Gillingham are back in the play-off places as the Hollywood phenomenon known as Wrexham’s automatic promotion bid hit forty-year-old buffers as a French Lieutenant proved decisive at a sold out Priestfield. 

At the one end, veteran keeper Glenn Morris, who was playing his first League game of the season, kept the Welsh hoards at bay with a defence that is looking stronger and stronger by the game whilst at the other end and in front of a packed out Rainham End, midfielder Tim Dieng was the man to poke the ball over the Wrexham line for the game’s only goal! 

Apart from Morris in for the battered and bruised Jake Turner, there were two other changes to the starting eleven as Ashley Nadesan and Oli Hawkins started (as they had finished Tuesday’s draw with leaders Stockport) with Jayden Clarke and Josh Walker making way. 

After spending the end of the midweek draw warming up after Turner injured himself, Morris took the gloves and looked sound and assured except for one moment in the second period when his incredibly sharp reflexes saved the day after a rare handling error. 

Dieng had the first chance of the game, but an early header did not trouble Arthur Okonkwo whilst James McLean sliced Wrexham’s first chance high and wide after a break from a Gills corner. 

As you would expect in a contest between two promotion chasers, the first half was tight with chances few and far between. Morris showed his class with a great save from Elliott Lee whilst Romeao Hutton tested Okonkwo with a curler. 

The home sides best effort of the half came just before the break when Ethan Colemans piledriver was really well tipped over by the Wrexham keeper. 

Ten minutes after the break, the Gills struck. 

The home side won a free kick after Hawkins had been thumped yet again – Max Clark drilled the ball to the back post where it was headed back across goal by Connor Masterson and Dieng made sure at the far post to score and send the Rainham End wild with delight as both Masterson and Dieng wheeled away celebrating. 

Wrexham piled forward and somehow, they were kept out moments later. Morris blocked an angled shot brilliantly and managed to get in the way of Stephen Fletcher’s follow-up, yet the ball evaded the Gills keeper and seemed to be rolling into the net. With cat like reactions that left the Wrexham forwards dumbfounded, Morris recovered incredibly to hook the ball off the line and away to safety in movement of his giant hands. 

The visitors pressed more and more as the minutes ticked by but there simply was no way past Messers Ehmer, Masterson and Ogie as the Gills back line shut out another promotion hopeful. 

Ironically as the League Two table stands after this Gills win, the two sides would meet again in the play-offs is the season stopped now… Now there is a thought for a Hollywood director.

GILLINGHAM – Morris, Hutton, Masterson, Ehmer, Ogie, Max Clark (Malone), Coleman, Dieng, Jonny Williams (McKenzie), Nadesan (Jayden Clarke), Hawkins 

Subs – Holtam, S. Williams, Mahoney, Walker  

WREXHAM – Okonkwo, Cleworth, O’Connell, Tunnicliffe (Young), Barnett (Bolton), McClean, Cannon, Lee, Mendy (Davies), Fletcher (Dalby), Marriott (Mullin) 

Subs – Howard, Tozer 

REFEREE – Mr Simpson 

Images courtesy of Gillingham FC