The first of two long trips in four days gave Gillingham another vital point in their fight for survival as their weekend trip to Yorkshire brought a 0-0 draw with Harrogate Town.
The biggest plus heading back to Kent with a valuable point was the Gills’ reluctance to let their rivals score against them since the turn of the year marking another clean sheet for Glenn Morris and his back line.
Birthday boy Stuart O’Keefe returned to the squad but had to settle for a place on the bench as Tim Dieng returned to the starting line-up.
The first half of the Gills’ first ever visit to this part of the world was a tight and close affair with both sides anxious not to concede their opponents any sort of advantage for the coming weeks.
Aiden O’Brien shot over early on whilst home keeper Mark Oxley was a touch fortunate when he palmed David Tutonda’s cross between two blue shirts to safety.
The home side grew into the game and their best chance of the opening half saw Levi Sutton superbly denied by Morris at the second attempt.
The second period was ten minutes old when Morris pulled off a great full length save to deny Jack Muldoon and in the ensuing melee the Gills keeper appeared to have the ball kicked out of his hands provoking major protests from those in blue.
The Gills’ best chance of the game fell to Tutonda inside the last twenty minutes when the full back tried his luck from distance but Oxley pulled off the save of the game to keep out the dipping volley.
In the closing stages, the visitors settled for their point and in the end were indebted to Morris in getting as twice the big Gills stopper denied Kazeem Olaigbe and in stoppage time brilliantly turned George Thompson’s low drive which was destined for the bottom corner, around the post to keep the clean sheet intact.
So a weekend point in the White Rose county against one of their rivals at the wrong end, next up is a trip to the Red Rose of Lancashire (well Greater Manchester) to face promotion chasing Stockport County – a point at Edgeley Park would surely be equally as welcome…
HARROGATE TOWN – Oxley, Sims, O’Connor, Eastman, Foulds, Olaigbe, Falkingham, Sutton (Thomson 87), Grant (Pattison 75), Muldoon (Daly 91), Armstrong.
Subs not used – Giles, Mattock, Burrell, Folarin.
GILLINGHAM – Morris, Alexander, Ehmer, Masterson, Tutonda, Williams (MacDonald 69), Dieng, Lapslie, O’Brien, Nichols, Hawkins.
Subs not used – Turner, Wright, O’Keefe, Coleman, Abrahams.
Booked: Hawkins (67), Dieng (89).
REFEREE – Mr Andy Haines
Attendance: 2610
Picture supplied by Gillingham Football Club.