Rotherham United 3 Gillingham 0
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by Luke Cawdell
Gillingham crashed to their first league defeat of the season
after conceding three second half goals at Rotherham.
Danny Harrison headed the hosts ahead early in the second half
and just after the hour Lewis Grabban doubled their advantage.
Gareth Evans slotted home from close range for Rotherham’s third
to all-but finish the Gills off.
Danny Kedwell had been working hard for the Gills in attack,
with Danny Spiller offering support, and he came close on a couple
of occasions in a first half of few chances.
With 38 minutes gone Kedwell (pictured) was clean through on
goal but keeper Conrad Logan saved well. A shot by the Gillingham
striker moment later whizzed wide of the post.
The best chance of the half belonged to Rotherham when from a
Gillingham free-kick they broke and Gareth Evans curled an effort
in from 15 yards, only to see goalkeeper Ross Flitney tip the ball
wide with a diving save.
Those chances came late in a first half that had otherwise been
devoid of goalscoring chances.
With 53 minutes on the clock the home side took the lead when
Danny Schofield’s cross was headed in by Harrison.
Gills boss Andy Hessenthaler tried to change things for his side
on the hour with the introduction of Dennis Oli for Jack Payne. The
visitors almost found themselves 2-0 down seconds later when Mark
Bradley smashed a long-range effort narrowly off target.
Rotherham did get a second on 63 minutes when Grabban latched
onto a through-ball and slid a shot past Flitney to leave the Gills
with a huge task to rescue the match.
Kedwell had a looping header turned onto the post by keeper
Conrad Logan and he was needed to tip sub Luke Rooney’s effort over
moments later as the Gills responded by pressing the Rotherham
goal.
It left gaps at the back for the Gills and Flitney did well to
deny Grabban but seconds later, with 76 minutes gone, the defence
was left exposed again as Evans slotted the ball home from a Marcus
Marshall cross.
Rotherham: Logan, Marshall, Newey, Harrison, Raynes, Cresswell,
Schofield, Evans, Taylor (Bradley 52mins), Holroyd (Foster 86mins),
Grabban. Subs not used: Warrington, Brown, Pringle.
Gillingham: Flitney, Fuller, Martin (Jackman 76mins), Frampton,
Lawrence, J Payne (Oli 60mins), Spiller (Rooney 68mins), Montrose,
Weston, Lee, Kedwell. Subs not used: Richards, Gazzaniga.
Attendance: 3,740
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Saturday, August 27 2011
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