[ 19 Dec 15 ] Millwall v GILLS Match Thread

[Garawa]

Millwall are unbeaten in 5 at home to the Gills and lead the head to heads between the sides by 47 wins to 26.

The Gills last won at Millwall on the 28th December 2003 when goals from Andy Hessenthaler and Kevin James gave us a 2-1 win.

The Gills are looking for their first away win in 5 games and drew the last 2-2. They conceded 4, 3 and 3 goals in defeats from the 3 before it.

After losing their opening 4 home league games, Millwall have since won 5 and drawn 1 of their last 6, keeping clean sheets in 4 of them.

4 of Millwall's 5 blank sheets this season have come in home games but 4 of their 6 clean sheets have also come at home.

Before today, Millwall had scored 14 goals at home and the Gills had scored 14 goals away from home.

Before today, Millwall had been losing at home for just 3 fewer minutes than the Gills had been losing away from home.

3:01 Kick-Off.

3:21
GOAL! Millwall 0-1 Gillingham: Samuel
Millwall have lost all 3 matches in which they conceded the first goal at home in the league.

3:23
The Gills score the opening goal for only the 3rd time in 11 games.

3:25
Penalty to Gills for a foul on Cody McDonald! Millwall keeper Jordan Archer is sent off.

3:29
GOAL! Millwall 0-2 Gillingham: McDonald penalty

3:51 Half-time: 0-2
The Gills have taken 6 half time leads this season but none had previously come in away games.

4:10
The second half kicks off.

4:47
Substitute goal-keeper for Millwall is booked for a foul on Dominic Samuel!

4:53
GOAL! Millwall 0-3 Gillingham: Samuel
Samuel scores the Gills 4th brace of the season.

5:02 FULL-TIME 0-3

Position: 3rd
Attendance: 12,032 (1,607)
Referee: Darren Handley

[Kent_UckyFriedGills]

I have been looking forward to this match for months,so i`m hoping we turn up and put in a performance.Millwall always is a tough place to go as the Den is like what Priestfield is for us.We have some tough games over Christmas and it would be good if we can get something from Millwall as with games coming thick and fast we could slide down the table.This will be my first trip to the new den,and the atmosphere should be brilliant with 1,100 sold already.

[fan_of_mulligan]

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

----------------------------------Nelson---------------------------------------
Jackson-------------Egan---------------------Ehmer-----------------Garmston
--------------------Wright--------------------A.Morris---------------------------
McGlashan-----------------------Dack-------------------------------Hessenthaler
---------------------------------Samuel--------------------------------------------

Subs: G.Morris (GK), Oshilaja, B.Dickenson, Houghton, Osadebe, McDonald, Donnelly

I wrote A Blog This Week describing how Gillingham need to scrap the diamond midfield formation and if Justin Edinburgh decides to stick with this system away against Millwall then we can expect A Coventry City performance / result, because Millwall will take full advantage of our midfield and Gillingham will be on the end of another high scoring defeat.

I would line up with a 4.2.3.1 formation and bring in Max Ehmer for Adedeji Oshilaja (who had a mare against Burton Albion), Josh Wright was sorely missed and why he didn't start last week I have no idea, and having Josh Wright and Aaron Morris sitting in-front of the back four means that there roles are more simplified, as both midfielders will have someone alongside them and not playing on there own as a defensive holding midfielder.

Jermaine McGlashan's pace up against Joe Martin will cause Joe Martin all sorts of problems, Bradley Dack is still playing in his preferred central attacking midfielder role, I have gone with the orthodox and unusual suggestion of naming Jake Hessenthaler as a left sided defensive winger, as Jake Hessenthaler will give Bradley Garmston some additional defensive cover and that may well mean sacrificing any attacking play down the left wing, but we need to find a way of getting results on the road, especially if Gillingham are not picking up points at home, Dominic Samuel was my pick to start up-front, that is harsh on Cody McDonald and Rory Donnelly, but both players could cause an impact from the substitutes bench.

I will be going to Millwall via coach tomorrow, here's hoping that we will be leaving The New Den with at least a point and maybe even all three - COME ON THE GILLS!!!!!!!!!

