A controversial Portsmouth goal in first half stoppage time has left Gillingham teetering with the League One relegation trap door.
With the score at 1-1, the home side netted through Ronan Curtis ninety seconds into stoppage time after referee Darren Drysdale had indicated just a minute of additional time.
The decision incensed the Gills bench and manager Neil Harris couldn’t believe the officials’ time keeping and protested too much for the referee who brandished Harris the red card which could now potentially mean the manager not being on the bench for the final game of the season in seven days time.
The Gills boss was forced into two changes as Charlie Kelman’s appeal against his Fleetwood red card was thrown out and Robbie McKenzie hadn’t recovered from the injury that forced him off on Easter Monday – Ben Reeves and David Tutonda the replacements.
With the position so tight around the relegation dotted line, the Gills needed a fast start, but they didn’t get one as Portsmouth were in front inside five minutes. Hayden Carter combined well with Marcus Harness and as the ball was played into the box, Curtis smashed the ball high into Aaron Chapman’s net.
The early setback was tough for the Gills to take but to their credit, Harris’ side forced their way back into the game and scored a simply glorious equaliser on the half hour from an unlikely source. The two players introduced inadvertently combined – Tutonda’s blocked cross fell to Reeves – and his cross was sensationally met at the far post by Ryan Jackson and his volley fizzed into the bottom corner.
The goal rightly buoyed the mood of the travelling fans, but such have been the ups and the downs of this Gillingham season, we should have known that there was a down just around the corner, and on the stroke of half time, a potential down that could spell the end of the Gills stay in League One came courtesy of referee Drysdale’s time keeping!
Harris’ mood wouldn’t have been helped nine minutes after the break as Clark Robertson rose above the Gills defence to power home a header from a corner giving Chapman no chance.
The visitors were left chasing the game and Pompey so very nearly picked them off with swift breaks, but there was always a thought that if the Gills could find a way through, there was hope.
Sadly, for the travelling support the closest they got was in stoppage time when Ben Thompson brought a really smart save out of home keeper Gavin Bazunu – the midfielder was denied by the keeper’s legs as he tried to thread the ball home.
With Fleetwood’s late equaliser denying AFC Wimbledon their first win in twenty-five games, both sides can now potentially finish above Harris’ team.
It all goes down to the final week of the season with Fleetwood hosting Play Off chasing Sheffield Wednesday before finishing at Bolton Wanderers, whilst AFC host Accrington on the final day whilst Gillingham welcome promotion seeking Rotherham United to Priestfield.
Worrying as that all sounds to the Gills chances, simply to be in that position remembering that on day one of Neil Harris’ reign the club were ten points adrift – ninety minutes from a Great Escape or ninety minutes from a heart-breaking drop through the relegation trap door… it’s going to be a long week!
PORTSMOUTH – Bazunu, Carter, Raggett, Clark Robertson, Ogilvie (Romeo 78), Thompson (Mingi 74), Morrell, Harness (O’Brien 89), Curtis, Jacobs, Hirst.
Subs not used – Webber, Williams, Tunnicliffe, O’Brien, Walker.
Goals: Curtis (4), (45+2), Robertson (54).
GILLINGHAM – Chapman, Jackson, Tucker, Ehmer, Masterson, Tutonda (Dickson-Peters 64), Lee, O’Keefe (Phillips H/T), Thompson, Reeves, Oliver.
Subs not used – Dahlberg, Lintott, Maghoma, Chambers, Sithole.
Goal: Jackson (30).
Booked: Tutonda (22), Ehmer (93).
REFEREE – Mr Darren Drysdale
Attendance: 15,540 (1192 Gills).
Picture supplied by Gillingham Football Club.