You are not currently logged in.
Thursday, May 24 2012

Andy Hessenthaler delighted with Gillingham's 3-0 win over Plymouth Argyle

by Luke Cawdell

Gillingham manager Andy Hessenthaler was delighted to see his team’s patience pay off.

The Gills endured a frustrating opening half against Plymouth and it wasn’t until the 74th minute that the breakthrough came in a game they went on to win 3-0.

Andy HessenthalerOnce Danny Kedwell had struck the penalty a breathtaking Luke Rooney effort followed with another penalty rounding-off proceedings to leave the Gills boss ecstatic.

“With a clean sheet and three goals we can’t ask for any more from the players,” said Hessenthaler (pictured).

“At half time we told them we needed to be patient, which we were. We knew we would have to be like that. They came to us and set up in a 4-5-1 formation to try and frustrate us a bit. That’s one thing I don’t think we did, we didn’t get frustrated.

“We just kept plugging away and at half time we said hopefully something would happen for us.

“I felt a bit sorry for Plymouth because they came and worked their socks off. It’s tough on them. When things aren’t going for you that tends to happen.

“We are delighted with ourselves and I was pleased with us defensively because we had a lot of the play and sometimes you can switch off and get punished.

"Defensively we were very good, even though we didn’t have a lot to do. You still have to concentrate and I thought we did that well.”

When the goal did finally arrive it came from the penalty spot, albeit in strange circumstances as the officials all had differing opinions on the incident. Curtis Weston netted but play was brought back for a handball and a penalty finally awarded.

“At the time the linesman signaled across his chest so he was giving the penalty and then the fourth official is telling me he has given offside,” said a bemused Hessenthaler.

“The referee has given the goal because he hasn’t seen the flag go up. I don’t see a reason why he didn’t just give the goal because he is saying we have scored, there is an advantage but he decided to pull it back. There could have been uproar if we had missed it.”

For lifelong Gillingham fan Danny Kedwell it was the chance to finally get off the mark and he ended the game eventually scoring twice.

“You could see he was getting frustrated and I said before the game, ‘I am sure you will get one’,” Hessenthaler said.

“I didn’t see the penalties, I don’t watch them. I get a bit nervous with them and I didn’t even watch the second one. I am delighted for him.”

Picture: Barry Goodwin

What do you make of Hessenthaler's comments? Have your say below.

Saturday, August 20 2011

The KM Group does not moderate comments.
Please click here for our house rules.

Comments (31)

Post a Comment

  • StevieBlue wrote:

    rainhamender25 - here here!!!! Ron who??

    22 Aug 2011 3:57 PM

    Report Abuse

  • rainhamender25 wrote:

    Keep things in perspective and ignore Ron.

    22 Aug 2011 11:53 AM

    Report Abuse

  • sirau wrote:

    Hi Ron.
    Why do you attend Gills games.?? You appear to detest everything about the team and bring nothing to this forum but bitterness.
    Your football knowledge is rock bottom if you are unable to observe the vast improvements on last years team.Give us all a break and stick to Sunday football where you could be a pundit.

    22 Aug 2011 10:47 AM

    Report Abuse

  • Nige wrote:

    Get your facts & spelling right Ron u muppet.
    We got Kedwell from a Conf Prem club who were just promoted to our division (where he was top scorer) whilst Birchall was Conf South & scored ridiculous amount of goals. How does that make them Ryman 1?
    U would rather get a league striker though (Big Mac or Tommy Johnson anyone? Thought not!).
    And the Barnet striker is McLeod u imbecile.
    As for the game on Sat, yes the 1st half was about as exciting as watching paint dry but we didn't do anything wrong. As for 2nd half talk about dominate. Could have been 5 had Lawrence header been an inch lower & that defender hadn't been walloped by Lee.
    Great performance and good to see Kedwell off the mark as well - many more to come.
    True Rotherham & Shrewsbury will be tougher tests but bring 'em on.

    22 Aug 2011 10:34 AM

    Report Abuse

  • The Gills PegLeg wrote:

    PS. Up The Gills!

    22 Aug 2011 9:46 AM

    Report Abuse

  • The Gills PegLeg wrote:

    It absolutely amazes me how a "so called fan" such as Ron can be moaning at our manager when we are winning games. We are unbeaten in the league this season including beating Crewe and Cheltenham who both have better abilities than their league table shows. Only last weeked Cheltenham beat 2nd favourites Swindon so that proves it was a much harder task just in itself.

    Plymouth are about to be bought out at any moment and as soon as Peter Reid can get some good players for Plymouth they can be challenging up there aswell.

