[ 20 Oct 26 ] GILLS v Port Vale Match Thread

[Garawa]

- Results between the sides are very close with 17 wins for the Gills, 18 wins for Port Vale and a further 18 meetings being drawn. The Gills won both fixtures the last season the sides met and are unbeaten in 3 after going winless in 5.
- The Gills have won 1, drawn 1 and lost 1 of the last 3 home games against Port Vale and have won 2, drawn 2 and lost 2 of the previous 6. Port Vale last won at Priestfield in April 2016, drawing and losing their next 2 visits.
- After 1 win 11, Port Vale's victory on Saturday was their 4th in 6 league and cup games - all of which have been at home. After winning their final away game of last season, Vale have lost all 4 of their away league games and drew their Trophy game at Chesterfield after 5 successive away league and cup defeats.
- Port Vale's 30 shots on target is the fewest amount in League 2 (6 fewer than the Gills) albeit having played 2 fewer games than the team with the next fewest. They have also converted the fewest goals from those shots - just 16.7% of their shots on target being scored compared to the Gills 44.4%.
- All 5 of Port Vale's goals (100.0%) have given them a lead and 3 of those were converted into wins. Colchester is the next highest with 70.0% of their goals giving a lead. Just 31.3% of the Gills' goals have given them a lead (only Rochdale have fewer) but 4 of the 5 leads ended in wins.
- Port Vale have lost all 4 of their away league matches this season, scoring 1 goal and conceding 8 in the process. They have conceded the league's joint fewest number of first half goals with 2 but are the division's lowest scorers with 5 goals with only 1 scored after half time (11 fewer than the Gills).

[Tue 20th October 2026] EFL Sky Bet League 2: GILLS v Port Vale.
Opposition Manager: Jon Brady. Matchday Team: Marko Maroši, Connor Hall, Jasper Moon, Cameron Humphreys, Kyle John (Jaheim Headley), [c] Ben Garrity (Rhys Walters), George Byers, George Hall (Kyle Dempsey), Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel, Onel Hernández (Oli Lynch), Max Watters (Keyrol Figueroa)
Opposition League Position: Sky Bet League 2 (21st)
Referee: Jamie O'Connor
Attendance: 4,866 (138)

(20.00) Kick Off [ 3 - 4 - 2 - 1 ]
(20.17) Freeman fizzes a ball across the box. The 'keeper starts to come, stops and watches the ball go passed but nobody is on the far post to tap it home.
(20.31) Watters from distance goes for the top corner and tries to catch the goalkeeper off his line but Wright catches.
(20.34) Fantastic save by Maroši after a powerful header by Smith from a free kick.
(20.39) Another Gills corner causes problems as Brophy sends it onto the near post. Maroši punches the ball onto the back of Byers and behind for another corner.
(20.40) Penalty! Coleman is caught by Hall as he touches the ball inside the box.
(20.41) GOAL! Gillingham 1-0 Port Vale: Hale (pen)
(20.45) A minimum of 1 minute will be added.
(20.45) Coleman flicks the ball into the net after a neat ball from Eaves but he is adjudged to have committed a foul.
(20.46) Half time 1-0 [46:14]

(21.02) The second half kicks off. Port Vale start the half with a triple change.
(21.06) A clever free kick is taken quickly by Gills. Hale plays it forward, it deflects to Eaves who toe-pokes it goalwards and the rebound is collected by Little but skies it with the goal gaping.
(21.11) Lynch shoots into the side netting as Port Vale's changes start to stretch the Gills defence.
(21.23) GOAL! Gillingham 1-1 Port Vale: Figueroa
(21.36) Direct free kick by Dempsey is pushed away well by Wright.
(21.47) 3 minutes is signalled to be added.
(21.51) FULL TIME 1-1 [95:21]

Gills' League Position After Game: 7th
Match Report: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/ckq6n9e54ng0t
Match highlights: