Bishop Sutton 2 v 3 Gillingham Town – Mon 18/08/14
Having lost their first two games in the League it was important for the Gills to get some points on the board from this fixture.
The Gills started brightly enough but the first chance fell to Bishop Sutton in the 2ndminute when, following a corner, Scott Armstrong tipped a header onto the bar. After this the Gills started to dominate the game playing some neat, free flowing football. In the 6thminute Nick Compton let go a shot from well inside the crowded area, but his shot across the face of the goal went just wide of the post.
The Gills took a deserved lead in the 13thminute when a Tom Pawley corner was flicked on by the head of Steve Smith and met by Nick Hewlett coming in at the back post. Nick took the chance well, volleying the ball into the back of the net giving Sutton keeper Josh Barrington no chance.
Just a minute later the Gills had the ball in the back of the net again. This time it was Benjani Ben Salem coming in at the back post and getting onto the end of a great ball from Kieran Davis to head the ball home, but he was adjudged to have been offside.
The Gills were looking rampant now and launched wave after wave of attacks on the Sutton goal. The next good chance came when Nick Thomson put a ball across the six yard box from the right wing. Barrington should have collected the ball easily but fumbled it straight to Steve Smith, but his close range effort struck a defender. Steve came close again in the very next minute when his audacious overhead kick went just wide of the post.
Then in the 23rdminute, very much against the run of play, Sutton got an equaliser. A Josh Hutchinson shot from just inside the area went out of the reach of Scott Armstrong but just inside the post top make it 1-1. Following this the game completely change with Sutton becoming much the better team playing some neat, crisp passing football that had the Gills defence at sixes and sevens.
Things went from bad to worse with 8 minutes left in the half when Will Pike received a nasty injury that resulted in him having to be replaced by Dan Sansom. It was only a matter of time before Sutton scored again and the goal finally came in the 2ndminute of time added on. A ball into the area was headed towards goal by Jake Britton and, despite getting two hands to the ball, Scott Armstronmg couldn’t stop the ball going into the net to give Sutton a 2-1 lead going into the break.
Manager Kev Davis must have been glad half time came and whatever he said during the break worked, because the Gills came out looking a better team again. As a result the game was a more even affair and the first chance for either team didn’t come till just past the hour mark when Dan Sansom intercepted a pass and then drove down the right wing before delivering a great ball into the area. The cross was met by an unmarked Macauly Biddle but he struggled to get the ball under control and the good chance went begging as defenders quickly closed in on him.
The Gills’ efforts were rewarded with anequaliser.after 64 minutes when Ashley Clarke headed the ball goalwards and Steve Smith beat Barrington to the ball with a glancing header that saw the ball cross the line.
Halfway through the half play was stopped for a long period after a back injury to Dan Sansom, who was replaced by Andrew Norris. An ambulance was called but it was later established that, thankfully, Dan had not suffered any serious injury.
With 74 minutes played the Gills’ determination was rewarded when they regained the lead. Andrew Norris drove into the right hand side of the area and, despite being on the floor, played the ball across the area where it was met by Nick Hewlett who scored his second goal of the game by side footing the ball past Barrington to make it 2-3.
The Gills really were on top of the game again now and Macauly Biddle went close to opening his scoring account with the Gills in the 78thminute but his well struck volley was straight at Barrington who had an easy save. The last chance of the game came in a long period of additional time when a shot by Nick Compton was deflected and Barrington just managed to get down and tip the ball round the post.
So the Gills ran out 2-3 winners in this topsy turvy game that saw both teams dominate at different stages of the game. Overall the Gills just about deserved their victory, but Sutton played some very good football, especially in the last 20 minutes of the first half when they scored their two goals.
Man of the Match was Nick Hewlett.
Next up are newly promoted Bradford Town at Hardings Lane on Saturday (3:00 ko).
Gills’ line up: Armstrong, Thomson, Davis, Compton, Barber, Hewlett, Pawley, Clarke, Smith, Ben Salem (Biddle 60), Pike (Sansom 33) (Norris 69). Unused sub: Baker
Terry Lucas
