[ 19 Sep 15 ] Colchester v GILLS Match Thread

[Garawa]

Should the game end a draw today it would match the number of wins for both sides (each have won 27 times in this fixture).

The Gills have won and drawn their last two visits to Colchester ending a run of 4 successive defeats there.

Colchester's 3-2 win at Sheff Utd Tuesday was their first win of the season, ending a run of 4 draws and 2 defeats.

Colchester have drawn each of their 3 home league matches this season but are now unbeaten in 8 there (winning 3).

Colchester have conceded the most first half goals this season (9) as well as having the joint worst total in the first half of games last season (34).

Before today Colchester and Crewe had conceded the most goals in League 1 both letting in 15 (11 fewer than the Gills). They have however scored 11, 2 fewer than the Gills.

A win for the Gills would give them the same number of wins and points after 8 league games as champions Bristol City had at this stage last season.

3:00
Kick-Off

3:02
Cody McDonald hits the post. He is the first player other than Norris to hit the woodwork this season. After doing it 12 times last season, the Gills have now done it 6 times.

3:05
GOAL! Colchester 1-0 Gillingham

3:06
Utd score the opener for the 3rd time this season (their first at home). Gills concede the opening goal for only the second time but won the previous game it occurred in.

3:08
GOAL! Colchester 1-1 Gillingham: Norris
Luke Norris scores his 10th Gills goal. 8 of them have come in away games.

3:30
GOAL! Colchester 2-1 Gillingham
Having previously conceded just 3 leads all season, the Gills have conceded 2 in half an hour in this game.

3:34
Penalty awarded to the Gills. Handball.

3:35
PENALTY SAVED! Cody misses his first penalty for the Gills having scored from his previous 3.

3:50
Half-time: 2-1

3:54
Colchester had the fewest half time leads in the league last season (8), winning 3. Their only half time lead this season came in Tuesday's away victory.

4:06
The second half kicks off.

4:09
The 1,171 Gills fans at Colchester account for 24.9% of the gate. We took 344 there last season whilst they brought 680 to us.

4:54
FULL-TIME: 2-1
The Gills succumb to only their second defeat in 14 games.

Attendance: 4,697 (1,171)
Referee: Charles Breakspear

[Kent_UckyFriedGills]

The first of two tough away games for us.This will be another new ground to tick off for me,and a big Gills away following is expected with over 800 sold so far.Colchester had a great win at Sheffield Utd last night,and they`re scoring quite a few goals at the moment.Our defence will have to be on it`s game.I would probably take a draw,but feel we could expose them as they do concede a few as well.

[lidbid46]

My first away game for some time so I hope we can keep the unbeaten run going! Anyone know the best place to park as this is a new ground for us as well.

[baronnight]

After a poor start Colchester have been slowly building momentum, they are on a run of 3 games unbeaten now with the last match/win away at Sheffield United. Whilst scoring 8 goals in the last 3 games, they have also conceded 7, which is where we could sneak a win, their forward play (Sordell in this week to strengthen further) is very good but they remain vulnerable at the back.

Hoping for a 2 - 1 win.

[fan_of_mulligan]

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

----------------------------------Nelson---------------------------------------
Jackson-------------Egan-------------------Ehmer----------------B.Dickenson
----------------------------------Wright----------------------------------------
-----------------Hessenthaler----------------Loft------------------------------
-----------------------------------Dack------------------------------------------
--------------------Norris------------------McDonald----------------------------

Subs: G.Morris (GK), Garmston, A.Morris, Osadebe, Houghton, Donnelly, Williamson

I think Gillingham will be un-changed from the team that started The 2-1 home win against Blackpool Last Saturday but the one change I can see happening on the bench is Bradley Garmston in and Jermaine McGlashan out, Jermaine McGlashan has only played four minutes of league football for The Gills this season and there is no space in this team for a pacey winger and I do wonder if Jermaine McGlashan will be allowed to leave Gillingham on loan ???

Also another reason I think Jermaine McGlashan won;t play is that six of the seven substitutes I have named played against AFC Bournemouth in Wednesday's Development Squad Game - Jordan Houghton didn't play - and I do wonder if McGlashan's absence from that match opens the door for leaving Gillingham on loan or was it a simple case of McGlashan not getting into the squad because we could only name four over-age players on Wednesday ???

