[ 16 Mar 19 ] Luton Town v GILLS Match Thread

[Garawa]

- The Gills have won 18 of the meetings (1 of the last 5) whilst Luton have won 30 (including the last 2). There have been 13 draws.
- The Gills last visit to Luton was back in March 2009 (0-0). They have drawn 3 and lost 4 of their last 7 visits and the last win came 8 visits ago - a Mike Green brace securing a 2-1 win in December 1969.
- Luton haven't lost a league fixture in 24 games - the last coming against Barnsley on the 13th October. It was their 4th defeat in the opening 13 games.
- Luton remain unbeaten at home this season and last lost a league game at Kenilworth Road on the 10th March 2018 (Accrington). They have since gone 22 league games without defeat (18 wins) and 27 home games in all competitions with 1 defeat (Sheff Wed).
- If only Luton's home games were counted, their 46 points would see them sit 12th in League 1. Their 44 home goals is equal to or more than 10 other sides in the division.
- Luton have scored the most goals in League 1 (70). They have also scored the most home goals (44), just 3 fewer than the Gills league total of 47.
- Luton have kept clean sheets in 7 of their last 9 home league games. They have 10 at home in the league and 18 in total - both totals are the joint highest in the league with Barnsley.
- Luton's second half league performance have seen them score 41 goals and concede just 13, both the best totals in the division.

15.02 Kick Off [ 4 - 1 - 3 - 2 ]
Luton force a good save from Holy after 11 seconds and win a corner.

15.39
The Gills create a few efforts at goal without testing the keeper. Inaccurate shooting from Burke, Hanlan and O'Neill let Luton off the hook.

15.43
Shinnie curls a 25-yard effort narrowly wide of goal with Holy at full stretch.

15.47
GOAL! Luton Town 1-0 Gillingham: Hylton
Luton's last league defeat when scoring first came back on the 22nd of November 2016. Since then, they have won 50 and drawn 11 of the 61 matches.

15.49 Half time 1-0 (46:37)
Luton are unbeaten in 2 seasons when leading at half time in the league. They have dropped just 4 points, winning 32 and drawing 2

16.04
The second half kicks off.

16.10
Collins (Luton) has the ball in the net but the offside flag goes up.

16.14
GOAL! Luton Town 1-1 Gillingham: Eaves
Goal number 19 of the season for Eaves! He has scored in 9 previous away games this season and only 2 of them winning games.

16.26
GOAL! Luton Town 2-1 Gillingham: Stacey

16.39
GOAL! Luton Town 2-2 Gillingham: O'Neil
Luke O'Neill scores a sublime direct free kick.

16.55 FULL TIME 2-2 (96:45)

Attendance: 9,963 (601)
Position: 16th
Referee: Andy Haines
Match highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-LKOyFoCsw&t=51s
BBC Match Report: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47505282

[gillsfan1066]

Gave up drinking after New Years Eve this year, need to get healthy like Mr.L so I can play for KCC, think I might be opening a few bottles again tomorrow at around 11 am CDT.

[Garawa]

That's the spirit! I'll hope to be celebrating too!!! Oh, I see, you mean from despair......

[gillsfan1066]

Haha, just think lots and lots of negative thoughts and it will become " Bulletin Board Material. " The team will go into the clubhouse tomorrow to collect their gear and catch the charabanc to take them to Luton. They will see what Lovell has posted on the board, he will say this you a**holes,this is what Joe Public thinks of you bunch of ankers ,so by the time they get to Haters Way they will be so upset they won't even bother to wait until the charabanc stops , they will be off the bus onto the pitch to kick and scratch and claw their way to a 2-1 victory.
If they do I think I will play next years games on here under the name of Joe Public Gills, lol.

[gillsfan1066]

Don't often get this excited over a single solitary point , but well done the Gills, this could be the one that keeps us up at the end of the season and gives the owner the chance to bring the new manager in to a team in the First division as opposed to the slum dwelling second.
That would make a much nicer option for a keen young ambitious manager from the Scottish Championship or the English Second Division ,who just missed promotion this year to take over at the hallowed halls of our beloved Priestfield Stadium.