    I seem to remember Ron that you wrote us off the week before the Cheltenham match and said we would lose, guess what? We won :D You said the exactly the same thing about Crewe and again we won :P

    Even the Stimson Haters stopped their constant moaning of him when we got promoted or we won a game so why can't you?

    22 Aug 2011 9:44 AM

    Report Abuse

  • IanH wrote:

    Ron - please go away. You and your comments are getting boring!!! In fact, I can't even be bothered to read them anymore. Take your opinions elsewhere cos, yawn, you are now sooooo predictable!!!! As for the game on saturday - fantastic. Well done you blue boys!!! Long may it continue. Good to see you getting praise from the true fans after the match. Fab!! UTG!!!!

    22 Aug 2011 9:03 AM

    Report Abuse

  • aussiedownunder wrote:

    I can't believe what you all say on hear, they have started well and you lot seem to think they won't make the div 1---Ron Dave all of you Dover people, must be jealous!

    22 Aug 2011 6:54 AM

    Report Abuse

  • scott wrote:

    ron you are on drug and sepak like an imbecile- very likely lefondre might be gone on saturday. Some good points Tim although i would say there is a world of difference between framps and gowling and all of the other players we have brought in are better- we did the same rotherham team twice over not so long ago with lefondre playing

    21 Aug 2011 9:17 PM

    Report Abuse

  • tim wrote:

    @ron, i'm not sure how you can say last year's squad wasa better.. looking individually at the incoming/outgoing players, the first 3 below are similar and can be argued either way, but the final ones are certainly an improvement.

    whelpdale for barcham (like for like)
    birchall for mcdonald
    kedwell for akinfenwa
    (as a combination, would prefer birch & keds, as having akinfenwa in the side made us only ever play the long ball)

    montrose for mayer (good swap)
    flintley for julian (good swap)
    frampton for gowling (good swap)
    lee for palmer (good swap, considering palmer's injuries)

    Our back 4 will bully other sides with fuller, frampton and lawrence, and look more solid than before. Payne is improving every game, and with characters like spiller and lee in midfield, and keds up front the players are more determined than last year and work their socks off.

    I think this squad has the right blend, work for each other, are determined and have what is needed in league 2. I'd be amazed if the gills finished outside the top 7.

    21 Aug 2011 9:03 PM

    Report Abuse

  • Coastal Gill wrote:

    Gosh thats a rant n a half from Ron/Dave/Ben Dover/White Cliffs....must be very boring in Dover on a Sunday evening.....

    21 Aug 2011 8:56 PM

    Report Abuse

  • Wazzer True Gills Fan wrote:

    *yawn* same old Ron, same old c**p. Hessy been banging your Mrs or something??

    21 Aug 2011 8:52 PM

    Report Abuse

  • Ron wrote:

    Our supporters live in a fantasty dream World. The squad we had last season was better than the one we have this season. Even the squad last season didn't make the top 7, this one won't even make the top 10. We beat Rotherham United away & Shrewsbury Town at home last season, but we won't this season. Why are some of our supporters saying that Crewe Alexandra & Plymouth Argyle will be "up there" at the end of the season? Are these "supporters" having a laugh? Crewe have lost ALL 5 of their matches so far, they have no chance of a top half finish this season, the squad is awful. And as for Plymouth Argyle - This club IS BUST! Plymouth will be lucky to even have a club come the end of this Year 2011 let alone the end of the season. The players at Plymouth have hardly been paid since 2010. Plymouth Argyle WON'T be in that top bracket!

    Adam Lefondre will gun down our weak squad next Weekend. We'll see another quality League Two striker on show, like we saw will McCloud whom our defence didn't get near all night at Barnet. We'll only be able to admire such a talent as we don't have anything like it on our books due to the fact that we have a "manager" with very little knowledge within the Football League. This is a manager fit for Non League Football & no more.

    We are about to be undone over the next few Weeks. Enjoy it whilst it lasts with us sitting 3rd in the League Two table, we're about to drop right down. Yes we can dream of being a promotion contender, but we know that we won't be as we just don't have the decent goalkeeper or the decent strikers. We had a better squad last season. We've been lucky to have been playing part time teams at the start of the season. What we have in truth is a squad set for a 16th placed finish this season. People can shout it down all they like, but that's where we'll be in May 2012. We aren't good enough for anything above that mark. We can't sadly play part time & teams that are broke/about to go bust every single Week.

