Gillingham’s post season dreams lie in tatters after Oxford United staged a dramatic fightback to creep into the League One top six for the first time since making last season’s Play Offs.
Before their trip to the Kassam Stadium, Steve Evans knew that his side’s chances were faltering and after 73 minutes, the Gills were within two points of the Play Off places after Vadaine Oliver and Robbie Cundy had given the visitors a two-goal lead.
But the home side, who had netted six and four in their last two matches, had saved something for a dramatic finale that all but broke the most optimistic of Gills fan’s hearts with goals on 74, 84 and 93 to seal Oxford’s win.
Oliver’s strike – his seventeenth of the season after a Ryan Jackson long throw had again caused chaos in an opposition’s box – was Gillingham’s first goal at Oxford since Cody McDonald’s strike had won the visit in November 2010 – the last time the Gills had won at the Kassam Stadium; a run that is now two points from seven trips with just Oliver’s and Cundy’s goals in the goals for column – and the on loan defender’s was not only his first Gillingham goal, but also his very first League goal against the side who gave him his Football League debut!
The Gills made a single change from the side that drew 0-0 with Shrewsbury the week before with Ollie Lee coming into the starting line up at the expense of John Akinde and into direct opposition to his brother Elliot, whilst there was a first place on the bench for scholar Gerald Sithole.
The Gills enjoyed a good start and Cundy went close with a header from a Jackson long throw before Lee almost got one over his brother (from Cundy’s flick), but his shot screwed wide. The goal the visitors had threatened arrived six minutes from half time. A long Jackson throw caused chaos in the Oxford box and as the ball dropped for Oliver, he expertly despatched the ball into the bottom corner for Gillingham’s first goal in Oxford in 719 minutes!
Cundy, whose career had begun at Oxford, was heavily involved in the Gills doubling their advantage with just eighteen minutes left. His initial shot was blocked and as the ball found its’ way to Jordan Graham, the winger’s pinpoint centre was met by the central defender who drove home from three yards.
It’s often said in football that you’re most dangerous to concede when you’ve just scored and just when Evans was looking for his side to consolidate their position, the home side scored within two minutes of Cundy’s strike as substitute Sam Winnall was found by Lee, and his low drive skidded past Jack Bonham as it settled in the far corner.
The home side levelled six minutes from time as full back Sam Long arrived late at the back post to head home Josh Ruffels’ deep centre and if the full back needed any other celebrations in the week that he played his 100th game for Oxford, it duly arrived in the third minute of stoppage time and plunged a dagger through the heart of the Gills Play Off dreams as he lifted the home side into the Play Off places for the first time in this campaign – Long nipped in ahead of the Gills defenders to prod home Bannigan’s hopeful ball into the box leaving crestfallen blue shirts all around him as he raced off to celebrate.
This defeat then leaves the Gills facing the footballing equivalent of snookers on the day that that sport’s World Championship started, and surely anything but three points at promotion chasing Peterborough United on Tuesday will end even the most lingering of optimistic hopes of post season action for the first time in twelve years…
OXFORD UNITED – Stevens, Ruffels, Moore, Brannagan, Taylor (Gorrin 97), Long, Forde (Agyei 65), Henry, Atkinson, Shodipo (Winnall 65), Elliot Lee (Hanson 97).
Subs not used – Eastwood, McNally, Kelly.
Goals: Winnall (74), Long (84), (93).
Booked: Taylor (96).
GILLINGHAM – Bonham, Jackson, Tucker, Cundy, Ogilvie, Graham (O’Connor 89), Dempsey, O’Keefe, MacDonald, Olly Lee (McKenzie 79), Oliver.
Subs not used – Bastien, Johnson, Akinde, Sithole, Samuel.
Goals: Oliver (39), Cundy (72).
Booked: Jackson (66).
REFEREE – Mr Robert Lewis
Picture supplied by Gillingham Football Club.