Gillingham 4 Bristol Rovers 1
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by Luke Cawdell
Gillingham brushed aside Bristol Rovers at Priestfield with a
ruthless display in League 2.
Saturday’s win extended Gills’ unbeaten run in all competitions
to eight games.
First-half goals from Lewis Montrose and Danny Kedwell, from the
spot, gave the Gills a healthy advantage but Mustapha Carayol
brought Rovers back into the game on 51 minutes.
Danny Jackman replied with a third for the hosts before Rovers’
Cian Bolger was sent off, for a foul in the box, and Kedwell
smashed in goal number four.
Gillingham, watched by a season-best crowd of 7,750, scored at
either end of the first half to give themselves a comfortable
lead to take into the interval.
A lively start saw both teams come out of the traps quickly but
it was the Gills who scored an early opener when Jackman’s cross
was nodded home by Montrose. The midfielder found himself with
plenty of space in the box to pick his spot and guide his header
past keeper Scott Bevan.
Frank Nouble was looking bright in attack for the Gills in what
was his last game of a three-month loan spell from West Ham. He
toe-poked an effort narrowly wide as the home side continued to
boss the game.
Rovers hit back briefly and Jackman was called upon to head a
dangerous cross clear, but keeper Ross Flitney ended the first half
without a shot to save.
There were five minutes of first-half injury time as both teams
lost their respective captains to injury. Byron Anthony walked off
with concussion and Gills’ Andy Frampton made an early
exit after struggling with what looked like a pre-existing
injury.
During the additional time, the Gills doubled their tally.
Montrose was fouled in the box and Danny Kedwell stepped up to
score his eighth goal of the season and fifth from the penalty
spot.
With six minutes of the second half played, Rovers halved the
deficit when Charlie Lee’s mis-cued clearance fell to
winger Carayol. He ran in on goal and scuffed a low shot past
Flitney.
The Gills had to soak up more early second-half pressure but
came close to adding a third themselves, through Curtis Weston,
with a shot that he dragged just the wrong side of the post.
Any fears the Gills had were hushed on 57 minutes when Bevan
parried a Nouble shot into the path of Jackman and he smashed the
ball home into the bottom corner.
Kedwell converted his second penalty of the afternoon with 72
minutes gone after Weston had been fouled in the area by Bolger.
The Rovers man was sent-off for the challenge.
Jackman saw a cross come off the bar and Kedwell smashed a shot
narrowly over as the Rovers backline looked stretched.
Flitney was forced into making his first save with 84 minutes on
the clock when he had to palm away Craig Stanley’s deflected
shot.
Gillingham: Flitney, Martin, Lee (Fish 78mins),
Frampton (Lawrence 40mins), Richards, J Payne, Jackman, Montrose,
Weston (Whelpdale 81mins), Kedwell, Nouble. Subs not used: S Payne,
Gazzaniga.
Bristol Rovers: Bevan, Sawyer, Woodards,
Stanley, Carayol, Brown, Anthony (Bolger 35mins), Anyinsah (Norburn
81mins), Richards, Zebroski (Harrold 78mins), Dorman. Subs not
used: Smith, Goddard.
Attendance: 7,750.
Picture: Danny Kedwell celebrates after
scoring the second penalty by Barry Goodwin
Thursday, December 15 2011
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