My Thoughts on Colchester United V Gillingham On Saturday...................
Other then Jordan Houghton starting in place for Jake Hessenthaler I had got Gillingham's Team Selection spot on, but I was still surprised to see Jermaine McGlashan not named among the substitutes bench despite the fact that Jermaine McGlashan doesn't fit into our current system, if we needed a substitute to change the match in Gillingham's Favour then Jermaine McGlashan is usually the player who can come on for Gillingham for the final 15 - 20 minutes and make an impact.
FIRST HALF...............
And Gillingham could of scored as early as the second minute of the match as Jamie Jones long kick down-field is won by Max Ehmer and Luke Norris flicks the ball on into Cody McDonald's path, who goes past Frankie Kent and then uses his pace to cut inside past Matthew Briggs and Cody McDonald's low shot towards the bottom left corner of the net hit the outside of the post and if only that had gone in, that move signalled that Cody McDonald looked much fitter and much sharper as he couldn't even go past Emerson Boyce in Blackpool's Defence the week before, and that would of been the perfect start to the match had Gillingham opened the scoring with that chance.
A minute later and Marvin Sordell has hit a dipping volley from a acute angle which has gone over Stuart Nelson's crossbar, but Gillingham didn't take any notice of that warning as the hosts took the lead in what was a explosive start to this match after just four minutes, Max Ehmer plays a long ball down-field which Luke Norris flicks on into Bradley Dack's path but Owen Garvan and Joe Edwards combined to shut Bradley Dack out and Joe Edwards plays the ball out-wide to Callum Harriott, who plays the ball through to George Moncur and it needed John Egan to slide in and kick the ball into touch to prevent Colchester United for getting at Gillingham on the counter attack.
But Gillingham came close to scoring from the resulting throw on as Jordan Houghton and Bradley Dack combined to intercept the ball and Bradley Dack's through-ball to Cody McDonald was cut out, but Colchester United were able to score and hit Gillingham on the counter attack as Matthew Briggs long ball up-field which was initially won by Max Ehmer, but Josh Wright and Jordan Houghton both lose out to Callum Harriott who was quick to the loose ball and Brennan Dickenson was drawn inside and Callum Harriott played the ball to the left side of Gillingham's Penalty Area to Gavin Massey who took a touch and cooly placed the ball into the bottom right corner of the net past Stuart Nelson to give Colchester United the lead, and having almost gone through at the other end of the pitch, Colchester United showed how quickly they can counter attack on Gillingham's defence by scoring the opening goal of the game, and Colchester United are 1-0 up at The Weston Homes Community Stadium.
But the scores were level just three minutes later at 1-1 as Luke Norris scores his third goal of the season, Jamie Jones long kick down-field is won by John Egan and Cody McDonald wins the flick on and Luke Norris takes a touch to go past Frankie Kent and Luke Norris places the ball past Jamie Jones into the bottom left corner of the net for 1-1 and that was a very composed finish from the young striker and the celebrations in the away end were something to savour - GET IN THERE Was my response, and what a time for Gillingham to score as well and this game could of been 2-2 after the first eight minutes because Marvin Sordell had that volley that went over and Cody McDonald had hit the post - I drew Ryan Jackson in The Goal-Scorers Draw on The Supporters Coach and unless Ryan Jackson throws the ball into the back of the net from a throw on then I wasn't expecting to see him score, let along score the first goal of the match.
Ten Minutes into the match and Colchester United should of had a player sent off and gone down to ten men, because Kane Vincent-Young should of walked for his challenge on Bradley Dack and it doesn't matter if that challenge was made just ten minutes into the match or ten minutes remaining until full time, if you lunge in with two legs in the way Kane Vincent-Young did then your asking to be sent off, I was also not happy with the way Referee Charles Breakspear officiated this match as there were some questionable decisions throughout the match, but poor defending was the main reason Gillingham lost against Colchester United on Saturday, The Officials were poor, but the defending at times was woeful.