    It'll be Hessenthaler's fault for the low finish, he failed when we had our best chance which was last season & in a much weaker league than the stronger one we face this season. Get your cameras our whilst you can or screen print that League Two table as we're about to move right down. Hessenthaler - Saturday will be your BIGGEST match, I hope you've got a plan for Lefondre because you had NOTHING for McCloud!

    21 Aug 2011 8:25 PM

    Report Abuse

  • belfast gill wrote:

    @ come on you stones, I have fingers the size carrots due to amount of spelling mistakes I count fron the kentonline reporters on site

    21 Aug 2011 4:49 PM

    Report Abuse

  • Gills4Ever wrote:

    Well Done Boys a great win, from the start the boys made their intentions clear although Argyle were hard to get past in the first half and much of the Second half the Gills kept up the pressure. Kedwell was having His runs stopped by Argyles No.5 and then the game finaly turned to the Gills advantage with Oli and Rooney coming on with Oli making sure that Argyles No.5 got nowhere near Kedwell, after the sending off the Gills finaly broke down Argle's defence all the boys did a great job to secure what has been the best start in 16 years Keep it Up boys UTG
    P.S this for Dave and Ron and all the other so called muppets that dare to call themselfs Gills Fans ROFLMAO how the hell can you say you support gills when you constanly slate them at every turn you dont support the team or the manager Hessy has worked His socks off getting what He considers a strong team about time you got behind the Gills and actually supported them otherwise go elsewhere

    21 Aug 2011 3:56 PM

    Report Abuse

  • Coastal Gill wrote:

    Oh dear Mr Squatter....thats "sense"...Anyway poor old Ron/Dave/White Cliffs/Ben Dover....must really hurt to see us doing well and your non league dross struggling.....Roll on January and Adam Birchall in a lovely blue top knocking em in for fun !!!!

    21 Aug 2011 2:20 PM

    Report Abuse

  • come on u stones wrote:

    belfast gill it,s a pity your spelling ,dones't make sence.

    21 Aug 2011 2:09 PM

    Report Abuse

  • scott wrote:

    Ron you talk utter rubbish, Cheltenham have now won twice and niether plymouth or crewe will be down there at christmas time- oh and chesterfield won the league last year because they were better in defence- we had the best striker in the league and didnt reach the playoffs, teams that go up will not lose many matches- As for Kedwell if anyone looks on youtube at what he did in the past he is the rolls royce of penalty takers

    21 Aug 2011 1:57 PM

    Report Abuse

  • Belfast Gill wrote:

    Ron your such a fruit. Go support Maidstone or Linfiekd wherr your comments will make sence. Complete rosser

    21 Aug 2011 1:13 PM

    Report Abuse

  • g.i.blues wrote:

    dover and out...you thick s**t, there is a reason these sides are in the bottom half...we have put them down in those positions!!!!

    just move on and start a life with more meaning, more than what you offer now...pathetic!!!

    21 Aug 2011 12:13 PM

    Report Abuse

  • Borat wrote:

    FAO Ron, White Cliffs, Ben Dover, Dave and all the other Dover muppets:

    Hayes BIGGEST test will be the next two matches against REAL BLUE SQUARE SOUTH PROMOTION CANDIDATES. They haven't played anyone decent so far & the points they've gained have come in matches where in large they have been second best. Hayes's team will be found out over the next two matches up against far better opposition. Donald Duck will be too much for their defence & sad state of a goalkeeper. Hook wasn't tested at all by Truro City but he showed great hands when picking the ball out of the net. Their midfield will be outpassed by Dartford in the home match. Dartford & Tonbridge will be up in that top 3 at the end of the season, but they won't be. And no, they won't make the top 7 either. They've only played small, broke, & part time teams at the moment.

    21 Aug 2011 12:10 PM

    Report Abuse

  • g.i.blues wrote:

    everytime ron, you and the doom rebates predict a negative verdict regards gillingham...which you haven't been correct about yet!!!
    you then say next game so & so will happen???...which at some stage through the season will no doubt be true and you'll have a (i told you so) attitude...which achives what exactly???

    you say your gills fans (which i very much doubt at all), it's totally pathetic childish waste of time talk you idiots!!!

    we're doing just fine without you!...get back to your life of misery with your own clubs and sod off!!!

    UTG!!!

    21 Aug 2011 12:03 PM

    Report Abuse

  • gfcfan wrote:

    Interesting points because I recall many Gills teams of recent years not performing particularly well against teams we were expected to beat.

    I think this just shows you can't read too much into individual results. the only certain thing is whoever is promoted come the end of the season won't have lost too many games. who they did lose to will be of little relevance.

