Gillingham FC Forum

- The Gills have won 47 of the meetings whilst Southend have won 39 (there have been 30 draws) although the Gills 3-1 win at Priestfield earlier in the season was their first league win in 5 after United had won 3 in a row.
- Southend started the season with 18 defeats in 22 games in all competitions. The 15 games since have seen 7 defeats although 4 have come in their last 5 games including the last 3.
- Southend's home points total of 7 is the worst in the division and is half that of the next worst side. Their last 5 home league games however have seen 1 win, 3 draws and 1 defeat.
- Southend have won 3 league games this season and have won 2 games in 22 (all coming in their last 6 games). The Gills have won 3 games out of 4 and are unbeaten in 13 league games.
- The Gills have lost 0-2 and 0-4 in their last 2 trips to Roots Hall after winning 3-1 twice in a matter of 3 days in August 2016.
- The Gills have conceded 30 league goals this season. Southend have conceded 31 first half goals and 47 second half goals - the most in the top 4 divisions. On average, Southend are conceding 2.52 goals per game, 110 over 44 games.
- Southend have only kept 2 league clean sheets this season and have conceded 4 or more in 9 games (40 League 1 matches have seen a side score 4 or more in a match). They have conceded 3 or more in 16 games, more then the number of games when they conceded 2 or less.
- Southend have been behind for 1,254 minutes in the league before kick off, an average of 40.5 minutes for every league match. Although Tranmere (17 games) had behind for longer in home games, Southend's 14 home games saw them behind on average for 45.5.

19.45 Kick Off [ 4 - 4 - 2 ]
In response to Southend fielding a number of youth players, including an 18-year-old 'keeper making his debut, the Gills start with Akinde and Mandron up front with Roberts and Hanlan in midfield.

20.31
The goalkeeper has made a couple of nervous errors but the Gills haven't tested his at all. The half ends with the Gills managing just 1 shot off target as the only attempt at goal.

20.32 Half time 0-0

20.48
The second half kicks off.

21.10
GOAL! Southend 0-1 Gillingham: Ogilvie
Southend are winless when conceding first in the league - 20 games have seen 17 defeats (8 defeats in 10 at home).

21.34
Southend waste an excellent chance to equalise, putting a shot across goal and just wide of the post.

21.39 FULL TIME 0-1

Attendance: 6,021 (877)
Position: 9th
Referee: Trevor Kettle
Match highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rZ8urNXyos
BBC Match Report: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50930881

Time for Evans to watch the '66 World Cup video on the way to the match, Five Forwards, Three Midfield and Two Defenders ,and hopefully our keeper can stay awake in case there is a back pass or two during the game.
We need to put a handful past the most woeful team in the Division, 33 GF, 78 GA, to boost out GD, I would hate to lose out on a playoff spot because a team like Fleetwood had a GD slightly better than ours. GO GILLS.

NIL-NIL at the half, Gillingham with ONE shot and NONE on Target , THIRTEEN FOULS against Gillingham in first half alone, damn EVANS you had better wake these boys up in a hurry.

I can not wait to hear Evans reasoning of why we played like a bunch of morons at Southend tonight. What did Southend bring in on loan first team players from Manchester City. Screw the fact we got 3 points , that should have been a given, what the hell , SOUTHEND are MINUS 46 in GOAL DIFFERENCE , FORTY SIX,and we managed ONE shot on target in 90 minutes,it's too stupid for words. They have allowed SEVENTY NINE GOALS to hit the back of their net in 32 games and we managed 1 SHOT ON GOAL.
Excluding Wycombe, only Fleetwood are close to us with a G/D of 11, everyone else is well ahead of us, what a damn shame it would be if we didn't get into the playoffs because of an inferior GD.
I swear I am so damn mad it's a good job I am not in Gillingham tonight, I think I would go round to Priestfield and wait for the charabanc to get back, and turn a hose of ice water on the damn lot of them, what a waste of an opportunity to catch up with the pack in G/D, jjjeeezzzzzzzz, I give up.

Wouldn't like to hear from you if we'd lost the game. Surely it's better to win 1 -0 than not to win at all

Well, it sounded a pretty woeful game but an ugly win is what gets success and that is 3 in a row now. I think the problem here was the fact we were 4-2-4 when attacking. That's great and shows intent but it also gives you a serious lack of support from midfield leaving the attackers with no service. 4 strikers and it was a defender that scored. Says it all really. I don't think that formation can work and, if you really want to go for it, a 3-4-3 may have been a better option.

Three points is three points and of course it's better than none, but come on, that was not a first half performance from a team that is serious about going for promotion .It was a lackadaisical, don't worry we will be OK performance, and I bet you Evans ripped there butts at half time, and good for him. I see the players at Oxford did exactly what Gillingham should have done today, they whipped the Wombles into next week, which if I am correct is when we play them ? Wanna make a bet , I bet we don't beat them by more than two goals ?

Garawa wrote:Well, it sounded a pretty woeful game but an ugly win is what gets success and that is 3 in a row now. I think the problem here was the fact we were 4-2-4 when attacking. That's great and shows intent but it also gives you a serious lack of support from midfield leaving the attackers with no service. 4 strikers and it was a defender that scored. Says it all really. I don't think that formation can work and, if you really want to go for it, a 3-4-3 may have been a better option.

Livestreamed the game , and I think you've summed this up right Gary ; we played very little through midfield , resorting instead to kicking long to forwards , who won very few of the aerial battles . We were poor , and fortunate that Ogilvie got on the end of a perfect cross from Graham for the goal . Southend should feel aggrieved that they didn't get at least a point , but hey , three points from an ugly win is still three points .

I watched on Ifollow,and thought in the first half we were really poor.We improved once Graham cane in,and his delivery for Ogilvie’s goal was quality.Southend came close to equalising at the end,but the shot went wide.We were nowhere near our best,but we got the three points which moved us up to 9th.

Winning isn't everything but losing isn't anything. Not my words but just about sums up Evans' approach, he seems happy to get interminably boring draws and , with the very occasional exception, odd-goal wins. Will football based on attrition not skills get us promoted ?
I give the man limited, grudging praise for results but he is still a complete and utter git.