Post-Match Thread and Ratings Gillingham FC 2-1 Southend United

Maidstone Shrimper said:

Basically we lost due to a combination of almost arrogant casual play from us in the first half and an arrogant couple of interventions by an assistant ref that have been well described. However we may moan about the temporary stand we're forced to sit on it gave us all a far better view of the penalty than the lino had. We could also see Ranger rugby tackled in the box and Robinson pulled back by his shirt in the box but we all knew that the ref wasn't going to buckle under pressure from the away fans.
Innis was hard done by but he was having a torrid time against the pretty ordinary Gills forwards. John White made it look easy in the second half. Adam Thompson should have buried a second half header, Timlin looked uncomfortable wide right first half but put in a good shift in a more central role after the break, Wordsworth was languid and ineffective, McGlashan allowed the crowd to get at him and was rightly subbed, Demitriou again looked lightweight defensively first half but got better second half and was dangerous getting forward. Ranger and Cox had to waste a lot of time and energy chasing down their keeper to force him to (eventually) kick the ball. Good to see Nile bury that header.
Does anyone know who was/were booked after the final whistle? I though one might have been Leonard for complaining (with good cause) for not getting a free kick in added time after being tripped from behind. Strange the sharp sighted assistant didn't spot that.

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The ref had gone by then- he seemed to wave it at two or three, looked like the linesman and two of the people sent on to protect him. Be amazed if it wasn't Timlin you made clear to the ref more than once he had found better on the sole of his shoe..

Blues4LifeDan said:

Only one way to rectify yesterday. Go and smash Port Vale on Saturday. Then no one will be even talking about this match.
Come on you blue boys!

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Agree it will galvanise us- a huge sense of injustice and the world is against us- Ferguson used to find it worked a trast

Of course, if we had kept 11 guys on the pitch and gone on to win (as expected frankly) the Millwall and Gillingham games..... we'd be just 3 points off automatic promotion place. Not that i'm bitter !

If anyone fancies reading the world's most biased match report...

http://www.gillsconnect.com/s/Gills...ingham_2_v_Southend_1_-_Big_Match_Report.html

amsemp said:

If anyone fancies reading the world's most biased match report...

http://www.gillsconnect.com/s/Gills...ingham_2_v_Southend_1_-_Big_Match_Report.html

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Factually incorrect. McGlashan was blatantly fouled 2 or 3 times, including being shoved in the back for a penalty, that were not given. Innis did not bring Parker down, Parker carried on playing he did not realise a foul had been committed against him, and Cox did not get within three feet of Ehmer who just dived out of the way as he had been doing all afternoon.

The person who wrote it was just so excited at them winning their first game since December. I can't see them winning another one this season unless they get so lucky again.

IMO we got what we deserved from the game for that first half performance: nothing.

Not a single player turned up in the first half. We rallied in the second, granted, but we were so poor in the first. It was only the fact that Gillingham were equally atrocious that we almost got away with it.

We won't win every game, its much better to win one lose one than draw two. Just a bad day at the office, hopefully a wake up call to the lads that we can't just rock up and expect to win.

FWIW I thought the ref didn't have that bad of a game. First yellow on Inniss was more than deserved. Second yellow was a yellow for me if you give the foul. 50/50 on the foul though, they looked to have fouled each other, could have gone either way.

For the penalty, Demetriou gave the ref a decision to make. Looked weak but we've seen them given. You can't make contact from behind in the area.

If this was the other way round we'd not be complaining too much.

Not read any of the other posts, but here's my tuppenceworth

Did the stewards really have to search everyone? Only just got in in time.

Marks out of ten

Smith - 6 - didn't have much to do, nice save in 2nd half
Demi- 7 - good fitness and attacking
Cokes - 7 - same as Demi
Inniss - 6 - let down by first booking. Second booking was anything but. I met him afterwards and he told me he was kicked first on the back of the leg.
Thompson - 6 - looked a bit poor. should have scored but was probably not expecting such a chance
Timlin- 8 MOM- industrious, passionate, creative.
Leonard- 6 - bit meh I thought
Wordsworth - 6 - see Leonard
Mcglashan - 5 - bullied by the Gills players and fans. Went into his shell.
Cox- 7 - tried but nothing much came off. one of his shots almost hit the corner flag
Fortune - 6 - see Cox, but I thought he looked a bit tired. Met him as well after game, he was understandably upset by the result

White- 7 - excellent, calm presence
Ranger - 8 - tied for MOM - height, power, control.
Robinson - 7 pace, creativity.

Overall, a game of 2 halves. The pen was really soft and I stormed out so I missed the 2nd goal but on seeing the highlights, it was a bit scrappy. 2nd half felt so much better, there was passion and drive. We had the chances, we could have won. But the ref was poor, the Gills defence was lucky sometimes, and it just didn't click.

I left actually quite buoyant. The team was galvanised, and will come back stronger and more determined. We missed Ferdinand, we missed Atkinson as a watercarrier role. Leonard and Wordsworth looked a bit lost in the 1st half. I'm glad this happened now and not in the last few games of the season.

looking at the replays the ref and linesman were clearly influenced by their fans. There is no other explanation. This reinforces with me the absolute need for the fans to be right up to the pitch when we build the new ground. Too many new grounds have a ridiculous amount of space betwen fans and pitch. If you want to get an intimidating atmosphere you really need to be up close.

Fairport said:

It is not having a go at Innis, he was booked early on in the game and I thought at the time, is he going to last ninety minutes. The second yellow I admit didn't seem 100 per cent convincing but the facts are that Ryan has played in six matches this season and has picked up 6 yellows and 1 red. Surely that has to be taken into account when assessing him. I think he is a decent centre back but his disciplinery record is suspect.

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Suspect disciplinary record or is he a liability ?