Festive football continues at Priestfield on Monday night as Gillingham welcome Colchester United to the MEMS Priestfield Stadium.
Gillingham remain 12th in the table following last Saturday’s draw at home to Cambridge United. They are seven points away from the playoff places and 12 points away from the top.
The draw last Saturday extended the Gills’ winless run to seven games -– six draws and a loss away at Fleetwood. They haven’t won since their 1-0 victory away at Bristol Rovers on 8th November.
The Gills went behind early in the game following a lapse in defensive concentration but came back strongly in the second half to level the game. While the result wasn’t ideal, manager Gareth Ainsworth felt the home side were the aggressors and deserved the point.
Colchester, meanwhile, sit 10th in the table, two points above Gillingham. They are in a similar position to the Gills, but have won more of their recent fixtures, giving them more momentum to aim for the playoff places.
Gillingham and Colchester United have played each other 98 times in total, with the Gills winning 35 and Colchester 34. They last faced each other on 6th December at the JobServe Community Stadium which ended in a scrappy 0-0 draw.
Gillingham’s available squad is strong, which is good news for Ainsworth given they have to play 4 games in 11 days. Euan Williams and Marcus Wyllie are back, while long-term absentee defender Connor Masterson was an unused substitute on Boxing Day.
The clubs are currently in the same area of the table, which suggests it should be a tight game. But if Gillingham want to be serious contenders for the playoffs, they need to win games like this.
Image courtesy of Gillingham FC