Fortnightly Gills Report

By Tom George
January 25 2007

This fortnight’s edition starts back at Priestfield, where the off form and out of sorts Gills plundered miserably to a vicious 2-0 defeat at the hands of the Rovers.

Despite destroying the visitors in the first half, and looking the more likely to score in the second, JJ Price, Rovers’ ungainly strike partner to the majestic Heffernan, headed in at the back post.

The despondent Gills fell further behind on 88 minutes when Brian Stock launched in a crackling drive past Dean Brill, the loanee keeper helpless after the once again ineffectual Spiller slipped to let him in. This sparked a mass exodus of the Priestfield faithful.

“Shocking. Absolutely shocking.” murmured a disgruntled Gills follower of more than 40 years, “This is the first time I’ve ever left early.” he moaned as he left the stadium angrily.

However, at six minutes past three the next Saturday the Gils thought their luck had changed. Bas Savage poked in his first goal for Gillingham and only the second of his career. From two yards it may have been, but a goal is a goal. It turned out only good enough for a point, but Bas Savage is clearly worth a contract until at least he end of the season. Isn’t he?

Negatively the Gills were now winless since boxing day, and an unappealing long trip on a frosty Tuesday night to Swansea was hardly the tonic needed. In a game that signalled a point at best, the dreams were over after all of 6 minutes. One-time Gills target Adebayo Akinfenwa put the Swans 1-0 up- a back post header from the beefy ex-Torquay hotshot.

It was finished when Andy Robinson rounded the jobs off with a calm finish on 72 minutes. Game over. Night night Gillingham.

Moving onto transfer gossip, the loan signing of Roman Larrieu is the only new face at the club. However the Gills have been linked with several well known players, including Neil Shipperly, who opted for a move to Brentford, and Jack Lester, a player who has repeatedly haunted the Gills in the past.

Various newspapers have reported Championship interest for Gary Mulligan. The Irishman, a crowd favourite seems unlikely to leave during this window, but could make a move in the summer, if he rediscovers he pre-Christmas form.

Interestingly, it seems another plan for a new stadium is in the pipeline for the club. Chairman Paul Scally wants to move to one of three sites in the Medway towns. Although fan consensus is divided on this matter, Scally himself is convinced that a move to a stadium incorporating Casino and Hotel rooms would be of benefit to the club.

It would be interesting to hear more reader’s views on this subject on the message board, so please feel free to write in your own opinion.

So here ends another fortnight of action behind the doors of Priestfield stadium, with the direction of the season still undecided, it seems that the results against Tranmere, Huddersfield and Bradford could shape the season.