Leyton Orient 3 Gillingham 1
Curtis Weston evades an
Orient
challenge
Picture: Simon O'Connor
Gillingham suffered another away day defeat on Tuesday at Leyton
Orient but had plenty of excuses on a bizarre night in East
London.
Major traffic problems delayed fans
and players, with the Gills having just seven players to name by
seven o’clock.
Referee Andy D’Urso refused to delay
the kick-off, forcing manager Mark Stimson to name his team once
eleven players had turned up. At one stage that eleven consisted of
two keepers.
By kick-off just Barry Fuller and
Febian Brandy of the expected starting eleven were left on the
sidelines.
Mark McCammon, John Nutter and Stuart
Lewis came into the side, while Chris Palmer was left on the bench
alongside Brandy and Fuller.
Gillingham trailed 2-1 at the break
and conceded a third just four minutes into the second half. Just
3,183 fans braved the roads to make the match, with 711 Gillingham
fans turning up at various points throughout the game.
That’s the way it stayed as Gillingham
made it ten League 1 away matches without a win.
Manager Mark Stimson was hoping referee D’Urso
would put kick-off back to eight o’clock to give him time to
name a full-strength team, but that didn't happen.
“It was a bit of a nightmare situation and
unfortunately we didn’t get any leeway with the referee,” said
Stimson.
“I had to put the team sheet in an hour before
the game and was told that if any players were taken off the team
sheet they wouldn’t be allowed in the 18 and it made it really
difficult.
“I gambled with Josh Gowling and Matt Fry. I
spoke to them at about half six and they were getting on a train at
Stratford to get here on time. Luckily enough they did. Febian came
in five or ten minutes after but Mark McCammon’s name was already
on the starting line up.
“The boys went out there and conceded an early
goal, which was a wonder strike, but then got back into the game
with a decent goal ourselves from Curtis Weston.
“The second goal we conceded we gave
possession away on the half-way line cheaply and the kid broke
away. For the third we had possession on their box and they broke
and scored.”
Audio: Referee Andy
D'Urso explains why kick-off wasn't delayed
Added to Gillingham’s woes before
kick-off was that their kit never showed up. No doubt it was
stranded with many fans between the Blackwall Tunnell and East
London. It forced Stimson’s men to wear Orient’s change kit.
Gillingham went behind after just four
minutes when Ryan Jarvis turned home a flick-of from Jimmy Smith
following Charlie Daniels’ cross.
The Gills went back on the offensive
immediately and with 20 minutes gone Curtis Weston smashed home to
level the scores.
Orient went back ahead just before the
half hour mark through Sean Thornton.
Gillingham should have been level
again when Simeon Jackson was put clean through on the keeper, but
a poor effort was saved by Jamie Jones.
The second half was just four minutes
old when Orient broke and Smith struck home from the edge of the
area to put the hosts 3-1 up.
Jackson stung the keeper’s hands just
after the hour and substitute Brandy shot powerfully into the side
netting as Stimson’s men refused to give in.
With ten minutes left Brandy turned
and shot wide as time began to run out for the Gills.
Gills: Royce, Nutter,
Lewis (Fuller 62mins), Maher, Bentley (Oli 69mins), Jackson,
Barcham, Gowling, Fry, Weston, McCammon (Brandy 59mins). Subs not
used: Fuller, Palmer, Julian, Yussuf, Rooney.
Orient: Jones,
Purhces, Chorley, Mkandawire, McGleish, Thornton (Demetriou
57mins), Daniels, Jarvis (Patulea 66mins), Summerfield, Smith,
Townsend. Subs not used: Morris, Ashworth, Melligan, Cave-Brown,
Scowcroft.
Attendance:
3,183
Tuesday, December 01 2009
Rating: 3/5 (5 votes cast!)