Gillingham Town 2 v 0 Bishop Sutton – 09/11/13
The absent players for this match were Mallick Jammeh, Joe Smeeton, Harry Baker and James Hatcher (all injured).
The days immediately prior to this game had seen some terrible weather and in some ways it was a miracle that this game even took place. This was the first game on a difficult surface this season and this was probably a large factor in whythe game was a battle with little quality football on show.
The Gills slightly edged the opening stages and with only 6 minutes played Ben Thomson played a ball to the back post where it was met by a Phil Ormrod header, but he struggled to get any power behind it and it was easily caught by Sutton keeper Lewis Coombes.
Just before the quarter hour mark it was Ben Thomson who had a chance when he lost his defender on the edge of the area, but his effort also lacked power and caused Coombes no problems. Just after this Steve Smith had a good chance but he also failed to trouble the visiting keeper.
The breakthrough came after 17 minutes when Ben Thomson collected the ball in the centre circle and played an inch perfect through ball to Phil Ormrod. Phil raced clear of the defence, but his well struck shot was initially blocked by Coombes, however the ball then fell kindly for him and, with the keeper on the floor, he slotted into the empty net to give the Gills a 1-0 lead.
In the very next minute Ashley Clarke hit a sweetly struck shot from the edge of the area but it was straight at Coombes, who again collected easily. Following this Bishop Sutton got into the game and it was a much more even affair, without either team creating any real chances till just past the half hour mark. This chance fell to Sutton’s Lance Gingell just inside the right hand edge of the area, but he seemed to not be sure whether to shoot or cross and in the end his effort seemed a mixture of the two, which didn’t trouble Gills’ keeper Jamie Beale.
The rest of the first half was unremarkable so the Gills went in with a 1-0 lead that looked vulnerable with Sutton getting into the game more in the latter stages of the half.
The second half got off to a bright start when, after just 3 minutes, the Gills had the ball in the net after Coombes dropped a ball, but the Referee deemed he had been fouled and the goal was disallowed.
With 55 minutes played a Bishop Sutton player tried an overhead kick and caught Phil Ormrod square in the face and a few moments later he had to be replaced, Aidan Chainey coming on in his place.
The Gills were definitely the better team now and were having the bulk of possession, but certainly weren’t having things all their own way. Just past the 70 minute mark Ben Thomson tried a really clever chip from just inside the area which Coombes just about managed to tip over the bar. 8 minutes later Jon Vance put a dangerous ball into the area and Jack Vallis rose highest to head the ball down and into the path of Steve Smith. Steve’s close range shot was somehow blocked by Coombes but the linesman had flagged for an offside anyway.
The relentless pressure on the Bishop Sutton defence told in the 81stminute when Ben Thomson was clearly tripped inside the area and Steve Smith stepped up to take the resultant penalty. Steve sent the keeper the wrong way to make it 2-0 and this is how it stayed till the end of the game.
Although not a classic this was a game where, as opposed to Tuesday night when they played some great football, the Gills just had to dig deep and battle in difficult conditions against a determined side. With both of the strikers scoring yet again and the defence keeping a clean sheet for the 9thtime in 10 games it must be considered a job well done!
Next Saturday the Gills make the long journey to Ilfracombe.
Man of the Match was Captain Jack Vallis.
Gills line-up: Beale, Murray, N Thomson, Vallis, Vance, Compton, Rodriguez (Thompson 67), Clarke (Cox 70), Ormrod (Chainey 55), Smith, B Thomson. Unused sub: Foster.
Terry Lucas
