[ 20 Feb 16 ] Oldham v GILLS Match Thread

[Garawa]

It is the lowest scorers in League 1 against the highest. The Gills have scored 57 goals, a whopping 30 more than Oldham!

Today's game sees the start of games against sides currently sitting in 23rd, 20th and 21st positions and between them they have managed 4 wins in 10 games. The Gills have 6 wins from 10 on their own.

The Gills are unbeaten in 3 against Oldham but 2 of those were draws. They were 2 of just 6 draws from the 44 matches between the sides.

After just 7 goals were scored in 7 games with Oldham (2 ending 0-0), 11 goals have since been scored in the last 2!

Oldham haven't won any of their last 13 home games, losing 9 of them. Their single home win and 7 point home total is the worst in League 1 by 4 points.

Oldham have kept clean sheets in each of their last 3 league games however they have also only scored 1 goal in 5 games!

Oldham are unbeaten in 3 in the league (all away from home) but have lost 6 out of 7 at home scoring 6 and conceding 14.

Before today Oldham were the joint lowest scorers at home with 14 goals from 14 games. The Gills had scored 10 more in their away games.

Before today Oldham had been behind at home for 649 minutes, the most of any League 1 side and an average of 46.4 minutes per home game.

3:00 KICK-OFF

3:15
GOAL! Oldham 0-1 Gillingham: Loft
Oldham have drawn 1 and lost 9 of the home games they conceded the opening goal in, the worst total in the league.

3:17
The Gills have lost just 2 of the 17 league games in which they scored the first goal of the match this season.

3:46 Half-time: 0-1
Oldham are yet to win at home when losing at the break and have lost 8 out of 9 so far this season.

3:55
The Gills have won 10 of the 12 games they led at half-time in (the joint second best total). Only Wigan have a better record.

4:02
The second half kicks off.

4:13
GOAL! Oldham 1-1 Gillingham.
Oldham score only their second goal in 538 minutes of football.

4:28
GOAL! Oldham 2-1 Gillingham.

4:38
Oldham score but the goal is ruled out for a foul on Nelson.

4:52 FULL-TIME 2-1

Position: 3rd
Attendance: 3,874 (279)
Referee: David Coote

[Kent_UckyFriedGills]

A long trip for Gills on Saturday,but certainly a winnable one.They have only won twice in 13 games so we should be looking to go there and win.Our away form needs to be better,and hopefully we can change that on Saturday.It is not a place we have had a lot of joy,but looking at our league positions we should be targeting a win.

Gills Team? What would be your Gills Team?

[Garawa]

Hard to see Jed changing much from Saturday given that we created a number of chances against a Barnsley side that had been very good defensively. That said I wonder if he may decide to alter the midfield a little being away from home but if we create chances like we have recently we should be ok. I'd keep it the same I think.

[baronnight]

I don't think this will be as easy as some might think, Oldham have been improving of late.

Oldham last 5 games......1 win...2 drawn..2 defeats.
Gillingham last 5 games...2 wins..2 drawn..1 defeat.

Not that very different allowing for our poor away form, also Oldham have conceded only 2 goals in 5 games, we have conceded 5 in 5, they are 3 games undefeated we are only 2 games undefeated.

So with all of the above it's bound to be 6 - 0 one way or the other.

[Kent_UckyFriedGills]

My Team:

-------------------------------Nelson-----------------------------
----A Morris--------------------------------------------------Garmston---------
-------------------------Egan---------------Ehmer--------------------------
-------------------------------Wright--------------------------------
------------------------Osadebe-----------Hessenthaler---------------
-------------------------Dack-----------------------
---------------------Donnelly-------------Samuel---------------------

Subs: G Morris,Chicksen,Dickenson,Loft,Williams,List,Norris

[Garawa]

They are improving but they are the worst side in the league for home goals scored, the worst side in the league for scoring goals (the Gills are the best), the worst side for conceding the opening goal at home (the Gills have the best record when conceding first) and they are the side with the worst record when losing at half time at home.

Barnsley had a similar defensive record and we were able to break them open and with Oldham low on confidence at home we should be more than capable! An early goal for us and it could be a good score but if it drags on they will be confident of holding out for another 0-0.

[fan_of_mulligan]

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

----------------------------------Nelson---------------------------------------
A.Morris------------Egan----------------------Ehmer------------------Garmston
----------------------------------Wright------------------------------------------
-------------------Osadebe-----------------------Loft-----------------------------
----------------------------------Dack---------------------------------------------
-------------------Samuel----------------------Donnelly-------------------------

Subs: G.Morris (GK), Chicksen, Hessenthaler, McGlashan, Williams, Norris, List

Same Eighteen Man Squad that featured in our 2-1 win against Barnsley, if Ryan Jackson is fully fit and available for selection then Aaron Morris will move into midfield, Emmanuel Osadebe will drop to the bench and Jermaine McGlashan would be the player to miss out, but I would only play Ryan Jackson if he is back to 100% and I wouldn't rush his recovery.

I am traveling via Supporters Coach for tomorrow's long away trip to Oldham Athletic - it is always freezing at Boundary Park - I really do hope that the game is on and isn't postponed and fingers crossed that Gillingham can pick up all three points, we need to start winning games away from home if we're to remain in contention for automatic promotion, and away to a team with one home win all season is the type of games that Gillingham should be winning, but if past experiences are anything to go by Gillingham are more likely to travel to the team with the unbeaten home record and win, rather then win against the team with the dreadful home record.

Here's hoping that Gillingham can pick up another three points tomorrow - COME ON THE GILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Garawa]

No John Egan today apparently so it sounds like it will be a makeshift back 4! Still, Loft hasn't played badly so possibly deserves to stay in the side so perhaps he will but in defence!!!!

[Edit] Morris starts in defence with Loft in midfield and Egan will be out for 6 to 8 weeks!

[lidbid46]

I know I shouldn't post so close to the end of another disappointing away game but honestly, how are we still even involved in a promotion battle? Eight points from our last seven games is more like relegation form. It seems that none of the other teams apart from Burton really want to put a conclusive run together. I take it as a done deal that Burton will now win the league- how I have no idea as their average crowd is about twelve people, including an old aged couple who got lost and wandered into the ground by mistake. I always thought we may be flattering to deceive but the JE factor seems to be fading and we no longer have a firm grasp on any match, regardless of who scores first. Obviously I wasn't at the match today but reading the commentary from the wall it seems that we were second best for much of the game against a side which must have had no confidence and whom a top of the table side should expect to put away quite comfortably. I really hope the season is not just going to fade away but I am seriously concerned now.

[Garawa]

I cannot fathom out how on earth Burton are supposedly head and shoulders above everyone else in this division?! They could be 11 points ahead of us if they win their games in hand! All the stats were against them and we had a great and commanding first half yet totally threw away in the second and, by the sounds of it, they should have had a couple more! Totally opposite to how we have been doing things I suppose but this was an awful defeat, not because we shouldn't lose to them but rather that they have failed to overcome any side that started strongly against them and that it was in our hands to close the gap on Burton.

I'm not ruling out automatic but it will be tough with Wigan flying (could have done with them not beating Walsall today). If we end up in the play offs I don't feel we will get through and if so, we would need to avoid being that side that drops like a stone the season after.