Gills take all three points at Priestfield

By Jack Nolan
February 11 2007

Gillingham won their second home game in a row at Priestfield Stadium today as a first half injury time header from Leon Johnson was enough to secure all three points for The Gills in a game which saw the return of Gillingham favourite Nicky Southall.

Gillingham.1.0.Bradford City
Priestfield Stadium
Coca-Cola Football League One
10/2/2007

Both sides went into the game knowing a win would put them into the top half of the table and brush aside any relegation fears.

It was a very dull opening quarter to the game with the first real effort of the game falling to team captain Mike Flynn who scored a sensational volley in the same fixture last season, but his long range effort this time round went wide of the Bantams goal.

Bradford could well have taken the lead on twenty minutes however, after good team passing by the Bantams saw Marc Bridge-Wilkinson get one on one with 'keeper Romain Larrieu who came out to pull of a sensational block to deny Bridge-Wilkinson and still managed to earn a goal kick. This was well appreciated by The Rainham End who gave him a standing ovation for his effort.

Bradford goalkeeper Donavan Ricketts pulled off a stunning save to deny Gary Mulligan on the half hour mark, and not long after Ben Chorley saw his long-range effort well saved by Ricketts who injured himself in the process.

Five minutes from time Clint Easton and Danny Jackman both had long range efforts go wide before Bradford were reduced to ten men. Kelly Youga before seeing red was hardly in Gills fan's good books with some blatant dives and poor fouls. He was earlier booked for a late challenge on Gary Mulligan and was then shown his second yellow for another late challenge this time on Mark Bentley.

Four minutes into first half injury time and Gillingham took advantage of the extra man. Leon Johnson bundled in Clint Easton's corner kick to give Gills the lead.

At the interval The Gills were one goal up and were dominating, but probably should have taken more of their many chances. But unfortunately injury forced Gills striker Gary Mulligan off at half time to be replaced by Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu.

Matt Jarvis wasn't having the best of games but could have doubled The Gills' advantage on the hour mark. Jarvis skipped past the Bantams' defence on the left wing and curled in a shot that took a slight deflection on its way only for it to smash to post, and Guylain on the follow up was flagged offside.

Mike Flynn was then turned down a good penalty appeal. Flynn was having his shirt pulled and was then pushed to the ground when going for a header in the box and much to the anger of Ronnie Jepson and The Rainham End, only for Mr.Hall to wave appeals away.

Danny Jackman was causing Bradford problems all day with some good long-range efforts, and came agonizingly close to doubling The Gills' advantage when his long-range effort took a slight deflection and went just wide.

Andy Crofts scored on his last Priestfield appearance and should have got two. The first effort came from a Nicky Southall cross and Crofts' header went just over the bar. He then shot over following a good pass from Guylain.

There was still time left for Jackman to see his thirty yard effort go just over and The Gills held on for what should have been a comfortable win, should The Gills have taken their chances.

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Stats

The Gills dominated the possesion with 54% of the ball, and had more efforts on goal with 11 to Braford's 1. The Gills also had 10 shots off target to Bradford's 2. The Gills had 10 corners to Bradfords 2, but Bradford commited the more fouls with 15 to The Gills' 11.


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Views

Ronnie Jepson

"I am very pleased with the three points but I'm a bit disappointed we didn't get another goal or two to make it a bit easy for ourselves. At one-nil and against ten men, you've seen it a million times, it can be difficult. As the game goes on, you fear the worst, especially as we had umpteen chances and we got plenty of balls into the box, but it wasn't to be. Full credit to the lads though, they kept in there and dug in to get a worthy three points.

"We take each game as it comes here. Everyone knows that it has been a difficult season for us here but if we get another three or four wins on the board, then we can start looking up there. If we start making silly predictions, we'll end up with egg on our faces. I know it's good for the media boys with predictions but it is not good for us when it doesn't work. We'll take each game on its merits and then it depends how close we are to the end of the season. We are away at Northampton Town next Friday and I just hope we can get something like we got today."

The Gills had 21 chances at goal compared to Bradfords 3, and Jepson feared the Bantam's would get an equaliser on the counter. Jepson said: "That is what you fear. They've got a couple of sharp lads and they will hit you on the counter and take a gamble or too. We tried to sort it out at half-time but players start leaving their jobs to other players to do as we have an extra man. I didn't want that to happen though. I thought we could have passed the ball a little more and I knew Danny Jackman would be a good outlet for us. I spoke about it at half time and we got it out to 'Jacko' on numerous occasions but it was not enough for me. Saying that though, we created enough chances to win two football games today. Even when Bradford has eleven men, I thought we had the upper hand. Other than the one excellent save from our goalkeeper, I thought that we never looked in danger."

Danny Jackman was pleased with the partnerships of Clint Easton & Danny Jackman and the other partnership between home debutant Nicky Southall and Mark Bentley. Jepson said: "They mixed it up today and I thought it worked well. You do these things and sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. I thought Nicky Southall and Mark Bentley were a strong unit down the right-hand side, they combined well, as did 'Jacko' and Clint Easton. I was pleased with that.

"I thought 'Trigger' was good along with numerous others. You know what you are going to get out of Nicky Southall week in, week out, don't you? That is the type of player that I am trying to bring in here. I've spoke about it before, but that is when you get that consistency. You bring players in of that calibre, with knowledge and experience, you know what you are going to get from them."

Ronnie Jepson was pleased with the efforts of substitutes Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu and Dean McDonald, and Jepson said: I am always looking for room for improvement, especially from my strikers. Gary Mulligan sets the tone for us and I thought with Matty Jarvis up there today, I thought it worked well pace-wise, as Bradford looked a bit vulnerable to pace down the middle. I was quite pleased with it and when Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu got his chance and then Dean McDonald came on, they did okay. I said they have got to work hard at their game, which they have down the training ground to be fair to them, but they need to produce it out there.

"Gary Mulligan got a shove in the back which for me was a blatant penalty. He's gone down in the box and has gone to get up a bit sharpish and he's felt something. 'Mullers' being like he is, he has tried to play on and has struggled a bit. We will assess it tomorrow morning and see how it goes. Clint Easton's was his calf. I don't think it has gone completely so we'll also assess him in the morning."

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