[Garawa]

In the interest of fairness it seems, for the second game in a row, another bonkers ref spoiled proceedings! Now I can only go by Gills Player but it seems that he got most decisions wrong and ruined the game (for Millwall) however football often evens itself out. Rarely see it in the next game though (it was a mirror image of last week, early sending off and a 3-0 win for the other side although this time the Gills were clearly the better side).

1. Samuel was clean through on goal, was rounded by the keeper and with an open goal was bought down. Decision: yellow card for diving.
2. Cody is now brought down in the area and, after perhaps getting away with the first time, he is sent off and Gills score a penalty. Decision: correct.
3. Jackson has an elbow swung at him and pole axes him. Decision: yellow card for the offender.
4. Substitute goal-keeper charges out of goal and takes down Samuel. Decision: yellow card.
5. George Saville is shown a yellow and red after the referee thought he had already booked him. Intervention by the 4th official put him straight.

Add to that severe abuse from the home crowd toward former Lion Josh Wright (who lost his gran in the week) which really riled him and made Jed state "What they did was absolutely disgusting & I would be embarrassed if they were friends or family of mine" as well as a 20 man mele after the game started to get dragged into what they do best, then really this result was possibly the best for a long time!!! So good after last week and go into Christmas on a high and 2nd place (3rd if Walsall win on Sunday).

[lidbid46]

These refs are a problem though; they're simply not up to it. If results at our level become decided by the officials making mistakes then it becomes less attractive to me and others I suspect. Why is it becoming harder for the refs to get it right? I'm sure the standard has dropped recently but I know there are still as many people trying to make it as professional officials. Perhaps their training is not as rigorous as it should be. Whatever it is, I hope someone in authority is taking notice and that standards improve as soon as possible.

[Kent_UckyFriedGills]

Wow what a win! I thought a point would be decent,but to win 0-3 and play the way we did was just brilliant.It was what you call a proper Gillingham performance,we defended and attacked as a Team and didn`t let them settle.The whole Team really put in a shift.Special mentions to Nelson,Egan,Dack,Wright,and Samuel who were just outstanding.This was my first trip to Millwall,and what a time to go.We created a brilliant atmosphere,and saw some great play at times with some of our passing.I thought we were edging the game at 1-0,but once their keeper got sent off and we went 2-0 up we looked comfortable up until H/T.The second half they came into it more and we looked nervy,Nelson making 2-3 really good saves to keep the lead intact.Late in the game it was feisty and a bit of a brawl with players pushing and falling to the ground,I was surprised the ref never flashed another red card.The third goal from a goalkeeping mistake put the icing on the cake.This tops the Leyton Orient away game where we bet them to reach the third round with a solid performance.Also good for me to personally end my poor away run.

The win puts us on 41 points which is brilliant for Christmas,and makes up for the poor performance at home to Burton last week.

[Rimshot]

I've always disliked Millwall, ever since being threatened as an 11-year old on the terraces at the old 'Den' by a very large adult Millwall docker. Fast forward to the year we played Coventry in the FA Cup, they had Northampton and BR cleverly ran a special train for both sets of supporters. On that occasion a group of us ( schoolboys) was threatened by two Millwall 'Teds' with flick knives.

Winning at their ground in such style is a reason for great celebration !!!!

[Garawa]

They really do seem the scum of the football fraternity and boy how they embrace it! In the week a letter was sent to Josh Wright from hundreds of Gills fans offering condolences on the loss of his gran. Whilst we can't be doing this for every relative that leaves us, it was greatly appreciated it seems by Josh. And then a day or two later he gets all this abuse from former fans. That everyone, is the difference in class! We have some odd fans so imagine being a fan of that lot!

[fan_of_mulligan]

http://fan-of-mulligan.tumblr.com/post/135842512282/fom-blog-millwall-0-3-gillingham

This is My FOM BLOG for Gillingham's 3-0 win away against Millwall at The New Den - Enjoy.

[Garawa]

The mele in the match that saw Ryan Jackson booked for being stamped on which then led to Samuel being knocked down after the whistle can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW7l4hbvT0I

The Gills lost an appeal and were fined for failing to control their players.