Gillingham 3 Vale 2

Vale revive in the final thirty minutes to make the score more respectable than seemed likely early in the second half but the defeat was deserved.

Vale were still missing Sonner through injury and Talbot completing his suspension. Foyle (or Glover really as he had been in charge during the week) went with Anyon, Weston, Walsh, Pilkington, Fortune, Harsley, Hulbert, Whitaker, Constantine, Rodgers and Sodje. On the bench were Musselwhite, McGregor, Gardner, Kamara and Lowndes. Gills were managed by ex-Vale player Ronnie Jepson and included ex loanee Gary Mulligan.

Vale opened in the same way as they had at Swansea a couple of weeks ago, very much on the back foot. Anyon had to be alert after only two minutes to gather the ball to prevent it being reached by an opponent. Gills then had a corner from which they headed over and on 4 minutes Flynn also headed over from close range. This became the early pattern and on 18 minutes the home side had four successive corners as Vale struggled to clear.

It was 24 minutes before Vale began to show anything in the attacking sense with two minutes of possession around the Gills area.

On 28 minutes Mulligan worked his way to the line before delivering a poor cross which actually went out for a throw-in to the Vale.

On 34 minutes Bentley hit a shot just over but two minutes later the home side went ahead from a corner. Southall's corner was headed in unchallenged by Cox. Anyon had no chance but the marking was non-existent.

On 38 minutes Flynn headed over from another Southall cross.

On 41 minutes debutant (though experienced) keeper Simon Royce had to dive to his right to save from a Sodje header, surviving the shock of having to deal with receiving the ball from a Vale player.

Mulligan had to be replaced by the dimunitive McDonald on 42 minutes.

Just before the break Vale seemed to have equalised. Rodgers crossed the ball to the far post where Sodje and the keeper both jumped for the ball. Sodje headed it into the net but the referee decided Sodje had fouled the keeper. Dubious decision to say the least.

Right on the interval Vale should have gone further behind. Spiller received the ball from Jackman right in front of goal but he managed to lift it over when it looked easier to score.

On 48 minutes Easton crossed for Flynn to head into the Vale net from close range.

On 50 minutes McDonald's shot was saved by Anyon.

On 53 minutes Gills made it 3-0. Flynn's free-kick from 25 yards was hit powerfully but deflected off Walsh and flew past Anyon.

On 59 minutes Kamara replaced Sodje although in truth just about anyone could have come off. This seemed to be the spark which allowed Vale to have the better of things for the rest of the game.

On 61 minutes Vale should have scored. Harsley put Rodgers away with a Gills defender. Rodgers got the better of him and was about to shoot when Southall managed to get in a saving tackle and avert the danger.

On 63 minutes Harsley had a terrific shot tipped over the bar by Royce. From the corner Constantine's shot was handled by Southall in the box but the ref waved away claims for a penalty to the Vale.

Weston received yet another booking for Vale on 67 minutes and two minutes later McGregor replaced Fortune.

On 76 minutes the lively Rodgers brought a great save out of Royce.

On 79 minutes Vale got the goal their play was now deserving. From outside the box Whitaker hit a screamer which flew into the corner of the net.

On 81 minutes Rodgers was booked for dissent.

On 83 minutes McDonald brought a good save out of Anyon.

On 93 minutes Vale made the scoreline look respectable. Rodgers was brought down by Chorley inside the box and this time the ref awarded a penalty. Chorley was booked.Constantine had learnt from last week's feeble effort at a penalty and blasted it high and powerfully to the right of the keeper. Unstoppable.

Sadly, there was only just time to kick off again before the ref blew the final whistle.

Vale had 50% of the possession, 6 on-target efforts to their 9, 1 off-target to their 10 and 3 corners to their 11. The attendance was 5928 including a very small Vale contingent of not much above three figures : it is, after all, a long way to this one from the Potteries. The home side had the better of things out of ref Whitestone for the first hour but he seemed to switch his allegiance the longer the game went on, probably because of the abuse he was getting from me as I reminded him that there were two teams on the pitch. Doubtless he would never admit to such a conscious decision to switch sides!

The scoreline was close at the end but for an hour this was a poor performance by the Vale who offered little challenge until then. At the start of the Crewe game I was sceptical about the 4-3-3 formation but in the event it worked well. It was used again at Gillingham but this time didn't work at all and only when Vale switched to 4-4-2 did they begin to prosper. There was no zip or vitality about the team which was yet again following an overnight stay.It felt like an end of season game and it was. The spectators were amazingly quiet considering the home side went three goals ahead. If the sun didn't send people to sleep, this game would but it perked up. After an hour it would have been hard to pick a Vale Man of the Match but things certainly changed after the introduction of Kamara. Weston continues to be erratic with his passing and still picks up bookings which in a full season would leave him missing through suspension. The midfield pair of Harsley and Hulbert battled away in their usual non-creative manner : we need someone more skilful than those two next season. Constantine and Rodgers did some good work but I never noticed Sodje.

Steve, was that you sitting down the front with the three kids? Didn't like to approach in case it wasn't?

After Churchill's Chartwell home, historic Canterbury and watching the world go by at Dover, seeing Vale was always likely to be an anti-climax and so it proved to be. After parking up early away from the myriad of "permit only" streets but as near to the ground as it is possible to get (somewhere near Portsmouth) we had time to experience the centre of Gillingham. We have been to Vale games down there several times but this was the first time we had moved away from the vicinity of the ground.What a dingy, down-at-heel place it seems to be, unless someone can tell me that I am doing it an injustice. As we walked through the main street it seemed to consist of one long open air market with the main shop being Woolworths (though there is an out of town M & S and BHS). Suddenly Hanley did not seem so bad and Baghdad only marginally less attractive. Whatever the positives Ronnie Jepson can show potential new signings, the charm of the town centre does not compare favourably with other factors such as the proximity of London and the historic dockyard of nearby Chatham.

Final away game next week at Brentford. Vale can still finish in the top half and should try to do so, especially above Crewe who have more difficult games to play than ourselves. Even though Brentford is not one of our nearer games it is still a place I like to visit and I shall miss it for its old-fashioned appearance and nearness to Kew Gardens. We are also likely to lose three very near ones in Bradford and Chesterfield (neither of whom we can beat) plus Rotherham. Southend and the onion capital of the western world, Luton, are not welcome names on next season's fixture list. Nearby Walsall would be fine but distant Hartlepool and expensive Swindon are less appealing to travelling Valiants. The new ground at MK Dons would also be a welcome addition if they make it to our division. Leeds would help the average attendance and also increase the arrest count and the police bill.

Eddie

This was a bloody dreadful performance. We didn't start trying until we were 3-0 down, and the fact we pulled 2 goals back implies that had we started trying at the beginning of the game, we might have got something.

I didn't see the Crewe game but 433 didn't work at all here. We had no width at all as neither Weston or Fortune really looked happy coming forward. As a result Leon kept coming wide so when the ball did go into the box, there was no-one there!

Midfield were dreadful. Hulbert put himself about but there is no creativity. Apart from Whitaker's goal, which was a great finish, he did nothing.

George and Walsh did OK, but we did let in 3 goals so the defence can't have been great. Anyon didn't have much chance with any of the goals, 3rd was a huge deflection.

Leon worked hard, Sodje was anonymous, Rodgers woke up after an hour but did nothing before that.

If we want to keep Kamara, why is he on the bench?

This is the sort of performance that makes me wonder about the whole coaching staff, not just Foyle.

CRAP.

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Gillingham 3 Vale 2 After Match Comments

#1 Eddie

#2 TheSage

#3 Redditch Valiant

#4 Tosh

#5 Rob C

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