What a way for Gillingham to end November – their biggest win of the season not only moves Justin Edinburgh’s side to within just three points of the League One Play Off places, albeit still “only” 15th in the table but also eases the pressure ever so slightly on the manager ahead of the club’s two week “mini-break”.
But such is the log jam in the Division, that the Gills find themselves with 26 points just three behind Peterborough United, who occupy the last Play Off place in 6th and who remember the Gills visit on Boxing Day.
Rochdale too it must be remembered arrived at Priestfield in form and occupying the third Play Off place in the League One table. Their performance however must have disappointed boss Keith Hill especially as for a long period of the second half they had an awful lot of possession without really testing Stuart Nelson in the Gillingham goal. But In the final analysis after an instantly forgettable first half, when their chances came, the Gills took them and how…
CRASH – Frank Nouble’s driven ball into the box flew off of the heels of Dale skipper Camps to open the scoring…
BANG – Emmanuel-Thomas was then played in brilliantly by Mark Byrne to coolly roll the ball past Dale keeper Logan for the second as the 90 minutes elapsed, and,
WALLOP – the victory was sealed when sub Rory Donnelly with one of his first touches centred magnificently for fellow sub Bryne to clinically steer the ball home from six yards!
And to be fair had central defender Baily Cargill had a bit more luck, he could have had a hat-trick himself. In the first half, it looked like the young defender had glanced the Gills into the lead from a free kick only to be “beaten” by an assistant’s flag before a crazy period of play in the second half where he could have scored twice in a minute.
Cargill was first denied by Logan when the Dale keeper pulled of a stunning save to keep out the defenders thumping header from Jake Hessethaler’s terrific whipped cross. From the corner, Cargill did beat Logan with a looping header only for Davies to do brilliantly to clear the ball off of the line and then throw himself in front of JET’s piledriver to block just as impressively!
For Rochdale, it really was one of those days as in the first half they were limited to long range efforts that were never going to beat Gills keeper Stuart Nelson. And when they did threaten with what proved to be the Lancastrians best chance, Scott Wagstaff was on hand to clear Lund’s shot off of the line.
This was the Gills last game before they travel to the Reebok Stadium to face Bolton Wanderers in front of the SKY Sports TV Camera two weeks on Monday.
All it all though, it was a bad day of the office and a very long trip home for the visitors, but for the local’s the win – the Gills third in their last four League games it must be remembered – was not only the division’s biggest of the day but also was the first time that Edinburgh’s side had scored three at Priestfield in a game this season and even more remarkably was the club’s first clean sheet in the League since April 9th’s 0-0 draw at Bramall Lane, Sheffield – a run of 25 matches – and the first clean sheet at Priestfield since March 12th’s win over Crewe Alexandra – the result that day? A 3-0 win…
GILLINGHAM – Nelson, Ehmer, Wagstaff, Hessenthaler, McDonald (Donnelly 88), Knott (Nouble 15), Konchesky, Cargill, Dack (Byrne 79), Wright, Emmanuel-Thomas
Subs – Hadler, Herd, Oshilaja, Osadebe
ROCHDALE – Logan, Rafferty, Tanser, McNulty, McGahey, Lund, Camps, Mendez-Laing (Odelusi 66), Rathbone (Henderson 51), Thompson, Bunney (Davies 51)
Subs – Lillis, Canavan, Noble-Lazarus, Cannon
Referee – Mr Kettle
Assistants – Mr Wade & Mr Maskell
Fourth official – Mr Degnarain