Gillingham v Scunthorpe United

Friday, September 1, 2006

Football League One

Gillingham :
Randolph, Jupp, Sancho, Cox, Jackman, Jarvis, Flynn, Pouton (McDonald 70), Easton, Mulligan (Spiller 79), Ndumbu-Nsungu
Subs not used:
Johnson, Clohessy, Stone

Scunthorpe United :
Murphy, Mulligan, Hinds, Foster, Williams, Sparrow, Baraclough, Taylor, Morris, McBreen (Torpey 75), Sharp
Subs not used:
Ferretti, MacKenzie, Byrne, Lillis

SULSESC REPORT

by Nick Whitworth at Priestfield Stadium

AFTER the it's on, it's off, it's on again saga, the game went ahead on the Friday evening and a good contingent of the London branch assembled in the Will Adams pub (sorry, Nick H., the Coriander beer was truly awful!) before the game.

Thankfully for the Iron, the game did go ahead as they recorded their first win of the season. However, this was a real smash and grab raid. Gillingham totally dominated the first-half, yet somehow found themselves going in at the break 2-0 down as the Iron plundered two goals in the final five minutes of the half.

The home side started the game with a lot of pace and purpose and created a couple of good openings within the first few minutes. The game then continued in the same vein for most of the first-half, and only a combination of wasteful finishing and a couple of great stops from Joe Murphy kept the scores level.

Gills supporters might argue that they wasted good opportunities, but I believe that goalkeepers who make crucial saves at the right times change games and so it proved to be.

Just after Murphy had pulled off a great one-handed reaction save, the Iron took the lead when a corner from Mulligan was rather tamely headed in at the far post by Hinds. Worse was to come for the home side, as on the stroke of half-time Taylor's through ball broke the offside trap, allowing Sparrow to run in on goal and score with a cool finish.

Cue the half-time whistle: stunned silence from the home supporters, stunned disbelief from the visiting fans.

In the second-half, with a two-goal cushion behind them, the Iron looked much more comfortable. The home side continued to push forward, but for all their endeavours they didn't really create any clear cut opportunities as the Iron rearguard, for once, held firm.

In the end, the Iron could have added to their lead with the home ‘keeper making a fine save from a Torpey header, and new-boy Morris seemingly tripping over the ball when about to shoot, having been put clean through with only the ‘keeper to beat.

So, a much needed first win of the season, however we need to play better on our travels since better teams would have punished our slack start and put the game beyond us by half-time.

It was difficult to judge on their first games how the new signings of McBreen and Morris will fair. However, it was noticeable that when Torpey replaced McBreen in the second-half, he caused the Gills centre-half more problems! Star man for the Iron was Joe Murphy who I believe is going to be a real asset this season. At last we have a ‘keeper who commands his area, can kick well with either foot, and is a great shot-stopper.