Former Welsh international Sam Vokes first Gillingham has taken Gareth Ainsworth’s side top of SKYBet League Two with a 1-0 win at Oldham Athletic.
The substitute met Max Clark’s corner twenty minutes from time, as home keeper Mathew Hudson could not reach the ball into the box, with firm header that beat the defenders on the line with gave the Gills their first win at Boundary Park since 2000 and the 3-1 win under Peter Taylor.
Chances early on were few and far between – Josh Andrews fired wide for the Gills whilst Joe Quigley had an effort which was deflected over Glenn Morris’s crossbar. From the resulting corner, the ball bounced through the six-yard box and away.
Andrews directed a header wide from Remeao Hutton’s cross after the Gills fine passing move down the right, and just before the break, Andrews again went close from another Hutton ball in as Robbie McKenzie had done well in the middle of the park.
The Gills had a real let off early in the second half as Kane Drummond somehow missed the target with a header from inside the six-yard box with the goal at his mercy after a ball was dinked across the box for the chance. Quigley curled wide before Elliott Nevitt was denied by a fine challenge after Andrews and Hutton had combined again.
The Gills took the lead with twenty minutes left – Sam Gale did well to win a corner; Clark took it, it was met by Vokes and the visitors were in front!
Morris pulled off a magnificent save to keep out a Tom Conlon free-kick and shortly after Oli Hammond angled a shot past the Gills keeper but “thankfully” found the outside of the net, even though some home fans thought Morris had been beaten inside the goal.
The final whistle and results elsewhere meant that the Gills, still unbeaten in the League since March under Gareth Ainsworth, go top of League Two ahead of next weekend’s televised “derby” at Bromley, who incidentally are now the only other unbeaten side in League Two…
OLDHAM ATHLETIC – Hudson, Sutton (Caprice), Daniels, Monthe, Robson, Hannant (Hammond), Woods, Conlon, Drummond, Harratt (Hawkes), Quigley
Subs – Donaghy, Olson, Kay, Waters
GILLINGHAM – Morris, Hutton (Gbode), Smith, McKenzie, Gale, Clark, Little, Coleman, Dack (Beszant), Nevitt (Rowe), Andrews (Vokes)
Subs – Turner, Cirino, Wyllie
REFEREE – Mr. Jackson
Image courtesy of Gillingham FC