[ 17 Mar 26 ] GILLS v Swindon Town Match Thread
Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2026 7:35 pm - All results are very even between the sides. The Gills have won 35, Swindon have won 37 and 35 meetings were drawn. The Gills are winless in 4 against Swindon, losing the reverse fixture after 4 successive draws, since their last win (away back in October 2023).
- Swindon have drawn their last 3 visits to Priestfield and also 6 of their previous 7 away games at the Gills. They are winless in 13 visits, losing 6 of them since their last win at Prestfield in December 1986. The Gills last home win came in December 2020.
- After 9 wins from their opening 13 matches in all competitions and 19 in the first 32, Swindon lost 4 in a row back in January before winning 4 in a row. From the 6 played after, they have won 1 and lost 6 and are winless in 4 matches.
- In successive games, the Gills have played the highest scorers (2nd placed MK Dons), the lowest conceders (3rd placed Cambridge) and now face joint second highest scorers in Swindon (6th) who have scored 25 goals in their last 15 games since the last time they suffered a blank sheet.
- Swindon have the most shots on target in League 2 (179), averaging 4.8 for each of their 37 matches. The Gills are averaging 3.2 shots on target in their previous 6 games (with none in the games against Cambridge) after 6.3 in the 6 before them.
- Swindon have the greatest accuracy in the division with 39.1% of all of their attempts at goal being on target. That is thanks, in part, to the fact that they have had 458 attempts at goal (on target, off target and blocked) which is 21 fewer than the Gills.
[Tue 17th March 2026] EFL Sky Bet League 2: Gillingham FC v Swindon Town
Opposition Manager: Ian Holloway Matchday Team: Connor Ripley, Jake Batty (Billy Kirkman), Ryan Tafazolli, Jamie Knight-Lebel, [c] Will Wright, Gavin Kilkenny, Tom Nichols, Darren Oldaker (Joel McGregor), Junior Hoilett (Ollie Palmer), Aaron Drinan, Billy Bodin (Fletcher Holman)
Opposition League Position: Sky Bet League 2 (6th)
Referee: Emily Heaslip
Attendance: 4,991 (297)
(19:45) Kick Off [ 3 - 4 - 1 - 2 ]
(20.16) A very even half so far with few chances until Hale curls an effort from outside the box and Ripley tips it over from underneath the bar.
(20.20) Riplay parries away from Beckles before Bodin clears off the line and Hale drills the follow up into the side netting.
(20.24) Hale starts moves across the edge of the box. The ball is played to Waldock on the line and he's clattered into from behind but the ref doesn't even feel it is a foul of any type.
(20.26) A swindon corner evades everyone and the ball lays loose inside the box. The Gills hack clear before a Town player can tap home and Hale is flagged offside as he latches onto the long ball and attempts to lift it over the 'keeper.
(20.30) There will be one additional minute.
(20.32) Half time 0-0 [46:21]
(20.48) The second half kicks off.
(20.58) Hutton's ball to the far post finds Clark who volleys to the centre of the 6 yard box where Hale is waiting. It hits him and Tafazolli puts his body on the line to prevent Hale from trying to poke home the loose ball.
(20.59) Dack half volleys a shot just over the bar and onto the roof of the net.
(21.09) Gills counter quickly. Hutton sends a through ball for Hale running at goal at pace and a vital slide tackle puts the ball out for a corner before he can slot home.
(21.11) GOAL! Gillingham FC 0-1 Swindon Town: Drinan
(21.17) Huge speculative shot from a very long way out stays low but just clears the bar.
(21.19) Holman into the box, taps it round to run onto but its too hard. Drinan latches onto it as Turner attempts to reach for the ball but he catches the Town player who goes down. The ref gives the Town player a yellow for diving.
(21.22) Fierce drive by Dack deflects wide with the 'keeper grounded and out of position after diving to cover it.
(21.28) GOAL! Gillingham FC 0-2 Swindon Town: Holman
(21.30) Holman goes down in the box under a light challenge from Gale who plays on. The Swindon player appears to go down heavily without any appeals elsewhere and the game continues.
(21.22) The fourth official signals for a minimum of 7 additional minutes.
