October Newsfile

Newsfile Archive

After the glory of the last week the expectations were high. The new investors were introduced to the enlarged crowd but before they could get from the pitch to their seats the Gills were 1 up.

The goal came after 16 seconds, Gillingham pumped a long ball forward, Russell Perrett stood back expecting the ball to reach him but a Gills attacker got a touch and put the ball into Hessenthaler's path who cooly slotted home and Hallworths first action was to pick the ball from the net.

Gillingham looked good and City were struggling to live up to expectations. All that changed though when Andy Legg tried to cross the ball and suceeded in firing it into the far corner to equalise. Now I am as optomistic as anyone but I say Andy was trying to cross not shoot. Anyway it was 1 - 1. So only 18 mins gone and two goals in the game.

Then disaster, straight from the kick off Gillingham attacked and Perrett as the last defender brought down the striker. Now in my opinion it was a definite foul. Perrett as I say was the last man so there can be no complaints about the decision to send off the defender. It was Perretts poor touch that compromised him and he was found out.

Further disaster then struck when Gillingham scored what turned out to be the winner. City were still out of shape with only 10 men on the field when a couple of unchallenged headers in the City box were were finished off by Thomson to make it 2 - 1.

After that it was backs to the wall, Gillingham had the run of the park. Jon Hallworth again proved he was a class shot stopper, but he was dodgy at oher times, with several fine saves in the first half. After that the game was over. City huffed and puffed and kept the Gills out but in all honesty never looked like scoring.

My summing up views are.

1. Gillingham were classy but should have won by at least 5 or more. Peter Taylor while happy with the win will wonder how they never scored a hat full.

2. Without Perrett we were like dinosaurs at the back. Vaughan was not right after a first half bump on the head and Mike Ford, while he did steel the defence, left us so short of pace.

3. Andy Legg is a machine. He was voted sponsors Man of the Match and did not stop running.

4. Richie Humphreys was not in the game today. He did not contribute one thing. (Thats not be taken as a negative comment as the whole team were pulled apart after Perrett's sending off.) He just could not get into the game.

5. Commiserations to Matt Brazier who was sacrificed due to the sending off. He was gutted as he left the pitch.

All in all I think the elation the fans have been enjoying over the last few days has affected the players. The confidence I read about at Colchester did not seem to be there. No need to panic. We did well 10 against 11 and Gillingham are a class team, they are not up to third for nothing.