (25), Odimayo (42), Conroy (53).
REFEREE – Mr Hair
Image courtesy of Gillingham FC