(21.40) FULL TIME 0-2 [98:53]
Gills' League Position After Game: 16th
Match Report: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c23zx01l38xt
Match highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7mC2ezRXhE
- Swindon have drawn their last 3 visits to Priestfield and also 6 of their previous 7 away games at the Gills. They are winless in 13 visits, losing 6 of them since their last win at Prestfield in December 1986. The Gills last home win came in December 2020.
- After 9 wins from their opening 13 matches in all competitions and 19 in the first 32, Swindon lost 4 in a row back in January before winning 4 in a row. From the 6 played after, they have won 1 and lost 6 and are winless in 4 matches.
- In successive games, the Gills have played the highest scorers (2nd placed MK Dons), the lowest conceders (3rd placed Cambridge) and now face joint second highest scorers in Swindon (6th) who have scored 25 goals in their last 15 games since the last time they suffered a blank sheet.
- Swindon have the most shots on target in League 2 (179), averaging 4.8 for each of their 37 matches. The Gills are averaging 3.2 shots on target in their previous 6 games (with none in the games against Cambridge) after 6.3 in the 6 before them.
- Swindon have the greatest accuracy in the division with 39.1% of all of their attempts at goal being on target. That is thanks, in part, to the fact that they have had 458 attempts at goal (on target, off target and blocked) which is 21 fewer than the Gills.
[Tue 17th March 2026] EFL Sky Bet League 2: Gillingham FC v Swindon Town
Opposition Manager: Ian Holloway Matchday Team: Connor Ripley, Jake Batty (Billy Kirkman), Ryan Tafazolli, Jamie Knight-Lebel, [c] Will Wright, Gavin Kilkenny, Tom Nichols, Darren Oldaker (Joel McGregor), Junior Hoilett (Ollie Palmer), Aaron Drinan, Billy Bodin (Fletcher Holman)
Opposition League Position: Sky Bet League 2 (6th)
Referee: Emily Heaslip
Attendance: 4,991 (297)
(19:45) Kick Off [ 3 - 4 - 1 - 2 ]
(20.16) A very even half so far with few chances until Hale curls an effort from outside the box and Ripley tips it over from underneath the bar.
(20.20) Riplay parries away from Beckles before Bodin clears off the line and Hale drills the follow up into the side netting.
(20.24) Hale starts moves across the edge of the box. The ball is played to Waldock on the line and he's clattered into from behind but the ref doesn't even feel it is a foul of any type.
(20.26) A swindon corner evades everyone and the ball lays loose inside the box. The Gills hack clear before a Town player can tap home and Hale is flagged offside as he latches onto the long ball and attempts to lift it over the 'keeper.
(20.30) There will be one additional minute.
(20.32) Half time 0-0 [46:21]
(20.48) The second half kicks off.
(20.58) Hutton's ball to the far post finds Clark who volleys to the centre of the 6 yard box where Hale is waiting. It hits him and Tafazolli puts his body on the line to prevent Hale from trying to poke home the loose ball.
(20.59) Dack half volleys a shot just over the bar and onto the roof of the net.
(21.09) Gills counter quickly. Hutton sends a through ball for Hale running at goal at pace and a vital slide tackle puts the ball out for a corner before he can slot home.
(21.11) GOAL! Gillingham FC 0-1 Swindon Town: Drinan
(21.17) Huge speculative shot from a very long way out stays low but just clears the bar.
(21.19) Holman into the box, taps it round to run onto but its too hard. Drinan latches onto it as Turner attempts to reach for the ball but he catches the Town player who goes down. The ref gives the Town player a yellow for diving.
(21.22) Fierce drive by Dack deflects wide with the 'keeper grounded and out of position after diving to cover it.
(21.28) GOAL! Gillingham FC 0-2 Swindon Town: Holman
(21.30) Holman goes down in the box under a light challenge from Gale who plays on. The Swindon player appears to go down heavily without any appeals elsewhere and the game continues.
(21.22) The fourth official signals for a minimum of 7 additional minutes.
(21.40) FULL TIME 0-2 [98:53]
Gills' League Position After Game: 16th
Match Report: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c23zx01l38xt
Match highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7mC2ezRXhE