Gillingham 1 Oxford United 0
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On-loan striker Jo Kuffour has a goal disallowed
late-on for offside in Gillingham's 1-0 win over Oxford United.
Picture: Barry Goodwin.
By Luke Cawdell
Gillingham finished Saturday’s game with just
nine men but Lewis Montrose’s stunning first half goal was enough
to win the game.
The hosts had to play almost the entire
second half with 10 men after Joe Martin was sent off almost
straight after the restart and Gills’ goalscorer also saw red on 88
minutes for a flying tackle on Asa Hall.
Oxford had plenty of chances to get something
from the game but were unable to break Gillingham’s resolve.
Gillingham, whose starting team was
unchanged from the one which beat Torquay 5-2 the previous weekend,
went ahead on the stroke of half-time with a stunning 25 yard shot
from midfielder Montrose (pictured).
That goal ended a difficult 45 minutes for the
Gills as they faced an Oxford team with plenty of pace in attack.
Martin’s dismissal meant the second half was not going to be any
easier.
Alfie Potter, in particular, teased the
Gillingham back four in the opening 45 minutes but the visitors
were unable to make their chances count.
The Gills’ best outlet was livewire
forward Jo Kuffour and he engineered an early chance for fellow
front-man Frank Nouble that keeper Ryan Clarke saved.
Oxford were forced to play the final five
minutes of the opening half with 10 men after Deane Smalley left
the field for treatment to a head wound.
In that time the Gills pounced. The goal
stemmed from a run forward from Kuffour, as he got past experienced
defender Michael Duberry. Clarke saved the shot one-handed but
could only watch as Montrose dispatched the loose ball straight
back into the top corner.
Gillingham were already facing an Oxford
backlash but made things harder on themselves when Martin was
dismissed for a second booking just three minutes into the second
half.
He earned the second yellow after taking
Robert Hall out with a tackle from behind, having already picked up
a caution for an early foul on Damian Batt.
Danny Jackman was introduced to shore up the
defence, leaving Kuffour upfront alone, but a stunning save from
Flitney kept the Gills’ lead intact from Simon Heslop’s vicious
close-range shot.
Oxford continued to waste chances and Liam
Davis smashed a great effort wide from an angle just before the
hour after Hall’s ball had cut through Gills’ defence.
Gillingham were almost gifted a second when
Jake Wright cleared the ball into the path of Luke Rooney, but was
grateful to see the wide-man put his shot into the arms of
Clarke.
At the other end, chances kept coming. Flitney
blocked a shot from Hall before missing a long ball and requiring
Matt Lawrence to clear the danger.
The Gills, who were clearly tiring in the
latter stages after battling so well, thought they had sealed
it when Kuffour netted with five minutes left but the linesman
signalled for offside.
With two minutes of normal time left Montrose
saw red for a sliding tackle on Hall to leave the Gills hanging on
with nine men.
James Constable’s miss, when clean through in
injury time for Oxford, summed up the day for the visitors where
missed chances proved costly.
Gillingham: Flitney, Martin,
Fish, Richards, Lawrence, Weston, Montrose, Whelpdale (Lee 65mins),
Rooney (Frampton 74mins), Nouble (Jackman 52mins), Kuffour. Subs: S
Payne, Gazzaniga.
Oxford: Clarke, Batt, McLaren
(A Hall 78mins), Duberry, Wright, Heslop (Constable 55mins),
Smalley (Philliskirk 68mins), Potter, Leven, Davis, R Hall. Subs:
Whing, Kinniburgh.
Attendance: 5,819.
What did you make of Gillingham's performance? Have your
say in the comments section below.
Saturday, October 22 2011
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