Gillingham 3 AFC Wimbledon 4
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Gillingham striker
Gavin Tomlin scores his second goal past Dons keeper Seb brown to
put Gills 3-1 ahead, but the visitors came back to
win 4-3 at Priestfield. Picture: Barry Goodwin.
by Luke Cawdell
Gillingham conceded three goals in 18 minutes to see their hopes
of much-needed home joy disappear.
An early Gavin Tomlin strike put the Gills ahead and they
doubled the lead through Jo Kuffour (pictured) shortly after
the break.
The Dons halved the deficit on the hour but Tomlin headed home
to calm the nerves at Priestfield moments later.
An own goal made it 3-2 to start the comeback, Jack Midson
levelled from the spot with 10 minutes left and with a couple of
minutes remaining Midson put Wimbledon ahead.
It took Gillingham just five minutes to take the lead with a
goal from on-loan Dagenham forward Tomlin, but for the rest of
the opening 45 minutes there was no indication of the
second half drama to come.
Tomlin had latched onto Danny Jackman's ball before squeezing a
shot past keeper Seb Brown, to net his first goal of the season, on
his home Gills debut.
Tomlin was playing in an advanced position as the support for
main strikers Danny Kedwell and Kuffour.
Kedwell had come through a fitness test to face his old club
while fellow injury doubts Matt Lawrence and Charlie Lee both also
started. There was no place in the team though for Andy Frampton,
who picked up a thigh injury during training.
Boss Andy Hessenthaler had made four changes to his starting
line-up as he looked for a response to the disappointing display a
week previously at Shrewsbury.
Dropped to the bench were Curtis Weston, Dennis Oli and Chris
Whelpdale.
Unfortunately the Gills were unable to build on their impressive
start and for long periods they were on the back foot in the
opening half against an AFC Wimbledon side, who earlier in the
season, had beaten them 3-1.
A couple of tame efforts, from Lee and Joe Martin - back from a
two game suspension - failed to trouble Brown while later in
the half Lee's header, from a Jackman corner, sailed wide.
Wimbledon's final ball undid all their good approach play and
the Gills held their lead by the break.
Gillingham got their much-needed second goal in the 54th minute
and it was Kuffour, on his first appearance since returning to the
club, who claimed it. He ran onto Tomlin's super through ball
and beat the keeper with an equally impressive finish.
Wimbledon got back into the match on the hour when George Moncur
found Luke Moore in space and the former Ebbsfleet man slotted
home.
The joy for the 1,163 travelling fans didn't last long as Tomlin
headed home his second of the match, from a Kuffour cross, in the
62nd minute to restore Gills' two-goal advantage.
Another Wimbledon goal with 72 minutes gone made it 3-2 as Garry
Richards turned the ball into his own net from a corner.
With 10 minutes left Wimbledon levelled from the penalty spot
through Midson. He was the man fouled by Matt Lawrence and referee
Brendan Malone pointed to the spot.
Malone was the same referee who awarded Brighton a contentious
penalty against the Gills back in August.
Worse followed for the Gills. With two minutes left as a vicious
cross from the left was turned into his the net by Midson with
Martin in close proximity to give the visitors the lead for the
first time.
Gillingham: Flitney, Lee, Martin, Richards, Lawrence,
Tomlin (Oli 85mins), J Payne, Montrose, Jackman (Whelpdale 81mins),
Kedwell, Kuffour (Weston 70mins). Subs: King,
Gazzaniga.
Wimbledon: Brown, Hatton, Gwillim, S Moore,
Mitchel-King, McNaughton, Knott (Kiernan 85mins), Moncur, L Moore
(Yussuff 71mins), Midson, Harrison (Stuart 90mins). Subs not used:
Bush, Turner.
Attendance: 6,236
What do you make of Gills' capitulation? Have your say
below.
Saturday, January 21 2012
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