Sixteen Minutes into the match and Gillingham nearly turned the match on it's head and take the lead, some lackadaisical play saw Jamie Jones take a eternity to kick the ball and Cody McDonald managed to divert Jamie Jones clearance into Luke Norris's path and Luke Norris control's the ball and goes round the outside and Luke Norris's shot on target is saved unconvincingly by Jamie Jones and Owen Garvan just kicks the ball up into the air and the ball somehow spins back into play and doesn't go out, and Gillingham keep the ball in play and keep the possession nicely without causing Colchester United too many problems defensively.
Gillingham picked up two bookings in a six minute spell and Josh Wright's challenge on George Moncur was a bookable offence but I was disappointed to see Brennan Dickenson shown a yellow card and with Gavin Massey on the right side of the pitch you just worry that Brennan Dickenson is one challenge away from being shown a second yellow card and being sent off, Three yellow cards have been shown inside the opening twenty three minutes of the game (eight in total) and yet, other then the challenge from Kane Vincent-Young, I didn't think Colchester United V Gillingham was a dirty game, it was a physical match played very competitively, but was Saturday's Match a game that deserved to see eight bookings ??? not for me and this is where Charles Breakspear's lack of experience as a referee shows as he showed that early yellow card (although it should of been a red for Kane Vincent-Young) and Charles Breakspear had to show yellow cards for the following fouls from then onwards.
A scrappy spell saw Gavin Massey get a shot on target for the hosts as neither team were willing to retain possession of the ball for very long with high pressing and a bit of head tennis ensuring that the ball spent plenty of time in the air, eventually Jordan Houghton clear's the ball but only as far to Owen Garvan who's high ball into the air meant that Josh Wright and Matthew Briggs allowed the ball to bounce and Matthew Briggs headered the ball inside to George Moncur, who played the ball back to Marvin Sordell, who played the ball outside to Gavin Massey, and with Brennan Dickenson on a booking he couldn't dive in so Gavin Massey uses his pace to go past Brennan Dickenson and his shot on target saw Stuart Nelson stretching, but Stuart Nelson was able to hang on to the ball.
You had to praise Colchester United's attacking threat as Callum Harriott, Gavin Massey and Marvin Sordell provide Colchester United with so much pace and width and that front three will cause any League One Side problems defensively, and George Moncur is able to play some brilliant passes and that front four is probably one of the best front four's in the division, defensively you can cause Colchester United problems, but attacking wise it is hardly surprising that Colchester United had scored eleven goals from there opening seven league games prior to this match kicking off.
George Moncur is booked for the home side and Brennan Dickenson and Jordan Houghton have both conceded free kick's in Gillingham's Third Of The Pitch and this really has been a stop and start match with Referee Charles Breakspear blowing his whistle on more then one occasion, but it is from this resulting free kick in The Twenty Seventh Minute which saw Colchester United re-take the lead and I was furious with the way Colchester United were allowed to score and the defending was dreadful, Joe Edwards plays the ball out-wide to Matthew Briggs and Luke Norris tries to shield the ball out of play for a goal-kick, but Matthew Briggs manages to keep the ball in play right by the corner flag and holds the ball up, Matthew Briggs somehow manages a Cruyff Turn to go past Luke Norris and there was confusion as one of Ryan Jackson and Doug Loft should of got to the ball first but Goerge Moncur has the ball by the byline, squares the ball to Matthew Briggs and The Colchester United Left Back plays the ball back to Callum Harriott who takes a touch and then smashes the ball on the half volley into the far right corner of the net.
Luke Norris should of kicked the ball into touch instead of attempting to shield the ball out of play, Matthew Briggs should never be allowed to go past Luke Norris on the byline, three players were all drawn to the ball and Gillingham had 5-6 chances to clear the ball or at the very least remain organised and be compact and don't give Colchester United the opportunities they had to get a shot off on goal, the defending was really poor from Gillingham and there is no way we should be conceding a goal when Matthew Briggs has the ball on the byline and that is precisely what Gillingham have done - we now need to re-group and go again because there was defiantly more goals in this match.