Gillingham Town 3 v 1 Longwell Green – Sat 18/10/14
This Les Phillips Cup game came after four straight defeats for the Gills, the last two by four goals, so it was important that they got their season back on track.
Manager Kev Davis shuffled things round a bit and playing with a 4-4-2 formation rather than 4-5-1. This meant a start for Steve Smith alongside Ryan Gay and Nick Compton dropping into the back four from midfield meaning Dan Barber was on the bench. There was also a debut for Jamie Samways who, having stepped up from the Reserves, played on the right side of midfield. With Dai Noonan missing it was Dan Cox who had the unenviable task of filling in at left back.
The opening periods of this game saw the Gills playing with a confidence we haven’t seen in a while and they took a deserved lead after just 5 minutes with some neat football. Jamie Samways played a great ball through to Steve Smith who calmly slotted the ball past Sports’ keeper Lee Ballard and it was obvious to all watching how delighted Steve was at ending his goal drought.
The goal seemed to lift the Gills’ confidence even more and they were playing some of the best football we have seen at Hardings Lane so far this season. As a result the Gills doubled their lead when, with 12 minutes played, Ashley Clarke played a defence splitting pass through to Kieran Davis, who again gave Ballard no chance to give the Gills a 2-0 lead.
Longwell Green got their first chance on the quarter hour mark when a corner was met by the head of an unmarked striker but he couldn’t get over the ball which flew well clear of the bar. They went close again moments later but Justin Bishop wasted the good chance by blasting his effort wide of the goal.
The Gills were still in the ascendency though and Steve Smith nearly got onto the end of another great pass by Jamie Samways but he was inches away from making contact with the ball.
The Gills continued to dominate but Longwell got into the game more as the half went on and just before half time they pulled a goal back when Sam Taylor scored with a screamer of a shot from well outside the area that had Gills’ keeper Scott Armstrong well beaten.
So at half time the Gills had certainly been the better team, but the timing of Longwells’ goal meant a nervous start to the second half. Longwell were obviously lifted by their goal and began to play some decent football, but the Gills defence was holding firm. In fact, the first chance of the half fell to the Gills when Steve Smith tried to lob Ballard but the keeper just managed to backpedal far enough to collect the ball.
Debutant Jamie Samways was having a good game, picking out some great passes, and it was one such long distance pass just before the hour mark that saw the Gills‘ next good chance. Kieran Davis collected the ball well and outpaced his marker down the left wing before putting a deft cross over Ballard into the goalmouth. Unfortunately the ball deflected off a defender and was cleared before any of the Gills players could profit from the great move.
Longwell went close after 66 minutes when a corner found its way through to the back of the area where it was struck towards goal with venom. Scott Armstrong was beaten but Jamie Samways had not left his position at the post and stopped the ball going into the goal with his chest.
The sides pretty much evened each other out though after this and chances were rare till the second minute of additional time when Will Agbo scored with a well struck shot from distance to wrap up the win for the Gills.
Man of the Match was Dan Cox for putting in a great performance out of position up against Longwell’s best player.
The Gills return to league action on Wednesday evening (22nd) when they make the trip to Winterbourne Utd, the only team beneath them in the league..
Gills’ line up: Armstrong, Thomson, Cox, Compton, Samways (Twyford 70), Hewlett, Agbo, Clarke, Smith, Gay, Davis. Unused sub: Barber
