Gillingham boss Mark Stimson faces stiker crisis with Gills top-scorer Simeon Jackson a doubt to face Charlton
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by Alex Hoad
Gillingham face a striker crisis ahead of the League 1
derby clash at Charlton because they could be without Simeon
Jackson.
Gills boss Mark Stimson said the 17-goal hitman was
"touch-and-go" for Saturday's game after suffering a hamstring
strain in the stalemate at Stockport last week.
With Chris Dickson ineligible against his parent club, Stimson
admitted the Gills were left "light" in the scoring department
before the derby clash.
Stimson said: "We took Simeon off as he was feeling his
hamstring. He is recovering but will be touch-and-go for
Saturday.
"Hopefully he will be fit because he is a massive goal threat
for us and it would be great to have him in the side.
"If he does not make it, then it does leave us light in that
area as Chris Dickson is out too but we have James Walker, Dennis
Oli and Rene Howe, so we do have options."
Jackson (pictured with Stimson) has scored four of the five
goals Gillingham have mustered in their last 11 League 1 games, the
other coming from Dickson last month.
Gillingham’s previous goal from another source was Chris
Palmer’s consolation strike at Swindon on January 16.
With Palmer likely to start on the bench at The Valley, Stuart
Lewis takes on the mantle of the most recent Gills scorer in the
starting line-up and he hasn’t netted since the draw at Exeter on
December 28.
Oli’s goal against Stockport in December is the only one that
he, Howe and Walker have managed all season.
Stimson said victory against the Addicks would mark a memorable
high point of a tough season in League 1 – as well as handing the
Gills their first away win of the campaign at the 19th attempt.
"All the hard work we put in last year to get out of League 2
was for days like this," said Stimson. "To go to places like
Charlton, Norwich, Southampton and Leeds.
"You want to enjoy those days. But to enjoy the games in the big
stadiums, you have to perform.
"To win would be by far the biggest result of the season.
Charlton are capable of winning the league and we are down there
trying to keep in it.
"I thought we might be in this situation at the start of the
season, so we are ready for it."
Stimson revealed he has not set his squad a points target for
the remaining 10 games, preferring to take their battle against the
drop on a game-by-game basis.
He added: "People always say you need to get to 52 points to be
safe but I have not set a target and I won’t over the next three,
four or five games."
Thursday, March 18 2010
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