Gillingham are back on the road this Saturday as they travel to Fleetwood for a vital League Two fixture.
Both sides have 30 points, with Gillingham 10th and Fleetwood 11th in the League Two table, with Gillingham’s goal difference giving them a narrow advantage. Both sides are 9 points away from the top and 2 away from the play-off places, so the match is something of a six-pointer for both sides.
Gillingham’s disappointing 2-2 draw at home to Barrow last Saturday extends the unbeaten run to six league games – although they haven’t won in the last five.
Manager Gareth Ainsworth was particularly frustrated at how his side “chucked two points away” which continued the pattern of draws that has kept Gillingham in their mid-table position.
Fleetwood’s form has been steady this season. They have only failed to score in two matches so far, but conversely, they have also only kept three clean sheets, including last week’s victory against bottom of the table Newport.
Gillingham and Fleetwood have played each other 19 times since Fleetwood were first promoted to League Two. Currently, Fleetwood have the better of the fixture with nine wins to Gillingham’s four. This fixture was a 0-0 draw in Fleetwood last season, while Gillingham lost the home game 2-1.
Gillingham’s matchday squad could be bolstered by the return of Josh Andrews, Sam Vokes and Conor Masterson to training, while Andy Smith made his first appearance in four games. However, Nelson Khumbeni is sidelined with a shoulder injury from the Barrow game.
Given the respective positions in the table, this fixture should be a tight one with both sides keen to make ground on the play-off places, but also not lose to a close league rival.
Fleetwood typically set up to attack as their goals scored/conceded record suggests, which will put pressure on Gillingham’s defence, but also provide more space for the front three.
With a hectic Christmas schedule looming, the gaps will start to widen in the table in the coming weeks, so both teams have a lot to play for if they seriously want to contend for promotion.
Picture supplied by Gillingham Football Club.