I am traveling via coach to Colchester United tomorrow, here's hoping that Gillingham can make it three league wins in a row tomorrow by picking up all three points against Colchester United -- COME ON THE GILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Garawa]

No McGlashan at all in the squad then. Guessing he either has a knock or perhaps is a bit frustrated as he doesn't fit into this formation. Shame as I think he really adds something to the side and if we were losing we can always go 3 at the back and use him on the flanks to stretch the game.

[Garawa]

What a frenetic first half! 2 goals in the opening 7 minutes, 3 first half goals plus a missed penalty, the woodwork hit and 6 or 7 yellow cards all before the second half started! Sounded like Norris was quite a danger but the goals we conceded sounded a touch poor. We were going to get a result like this so our season will be defined by how we deal with it and over come it. Barnsley next Saturday will be quite a crucial match.

[Kent_UckyFriedGills]

No McGlashan at all in the squad then. Guessing he either has a knock or perhaps is a bit frustrated as he doesn't fit into this formation. Shame as I think he really adds something to the side and if we were losing we can always go 3 at the back and use him on the flanks to stretch the game.

I think he just doesn`t fit the current system,as we saw him at the game today sitting with the bench and he looked fine.

As for today`s game.....


A disappointing result which was down to being too open in the first half,and not taking our chances.The game was played at a high pace and we could have scored two goals in the opening 5 minutes.One from Norris,and Cody hit the post.Colchester scored on 4 minutes as we were left wide open,and Massey finished his shot comfortably past Nelson.Colchester`s front four of Sordell,Harriott,Massey,and Moncur were a massive handful and full of pace.Three minutes later we were level and Norris scored a well taken goal to send us into raptures.Colchester continued to get through us with ease and Nelson got down low well to save.Just before half an hour on the clock the impressive Harriott scored a decent goal from a good angle to put them 2-1 up,but the goal was preventable as we didn`t stop the move from the corner flag.We had a chance to equalise not long after when their defender handled in the area.Cody stepped up and their keeper made an easy save.Their keeper looked off his line for me,but it just isn`t falling for Cody at the moment.He definitely is looking sharper than a couple of weeks ago.The second half was more quiet than the first half,but at times it was end to end.We put a lot of pressure on Colchester in the last ten minutes,but their keeper was not to be beaten,and we suffer our first defeat of the season.

The first half defensively has cost us something from the game,and when we missed the penalty you know it wasn`t going to be our day.I think today we lacked the composure on the ball,and never won enough of the second balls.Good sides bounce back,so hopefully we can not let this defeat affect us,as we haven`t lost many since Edinburgh became manager.

[gillsfan1066]

Time for a witch hunt and Garawa is the one to be hunted down and burnt alive in the village square. In another thread he predicted that it was all going to well for the Mighty BIG BLUE MACHINE ,called GILLINGHAM FC, and a loss was due, this is HIS fault, burn him, burn him, make him watch 24 hours of Newcastle United football games on video first, then strike the match, he is a witch I tell you, probably that Potter kid in disguise.

[CadburyMan]

Well that first shave of the season was quite a while coming.

[Rimshot]

Interesting decision to give the penalty to CM, given the season so far.

[Garawa]

Lol Chicago, we all know we lose against these sides but we have a tough trip next Saturday so back to winning ways

I think Cody has been our penalty taker since Kedwell left. Dack would have been a better option but perhaps his goal tally could do with being stifled a touch and Norris looked more likely to score it but he has a 50/50 success. With Cody getting back to fitness a goal could have helped him so I can see why he was chosen....there wasn't much between them.

Before Saturday these were the career figures of all players in the squad who have ever taken a penalty for the Gills during a match:
Cody - Scored 3, Missed 0
Norris - Scored 1, Missed 1
Dack - Scored 1, Missed 0

[Rimshot]

I can see the thinking behind asking Cody to take it, get him back on the score sheet and all that, personally i 'd always go for the form player.

[lidbid46]

I hereby promise not to go to anymore away games as it was clearly my fault that we lost! I was a little disappointed with our fans as when I have been away before Theravada been non stop singing. This time, the chanting was sporadic and we were silent for long periods. There was also a lot of negativity which surprised me after the start we have had. Although lacking in atmosphere, it was a lovely stadium; something we could aspire to perhaps?

[Garawa]

That's because we had a quarter of the stadium, we always seem to make less noise when there are more of us!