    21 Aug 2011 11:54 AM

    Report Abuse

  • Dandy Dinmont wrote:

    Apart from the spiteful tone Dover and Out is partially correct. Ron, Ron, why bother? We can only beat whatever is in front of us on the day. By the very law of averages your wish will come true and we will get beaten by a better side on any given day. Equally, by the law of averages, if we win more than we lose I suspect much to your chagrin, that we will be in season long contention for promotion directly or via the playoffs. You are entitled to your opinion, but try and make it more balanced.

    21 Aug 2011 11:33 AM

    Report Abuse

  • Harold Monk wrote:

    Funny how a Dover fan agrees with you Ron, a clue in where your true support lies perhaps? Are you saying Crewe will not be there or there abouts come next April? All you have spouted is we have beaten relegation favourates, but come the season end I bet you Crewe and Plymouth are up there. Crewe a good footballing side and Plymouth a huge club at our level. Yes Rotherham and the Shrews are huge tests but if we beat them what will you come out with then? Something positive or the usual "relegation favourates". Come on Ron, IF you ae a Gills fan prove it. Post somehing positive. I mean best start of 16 years, top 3, quality players like Lawrence, Frampton, Welps, Lee etc. Come Ron show us your true colours. (Bet they are black and white).

    21 Aug 2011 11:31 AM

    Report Abuse

  • Jay wrote:

    When we win at Rotherham next week Ron, i'll make sure you know about it.

    21 Aug 2011 11:24 AM

    Report Abuse

  • Dover and out wrote:

    True that Ron. So far you`ve played games against teams only one of whom sits in the top half of the table and even then eleventh. Two of the other three are currently in the bottom four including rock bottom.

    21 Aug 2011 11:23 AM

    Report Abuse

  • Ron wrote:

    Hessenthaler's BIGGEST test will be the next two matches against REAL LEAGUE 2 PROMOTION CANDIDATES. We haven't played anyone decent so far & the points we've gained have come in matches where in large we have been second best. Hessenthaler's team will be found out over the next two matches up against far better opposition. Adam Lefondre will be too much for our defence & sad state of a goalkeeper. Flitney wasn't tested at all by Plymouth. Our midfield will be outpassed by Shrewsbury in the home match. Rotherham United & Shrewsbury Town will be up in that top 3 at the end of the season, but we won't be. And no, we won't make the top 7 either. We've only played small, broke, & part time teams at the moment.

    We haven't got a striker to match someone like Lowe who took Bury up last season & continues to score plenty in League One. We haven't got an Adam Lefondre. We needed a striker that could score 25 to 30 goals this season & we haven't got one. People will say that Birchall's injured, well you go out & you replace him. People will say that we can't afford to do that, well then you don't get promotion. We'll fail this season. A League Two club with strikers of Ryman League Division One quality, not even Ryman Premier. We don't have the quality of player or the money for a promotion bid. We should've had a couple of cheap loan players in to fill the strikers gap, but Hessenthaler doesn't have any league level contacts within the game & is a Non League managaer at heart as we'll see when we face the BIG teams.

    21 Aug 2011 11:16 AM

    Report Abuse

  • Doesn't Watch Penalties! wrote:

    Is he the manager or what? No wonder english players are useless at penalties if the manger does not. How can make improvements?

    Not since David Peach have the Gills had a 100% penalty taker, although Damian Richardson came close.

    21 Aug 2011 8:24 AM

    Report Abuse

  • kay wrote:

    I didn't think the conditions helped the flow of the game as it was very hot in Priestfield today. great three points for the Gills though, and a super contribution from Rooney, my man of the Match!

    20 Aug 2011 7:40 PM

    Report Abuse

  • Els wrote:

    Was right in line with the first goal, and it was well offside so the lino got the right decision in the end even though they took their time. Great 3 points.

    20 Aug 2011 7:05 PM

    Report Abuse

Terms of Comments
We do not actively moderate, monitor or edit contributions to the reader comments but we may intervene and take such action as we think necessary, please click here for our house rules.. If you have any concerns over the contents on our site, please either register those concerns using the report abuse button, contact us here, email multimediadesk@thekmgroup.co.uk or call 01634 227834.

Advertisement

Copyright: You may not copy, reproduce, republish, download, post, broadcast, transmit or otherwise use content on this site in any way except for your own personal, non-commercial use. You also agree not to adapt, alter or create a derivative work from any content on this site except for your own personal, non-commercial use. Any other use of content requires the prior written permission of the KM GROUP. Read full terms and conditions.