It’s the away game of the season for Gillingham fans as they head to The County Ground to take on Swindon Town in the league tonight.

Keith Millen will once again be in charge of The Gills, weeks after Neil Harris was sacked and their season has drifted since then with a 2-1 loss at home to Notts County on Saturday seeing the Kent side drop to 9th place in League Two.

If the players didn’t know of the rivalry between the two clubs dating all the way back to 1979, they should. The two Swindon ties are the games that fans look to first when the fixtures are released in June.

The first meeting between the two sides this season takes place this evening with the two teams in very different circumstances at present.

Managed by former Gills midfielder Michael Flynn, The Robins go into the game sitting fifth in the league and in some reasonable form in recent weeks.

However, form should count for nothing as these two sides meet, with Gillingham fans expected to travel to Wiltshire in good numbers to cheer their side on.

Fans will be hoping Millen is more adventurous this evening and gets more out of a Gillingham squad that is suffering with various injuries.

On Saturday, Macauley Bonne looked too isolated at times and the defence played too long. Thankfully, Millen will have Shad Ogie back available and he is expected to come straight back into the side at the expense of Max Ehmer.

Getting the best out of a talented Gillingham midfield has been a mystery this season with both Harris and Millen unable to unlock their talent.

Both George Lapslie and Tom Nichols are pushing for starts having been left on the bench on Saturday with Millen facing a selection dilemma.

Lose tonight and whoever the new manager is (whenever they are appointed), then they will face an uphill battle to get this Gillingham side pushing for promotion.

On the strength of recent results, The Gills look destined for the play-offs at best and that won’t be good enough for some fans after some summer expectation and the decent start to the new capmaign.

If new owner Brad Galinson didn’t know quite what owning Kent’s only Football League club was going to be like, he will now.

Fans want honesty, transparency, hope, a vision, some belief, some pride and passion. Sadly these have been lacking in recent weeks.