[ 12 Dec 15 ] GILLS v Burton Match Thread

[Garawa]

The Gills have won all 4 matches against Burton at Priestfield (the last 4-1 in October 2012) scoring 9 goals and conceding 2 in the process.

10 goals were scored the last 2 times the sides met, more than in all the remaining 5 games between the sides combined.

Burton scored 5 goals in 9 league games before matching the total in 1 game against Colchester. They have won their last 3 games in the league and 5 of their last 6.

Before today fewer goals (40) have been scored in Burton games than any other League 1 side, partly due to having the leanest defence (just 16 conceded).

Only Blackpool and Doncaster had scored fewer goals away from home than Burton's 8 before today.

Burton and Wigan managed clean sheets in almost half their league games (9). The Gills have managed 5 but have only 1 blank sheet in the league to Burton's 6.

The 2 goals Burton scored in their last 5 away league games both resulted in wins, but the 3 others were goal-less defeats. They conceded 7 in that period.

3:03 Kick-Off.

3:30
Burton have a goal ruled out after the referee stops play for a foul.

3:39
Doug Loft is sent off for a second yellow card.

3:51 Half-time 0-0.

4:21
GOAL! Gillingham 0-1 Burton.

4:23
Dominic Samuel floats a ball on to the top of the cross bar.

4:52
GOAL! Gillingham 0-2 Burton.

4:57
GOAL! Gillingham 0-3 Burton.

4:58 FULL-TIME: 0-3

Position: 4th
Attendance: 6,230 (142)
Referee: James Linington

[lidbid46]

Oh how we need a win from this one. Strangely, this is exactly the type of game that i feel more confidence in Gills winning; we perform better against teams that will come to win rather than the defensive teams who want to hit us on the break. I see nothing but a victory, so that's ruined that then!!

[Kent_UckyFriedGills]

It`s good to be back at Priestfield on Saturday,and we have another top of the table clash against Burton.It will be interesting to see if Nigel Clough changes their style from JFH.Hopefully he does because his style didn`t work that well at Sheffield Utd in the league games.JFH liked to play a good Football game.Hopefully the 2 week break will do us good and we can keep our brilliant home record up.

[fan_of_mulligan]

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

----------------------------------Nelson---------------------------------------
Jackson-------------Egan---------------------Oshilaja---------------Garmston
----------------------------------Wright----------------------------------------
-----------------Hessenthaler------------------Loft-----------------------------
-----------------------------------Dack------------------------------------------
-------------------Samuel-------------------McDonald--------------------------

Subs: G.Morris (GK), Ehmer, B.Dickenson, A.Morris, Osadebe, McGlashan, Donnelly

The only change I will make from the team that started against Shrewsbury Town two weeks a go, is Josh Wright in for Aaron Morris and Rory Donnelly will be on the bench after serving a one match suspension, I am really looking forward to the game tomorrow and hopefully Gillingham can keep our impressive home form going with a win against A Very Good Burton Albion Team - COME ON THE GILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Garawa]

I've never been so angry from a match!!! We moan about refs all the time but this one seemed worse it seems! He booked many of our players for very minor infringements (one a slight brush of the shoulder) yet our players get wrestled to the ground and it's not even a foul. Knowing how tame his previous yellow was, Doug Loft should then have trod very carefully but instead he received a second yellow just 9 minutes later when his petulant kick might have been worthy of a red on its own! That sending off was the tale of the game. We looked utterly ragged and shattered with a few minutes left and managed to get pulled all over the shop for them to tuck in 2 and 3.

What's really annoying as we have given away 6 goals to Coventry, 6 to Burton and a couple of Walsall and our advantage is being whittled down VERY quickly! Walsall are still ahead of us despite not playing and should Coventry win tomorrow we will be 4 and 6 points behind the top 2. Loft for me now just doesn't work, we have a wretched record when he starts and he's had too many chances. We are going to get results like this. Burton weren't worthy of a 3-0 but were clearly the better side but the fact Nelson won man of the match in a 3-0 loss (albeit voted when the score was 0-1) really says it all. Need a change in system now to get back into winning ways because for too many games we are poor in the first half, concede and then improve to get something out of the game. It's about time we had a decent first half. Do the same Saturday at Millwall and we go into Christmas on the slide.

[Wiggieworks]

Worse ref this season and that's saying something, Gills should have been awarded a free kick for a pullback just before Loft was sent off, then Loft wouldn't have kicked out in frustration, players simulating injury, then jumping straight up and sprinting away. Does simulation only get a booking in the penalty area?

[Kent_UckyFriedGills]

I was hoping the two week break would have done us good,but we looked poor throughout.Loft`s sending off was poor by him,and I felt we would lose with 11 men because Burton looked better over the pitch.They passed and kept the ball much better than us,they defended much better,and create better chances.The only annoying thing from them was their diving and laying on the ground which is obviously a Clough tactic.A shame as they don`t need to do that,because they played us off the park.The ref was really poor and one sided,but we deserved nothing from yesterday the better Team won.A shame to lose our unbeaten league home record in that way.

[shoutingman]

Agree with KFG in all respects unfortunately. And Loft really ought to be setting an example to the younger players. Kicking out for a "pull back" is inexcusable, particularly when he'd already been booked for a dangerous lunge. Sorry to be so harsh, but that really wasn't very clever!

[CadburyMan]

A Clough tactic ? How can that be? Never was previously and he's hardly had the time or opportunity to introduce it to the team. Perhaps this is what Burton have been doing all season and it was down to JFB. Some of the grapes don't appear to be so sweet !

[lidbid46]

Not sure I completely agree with the previous comments. Don't see how we can be sure Burton were the better team when we have a player sent off after half an hour when the score was 0-0 and remained goalless till midway through the second half. The ref was appalling and if the Burton players had not been allowed to get away with their disgraceful antics getting fellow professionals booked and sent off, (although I agree that Loft was an idiot), the game would have been different. To see players brandishing imaginary yellow cards in the refs face and not even being told to stop is just wrong. To watch them rolling around on the grass as if their legs had actually been detached from their bodies only to then spring to their feet to chase after the ref was even worse; not once, not twice but multiple times was galling. Honestly, if we played like that all the time I don't think I would enjoy watching us. I'm not saying we would have beaten us but I don't think we can be certain that we would have lost.

[Rimshot]

All the evidence tells us we're not quite good enough against the top teams. Playoffs will be a struggle but we might just make them, time to be realistic I think.

[Goalmouth]

We didn't look like scoring all afternoon apart from a great cross from Jackson which the keeper pushed out to the penalty spot. Where were Cody, Dack and Samuel? Sadly I can't see us getting any more points this side of the new year. JED seems to have lost sight of his best team and, correct me if I'm wrong, I doubt if Oshilaja and Houghton will be here in January.

[Kent_UckyFriedGills]

A Clough tactic ? How can that be? Never was previously and he's hardly had the time or opportunity to introduce it to the team. Perhaps this is what Burton have been doing all season and it was down to JFB. Some of the grapes don't appear to be so sweet !

Clough`s Sheffield Utd used the same tactics last season,but Walsall fans say they played the same way against them under Hasselbaink.No sour grapes from me as I said Burton were much better,but it was just a shame they needed to dive and roll around because they didn`t need to.

[CadburyMan]

I didn't make the comment to be confrontational but I have seen Burton a number of times this season and have not witnessed any of the alleged behaviour - that's not to say it hasn't happened but I am surprised at what is being said

[Kent_UckyFriedGills]

I guess it only started this season.I never saw your comments as confrontational