Gillingham were thumped on their return to action as Rotherham United showed why they haven’t been beaten since September and sit atop the League One table.
It all started so well for the visitors as Olly Lee scored his first goal of the season inside five minutes, but it was the home side who eased to the three points that the Gills so desperately need as Freddie Ladapo, Mikel Miller, Josh Kayode and a couple from Daniel Barlaser gave the home side a true thumping win – indeed it could have been even worse as Barlaser smashed a penalty off the Gillingham bar in the closing stages following Ryan Jackson’s second yellow card which will only add to Steve Evans’ selection problems going into the weekend
The manager had hoped that his troops would get some numbers back after their ten-day break, but the hope didn’t muster the re-enforcements that the Gills faithful would have been hoping if not praying for.
In fact, goalkeeper Jamie Cumming was confirmed as the mystery player that had contracted Covid and was forced into self isolation handing Aaron Chapman a rare start.
That said, those that made the long midweek trip to Yorkshire saw the Gills make a sensational start as Lee got on the end of a great ball in from Ryan Jackson to sweep home his first goal of the season after Stuart O’Keefe’s great surging run forward to the edge of the Rotherham box.
The visitors were dealt a massive blow just moments later when Max Ehmer was forced off after a foul as the central defender was withdrawn out of the action with Harvey Lintott coming on and yet another stretch of Evans’ squad.
The league leaders huffed and puffed but didn’t really threaten Chapman’s goal until seven minutes from half time when luck deserted the visitors – their keeper cleared massively down field, clearing the clash of Michael Smith and Lintott. The ball bounced towards Ladapo and Jack Tucker, the Rotherham man got the touch inside where Lintott had recovered but the ball bounced away from the Gills sub to fall to Smith who was denied by the keeper only for the ball to fall back to Ladapo who walked the ball into the empty net!
Rotherham led by the break as Miller put the Millers in front on the stroke of half time as a long free kick into Gills box was nodded back to the edge of the box and the Rotherham left winger fired the ball into the bottom corner past the unsighted and motionless Chapman.
Just before the hour, the home side cemented the points, but they had a huge helping hand from referee Joyce. A corner was swung into the Gills box and as the ball went across the box, the official pointed to the spot to the disbelief of the defenders – Barlaser stepped up and slammed the ball beyond the diving Chapman into the roof of the net.
Any hope of an unlikely comeback that the Gills could have had all but evaporated on seventy-one minutes when Jackson hauled down Ladapo in the area and referee Joyce pointed to the spot for a second penalty after showing the Gills defender a second yellow card. Barlaser again stepped up but this time he crashed the ball off the crossbar with Chapman statuesque.
Goal number four arrived nine minutes from time as Barlaser this time got his sights right as he ran onto a ball from sub Kayode and drilled the ball across Chapman into the bottom corner of the net.
To rub salt into the Gills wounds, Rotherham got a fifth when Kayode himself netted with the goal of the night as he cut in from the right and fizzed in a bullet that beat the helpless Chapman and crashed into the net via the underside of the bar.
A third successive defeat for the Gills – and just one win in their last ten matches – a potentially damaging night in Yorkshire which leaves them third from bottom and facing a huge – if not monumental – game at Fleetwood on Saturday as 21st host 22nd in League Two, at a ground where Gillingham have only ever won once!
ROTHERHAM UNITED – Johansson, Edmonds-Green, Ihiekwe, Harding, Barlaser, Ogbene, Wiles, Rathbone, Miller (Ferguson 64), Ladapo (Grigg 79), Smith (Kayode 75).
Subs not used – Mattock, Lindsay, Odoffin, Vickers.
Goals: Ladapo (39), Miller (45), Barlaser (pen 59), (81), Ogbene (89).
GILLINGHAM – Chapman, Jackson, Ehmer (Lintott 11), Tucker, McKenzie, Phillips (Akehurst 73), O’Keefe, Lloyd, Lee, Carayol, Akinde (Sithole H/T).
Sub not used – Crump.
Goal: Lee (5).
Booked: Jackson (38).
Sent Off: Jackson (71).
REFEREE – Mr Ross Joyce
Attendance: 8008 (164 Gills).