Two stunning goals in two incredible minutes of stoppage from Cody McDonald may well have just given the Gills the impetus for League One survival.

Ady Pennock celebrated 100 days in the Priestfield hot-seat as he watched his side move three places up the table and four points above the trap door.

After a largely lifeless first half when it was obvious that both sides were incredibly nervous, Billy Bodin’s penalty levelled things up for Play Off chasing Bristol Rovers following Josh Wright’s brilliant opener, and it looked as though the Gills were going to have to settle for a point when their performance definitely warranted more.

They were looking for a hero and they well and truly got one!  Up step McDonald to first get on the end of a huge Tomas Holy clearance before brilliantly holding off a defender before thundering a truly wonderful drive for his eleventh goal of the season into the top corner to give the Gills a 90^th minute lead.

It was a lead that McDonald gloriously doubled with literally the last kick of the game to seal the three points as Deji Oshilaja partly redeemed himself for conceding the Rovers penalty as his high and mighty clearance released the Gillingham number ten, and this time he showed remarkable touch and composure in a pressure cooker atmosphere to lift the ball over the advancing Joe Lumley and into the Rovers net to spark scenes of utter jubilation around Priestfield – none more so from the bench, where Pennock raced down the touchline (ala Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford all those years ago when he was in charge at Porto) to launch himself into the celebrations – celebrations that got even louder when news of other results came through over the Priestfield tannoy.

Following Bury’s defeat to Rochdale on Thursday and with Port Vale losing at home to Champions elect Sheffield United; Shrewsbury and Swindon both “only” drawing at home, and Oldham not hosting their Lancashire derby with Bolton until Saturday lunchtime, the Gills moved from 20^th to 17^th and now have a four point cushion to the drop zone.

Make no mistake, Priestfield rocked this Good Friday afternoon almost in a throwback to the days when Pennock was a renowned defender.

Have the Gills finally turned the safety corner?  Time will tell, but another performance like this in the A2 derby at the Valley on Easter Monday and Pennock will have reached his target of 52 points… and potential safety!

 

GILLINGHAM – Tomas Holy, Ryan Jackson, Max Ehmer, Deji Oshilaja, Jake Hessenthaler, Cody McDonald, Lee Martin, Joe Quigley (Rory Donnelly 65), Mark Byrne (Emmauel Osadebe 82), Harry Cornick (Josh Parker 65), Josh Wright.

Subs not used – Stuart Nelson, Chris Herd, Elliott List, Ollie Muldoon.

BRISTOL ROVERS – Joe Lumley, Lee Brown, Tom Lockyer, Lee Mansell (Christian Montano 69), Ellis Harrison (Luke James HT), Chris Lines, Byron Moore (Jermaine Easter 59), Billy Bodin, Stuart Sinclair, Ryan Sweeney, Jake Clarke-Salter.

Subs not used – Steve Middenhall, Robert Harris, Joe Pantington, Jonny Burn.

Referee – Mark Heywood

Assistants – Gavin Muge, Rob Smith.

4th Official: Josh Smith

Attendance: 5,916