[ 26 Sep 26 ] York City v GILLS Match Thread

[Garawa]

- The Gills and York City last met in the 2012/13 season - the year the Gills won the League 2 title - when both matches were drawn. The Gills are unbeaten in 5 meeting since York's last win (August 1997) with 4 of those 5 ending in draws (including 10 of the previous 15 meetings).
- The results between the sides are very even with the Gills winning 12, York winning 11 and 15 ending in draws. The Gills last win at York came back in February 1997. They are winless in 3 visits since, drawing the previous 2.
- York City have won 12 consecutive league matches at home and are unbeaten in 21 home league games. They last lost at home back in October 2025. They have suffered 2 defeats at home this season in cup competitions.
- Since winning 16 out of their final 22 matches last season (and losing just 2 of them), York continued that form by winning 3 and losing 2 of their opening 7 league and cup games this season. Since then, they have lost 2 and drawn 1.
- Averaging 5.4 shots on target for every league game, York have the joint highest amount of shots on target in the division. The Gills have managed 31 themselves.
- York have conceded the fewest fouls in League 2 with 59 in their 7 league games. 12 is the most they have conceded in a game, happening twice including in their previous match. The Gills are averaging 11 fouls for each of their league games.

[Sat 26th September 2026] EFL Sky Bet League 2: York City v Gillingham FC
Opposition Manager: Scott Lindsey. Matchday Team: Alfie McNally, Mark Kitching, Zak Johnson, [c] Ryan Fallowfield, Harry Boyes, Alex Hunt, Ollie Banks (Jeff King), Joe Felix (Arthur Read), Alex Newby (Jovan Malcolm), Joe Grey (Frankie Maguire), Ollie Pearce
Opposition League Position: Sky Bet League 2 (7th)
Referee: Scott Oldham
Attendance: 8,438 (885)

(15.00) Kick Off [ 3 - 4 - 2 - 1 ]
(15.02) GOAL! York City 1-0 Gillingham: Grey
(15.25) Pearce breaks the Gills back line. With just the 'keeper to beat, he scuffs his shot, Wright saves with his feet as he dives to cover where the shot should have gone and the ball is cleared from danger.
(15.26) Newby on the left cuts onto his right foot inside the box and cannons a shot off the far post.
(15.33) Smith makes a vital stretching block to prevent a simple tap in. York retain possession with Newby hitting a shot narrowly wide of the far post.
(15.38) Grey shoots. Wright dives to his right, the ball deflects off Smith to his right and falls kindly for a Gills defender to clear.
(15.39) Hunt in an acre of space of his own and only the 'keeper to beat, slots it to Wright's outstretched arm only to watch it come off the post.
(15.45) There will be a minimum of 5 additional minutes.
(15.51) Half time 1-0

(16.07) The second half kicks off.
(16.15) Hunt pulls the ball across the face of the goal just waiting for a simple tap in but there is nobody at the far post.
(16.17) McCleary goes it alone and shoots across the 'keeper and just wide of the far post.
(16.22) Wright pulls off a fantastic stop to deny Malcolm a second for the hosts. They then shoot over the bar.
(16.30) McCleary puts it into the middle and it's skied over by a defender just as McKenzie looked to smash home.
(16.32) Red Card! Second yellow for substitute Albarus.
(16.37) GOAL! York City 2-0 Gillingham: Malcom
(16.41) GOAL! York City 3-0 Gillingham: Pearce
(16.46) Brophy steals the ball near the halfway line, cuts round a couple of defenders, taps the ball onto his right foot and curls a shot from outside the box off the right corner of post and crossbar.
(16.50) Good save from Wright to deny Malcolm a second and York's 4th.
(16.52) The 4th official signals for a minimum of 4 additional minutes.
(16.56) FULL TIME 3-0

Gills' League Position After Game: 8th
Match Report: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cq783k275p0gt
Match highlights: https://youtu.be/SO3GGF_6q3E?is=ReiRzJKfRCKesCOC

[lidbid46]

I found the game on the Sky red button, so I settled down to watch the bright, new Gillingham produce another excellent performance. That feeling of optimism lasted for all of two minutes, then I groaned my way through the rest of the first half, being happy that only one goal had been conceded, (York could have scored three or four to be honest). I thought, "surely things will impove in the second half after Ainsworth has had words;" things didn't improve! The second goal and the sending off, (soft in my opinion, I don't know why the refs in the lower divisions are so quick to reach for their cards), were enough for me so I found something else to do and missed the third goal. Hopefully I was unlucky in my choice of matches for my first viewing of the new team and they are able to get back on track in the next game.

[Garawa]

We've been there before this season but losing (ANOTHER) two players to injury in the first half really limits the ability to make many tactical changes. Chasing a game after two minutes when already having players out of position and then not being able to rectify it is one thing, but doing that with a man short made it pretty much impossible. And all this against a side who had won 12 in a row at home and were unbeaten for almost an entire season.