[Kent_UckyFriedGills]

Me and a couple of mates went up by Train.A smooth journey,but Luton as a Town made Gillingham look like Mayfair.The away end was very old,and the supporting pillars were a bit annoying.I thought we played really well,and could have nicked the win.Luton were good going forward,and you could see why they’re unbeaten in 25 games.Great scenes when Eaves and O’Neill scored.Luke’s free kick was fantastic.A great point on the road,which we can hopefully build on.Will not go back to Luton until their new stadium is built.

[gillsfan1066]

I wonder if away fans from say Accrington Stanley or Walsall say , " I went to the game at Gillingham this weekend, dam what a s**t hole that ground is. \We had to sit out in the pouring rain, the pikey ba*tards have not even got a thatched roof on the away end, we won't go there again until they get a new stadium.
That could be another 104 away fans gate money we will not get for another 63 years. Just funning.

[Rimshot]

I played in a charity match on the original artificial surface Luton had installed - and then had to rip up - about a thousand years ago. Th ground looks even worse now on TV than it did then.
That pitch was like playing on sandpaper, the bounce of the ball was a joke and any time your bare skin hit the deck it produced a massive 'heat' graze that got worse throughout the match.
Although as a youngster I always played up front , my advanced years saw me relegated to the role of sweeper for this game. After about 20 minutes I intercepted a stray long ball and just kept running with it as there was no-one free to pass to, Eventually I run out of steam so gave the ball a hopeful whack and it sailed into the oppo's net. I was so knackered I substituted myself for the rest of the game.
The game was videoed and I couldn't wait to show my lads the 'wonder goal'. Unfortunately the quality of the film wasn't that great, I was playing in a strip they didn't recognise, on Luton Town's pitch and they point blank refused to believe it was me.

[gillsfan1066]

Haha thats great, to have played at a major footie stadium must have been great,I bet the place seemed huge compared to the normal fields you played on, hahaha.
I guess most of us that played the game have that ONE GREAT MEMORY among all the other good ones. Mine was playing for Chatham Ams. against Burham.
I was so happy because I had my wife, and the baby in the car and I had parked it on the edge of the pitch around the half way line, tickets at Wembly for an International would have cost three and six in those days, and she got in for fee.
Picked the ball up on the right and sprinted towards the goal, let the ball go from way outside the 18 yard box and watched it climb over the keeper and drop into the back of the net, GGGGGOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL.
Ran towards the car expecting to be greeted with kisses and a promise of a wonderful night once the little one was in bed, but alas they were both asleep ,little one laid out on the back seat,wife kicked back in the front.
Oh well,sigh, I still have that memory stored away , at least it cost me nothing,unlike poor Mr.l who paid a professional film crew,(staff of 5 ) to film him celebrate his retirement day and party.
The video can be seen on Triple XXX.com, the video was hacked , the gold watch presentation and the party afterwards ended up lying on the cutting room floor,the only portion available for public viewing is the bedroom scene which was filmed with a secret camera ,(you can't trust your kids in this day and age,especially if they went to Uni), and is now available if you search long enough, it's a fairly short scene, but worth watching if you like that sort of thing.

[Rimshot]

Nah, biggest thrill was playing for Rochester and Chatham schools against Gillingham schools at u-11 age group in 1958/9 season at the mighty Priestfield stadium. I think we lost 4-3, I was the smallest player on the pitch and might have touched the ball once or twice but as they say, I was there.

[lidbid46]

Did I ever mention that I scored a century for Kent at Sussex’s County Ground? OK, it was for the Over 60s, but still..... Gillsfan, I’ll send you the scorecard if you ask me nicely!!

[gillsfan1066]

YOU DID, a Century as in like 83 runs, wwoowww hhhooooo, and for Kent,like the HOLE OF KENT, Gravesend, Gillingham , Canterbury and Canvey Island ? . A signed photocopy of the score card ( with maybe a pic or two of Mrs L on the beach at Leysdown when you were on vacation last year with the Garawa clan ) would be beyond my wildest dreams, in fact I will throw the original Picasso and the Rembrandt I have on the wall at the moment in the trash, just to make room for that piece of cricketing history.
Eighty -Three runs against a strong Sussex side on their own ground in Portsmouth , amazing,just amazing.

[lidbid46]

100 retired and 2 wickets actually. I’ll send you a pic of Mrs L in my pads if you like!