A second half revival earned Gillingham their first League double over historic rivals Swindon Town for the first time since the Play Off heartbreak of 1987 in what was the one hundredth meeting of the old foes.
Vadaine Oliver’s 13th and 14th goals of the season along with another from skipper Kyle Dempsey secured a come from behind 3-1 in at the County Ground – ironically, the Gills have now won on three of their last four trip to Wiltshire, but these three points completed the League double over the Robins for the first time since Keith Peacock’s side were denied a Play Off Final replay win at Selhurst Park thirty-four years ago!
Given the managers comments following the disappointing – and some would call disjointed – midweek loss to Fleetwood Town, it was perhaps a surprise to some supporters that the Gills boss named an unchanged side for a fourth successive game. But the players responded magnificently – albeit eventually – as the visitors won their third game out of the last four League One matches.
It was a cagey opening for the contest as both sides looked to gain an early upper hand – Scott Twine forced Jack Bonham into a good early save while Connor Ogilvie had an effort blocked from Jordan Graham’s centre.
Stuart O’Keefe had a header just too high before eight minutes from the break, the Gills went behind as Jordan Lyden found Brett Pitman on the edge of the box and the striker picked his spot and gave Bonham no chance as the ball whistled into the bottom corner.
Olly Lee had a chance to level before the break but his effort – from Oliver’s knock down – was blocked and the home side headed for the interval with the lead; a lead that forced Evans into a change with Alex MacDonald introduced for Olly Lee and just after the break John Akinde replaced Lee.
The changes and reorganistion had the desired effect as Akinde played a big part in the leveller. Ogilvie helped on a ball for the substitute, who saw his header beat keeper Connal Trueman only to smack against the underside of the bar. Oliver was quickest to react and equalised for his thirteenth goal of the season.
The Gills number nineteen didn’t have to wait long for goal number fourteen – three minutes in fact! For the second away game in three, Oliver took advantage of horrendous home defending as he seized on a mistake, rounded Trueman and rolled the ball home from an acute angle. The Gillingham revival was complete on sixty-eight minutes when Dempsey won a free kick – the skipper dusted himself down and saw his kick take a deflection which wrong footing Trueman and nestled in the net – three goals in nine minutes had turned the game on its head, and in truth, the Gills could have had even more as Oliver missed a golden opportunity to complete his hat-trick when he really should have done better with a header from another Graham cross.
Not even a quintuple change by Swindon boss John Sheridan could turn the tide and stop the manager from receiving his third beating by the Gills this season as he started the season in charge at Wigan Athletic where Evans’ side won at the start of the campaign before the former Irish international took over at the County Ground.
The win in the early kick off lifted the Gills to within just two points of the Play Off places before the 3.00pm starts (only Ipswich Town’s win over Plymouth Argyle extended the gap to four points) but it really highlights just how tight the Race of the Play Offs has become and does show that with still eleven games left a post season place could still be in reach.
Steve Evans will be the first to admit that his side face some massive games in the next few weeks with almost every game becoming a Cup Final if that particular dream is to continue – and in their next game, could go a long way in showing just how far the Gills have come since Christmas as they travel to face promotion chasing Lincoln City at Sincil Bank, who just weeks ago seemed odds on for automatic promotion – yet on this day were beaten 2-1 at home by bottom of the table Rochdale – Lincolns seventh home League defeat of the season as this strangest of seasons takes even more twists…
SWINDON TOWN – Trueman, Conroy (Curran), Broadbent (Odimayo), Thompson (Iandolo), Caddis, Joel Grant (Smith), Anthony Grant (Payne), Twine, Garrick, Lyden, Pitman
Subs – Missilou, Matthews
GILLINGHAM – Bonham, Jackson, Tucker, Cundy, Ogilvie, O’Keefe (Woods), Dempsey, Graham (McKenzie), Lee (Akinde), O’Connor (MacDonald), Oliver
Subs – Bastien, Johnson, Willock
REFEREE – Mr Bell
Image courtesy of Gillingham FC