[ 3 Mar 15 ] Swindon v Gills Match Thread

[Garawa]

Gills are unbeaten against Swindon in the last 4 ties winning 2 but last season's 2-2 draw broke a sequence of 5 losses at the County ground.

The last 9 meetings have seen 32 goals with 6 of them witnessing 4 or more goals in the game. Both sides scored 16.

Swindon edge the wins between the sides with 35 wins to our 30. There have been 28 draws. Swindon also edge the goal count 135 goals to 118.

Swindon are unbeaten in their last 2 league outings and have won 7 and lost 2 of their last 9 at home.

The Gills have suffered just 1 defeat in their last 8 league matches but 4th placed Swindon have lost 4 of their last 7. Swindon took 26 league games to lose 4 times earlier in the season (taking them top of the table) but are still a point off automatic promotion places before kick off.

Swindon only once failed to score at home in the league and kept 6 clean sheets there, more than the Gills home and away.

The Gills have only lost twice from 8 league games on the road and have scored in each of them.

Ever-present 20 goal top-scorer for Swindon Andy Williams and 14 goal 2nd top-scorer Michael Smith have 1 goal each in their last 7 and 11 games respectively.

Massimo Luongo has scored 6 goals in his 28 appearances for Swindon but 5 have come in his last 8.

7:48
Kick-Off

8:16
GOAL! Swindon 0-1 Gillingham: McDonald
Cody McDonald scores his 15th of the season and only his 4th in an away game this season. 11 of his 17 last season were in away games.

8:24
Swindon had previously conceded the opening goal in 4 of their 16 home league games drawing 2 and losing 2 at full time.

8:35
Half-time: 0-1

8:38
This is only the 4th time in 17 away league trips the Gills have been leading at the break. We previously won 3 and lost 1 of them (5 wins and a defeat in league and cup).

8:50
GOAL! Swindon 0-2 Gillingham: Hessenthaler
The Gills score after 18 seconds of the restart.

8:53
Hessenthaler scores his second Gills goal and his first of the season in his 58th appearance.

9:30
Swindon hit the post. Still no shots on target for Swindon so far in the game.

9:33
GOAL! Swindon 0-3 Gillingham: McDonald

9:40
Full-time: 0-3
The Gills win by more than 1 goal in an away game for the first time this season.

[Kent_UckyFriedGills]

A tough game for us against Swindon with them in the top 6,but their recent results can give us heart.They have only won twice in their last seven games.If we can play like we have been recently before the Barnsley game,then we can get something from the game.Our record at Swindon is poor so I would be happy with a point like last season.

Justin Edinburgh is eager for the game to come around after Saturday`s defeat.

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/spor ... ack-32663/

[fan_of_mulligan]

I think Gillingham will line up as follows.......................

----------------------------------Nelson--------------------------------------
Hoyte----------------Egan-------------------Ehmer-------------------Martin
-------------------------------Hessenthaler-----------------------------------
------------Galbraith-----------------------------------Loft-------------------
-----------------------------------Dack----------------------------------------
--------------------McDonald--------------Marquis----------------------------

Subs: G.Morris (GK), Legge, A. Morris, Pritchard, McGlashan, Dickenson, Norris

After Saturday's performance and result against Barnsley, I would go back to using Jermaine McGlashan as an impact substitute and because I am not convinced that neither Aaron Morris and Josh Pritchard are fit enough to start at the moment, then Danny Galbraith is probably the only option we have got to change things in midfield, I would also like to see Jake Hessenthaler and Doug Loft dropped because both players can do with a rest, but until Aaron Morris and Josh Pritchard are fit enough to start then we are going to have to stick with these two in the starting eleven for the time being.

Joe Martin will start at left back as Bradley Garmston is likely to be out injured for the next 2-3 matches, and i hope that Brennan Dickenson is back on the bench at the expense of Mahlon Romeo, because looking at the bench on Saturday Luke Norris was the only attacking substitution available to us as Bradley Dack, Jermaine McGlashan, Cody McDonald and John Marquis were all starting, having the option to bring on McGlashan and Dickenson at the same-time will give us that final push we will need against Swindon Town tonight.

I am not sure what the atmosphere is going to be like tonight, because the 2-2 draw earlier in the season was the flattest and dullest atmosphere I can remember for a Gillingham V Swindon Town Game, but as Me and Diane will be traveling via car this evening, we be taking no chances and might park further away from the ground just in-case something might happen tonight.

[Garawa]

What an incredible match! A 3-0 win at Swindon, 4th in the league....!! Sounds like we bossed the game, we just never let them play and Marquis sounded absolutely phenomenal. We have almost turned the goal difference positive, Cody is a goal away from his total last season and looks like signing a new deal, Dack has more assists than anyone else in the squad career-wise and is here until 2018 (if he doesn't get snapped up), we just can't stop scoring and have started to tighten the defence!!! What a time to be a Gills fan, I can't remember the last time we were so frightening!

This hasn't just started happening, even under Taylor there were games we looked dangerous in yet lost. We are now starting to see the rewards for the plan coming together, question is, does Edinburgh put his stamp on it in the summer or leave it be? It would take a brave man to alter this now but we are a young squad getting better and better on decent length deals. Secure Marquis and Cody and bodes well for next season........with virtually no alterations from the new manager! Bid weird! Amazing night!

[Garawa]

Mark Cooper on the Swindon website:

On the result...
It was one of those evenings where we just had too many players under par and no matter what you try it wasn't good enough. We were totally under par, we tried to change it, freshen the strikers up and did what we could but it was just a bad evening.

On goals conceded...
Gillingham started at a real high tempo but we came into the game and had some good chances and we seemed to be getting control of the game. We concede a goal and it puts us on the back foot. We have enough opportunities to put the ball in the right areas and it didn't happen. (The second goal is a) Really poor goal from our point of view. It puts us in a bad position just after half time. We tried to have a gamble but I don't think we'd have scored had we been sat here until tomorrow night.
Read more at http://www.swindontownfc.co.uk/news/art ... LtbX7RJ.99

[Kent_UckyFriedGills]

I`m over the moon with this result.Our record at Swindon for decades has been really poor,so I would have taken a point last night.It sounded like we fully deserved the win with us pressing them for 90 minutes,playing a good passing game and being clinical.Great tactics from Justin Edinburgh,and two really good finishes from Cody McDonald.This result makes up for Saturday`s defeat to Barnsley.Doncaster at home on Saturday should be a decent game and only 4 points separate us.

[fan_of_mulligan]

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/sport/swindon-v-gills-reaction-32742/

Justin Edinburgh was thrilled to get the response he craved, The Gills boss watched his team lose 1-0 at home to Barnsley on Saturday but bounced back in style.

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/sport/swindon-v-gills-player-32743/

Cody McDonald is sure Tuesday night’s win at Swindon set tongues wagging among their League 1 rivals.

[fan_of_mulligan]

http://fan-of-mulligan.tumblr.com/post/113083583242/fom-blog-swindon-town-0-3-gillingham

Here's My FOM BLOG For Gillingham's 3 - 0 away win against Swindon Town - Enjoy