FOM BLOG FIVE THINGS TO PICK OUT FROM GILLINGHAM 0-1 GRIMSBY TOWN
After Gillingham’s 2-0 Home Win Against Barrow At Priestfield Stadium, in what was another top of the table clash in League Two, Gillingham had the chance to build on that impressive result when Gillingham hosted Grimsby Town At Priestfield Stadium On Tuesday The 1st Of October for the first Tuesday Night Home League Game Of The Season, and after winning 2-0 against Barrow, there was confidence amongst The Gillingham Fanbase that Gillingham would win against Grimsby Town, maintain our position at the top of The League Two Table, And Gillingham would then be going into the away game against Crewe Alexandra having picked up maximum points against Barrow and Grimsby Town in two home league games.
However, Grimsby Town flipped that script on it’s head, as Grimsby Town won 1-0 against Gillingham, and it is a result which see’s Gillingham’s impressive unbeaten record at Priestfield Stadium come to a close and Grimsby Town are the first team to win at Priestfield Stadium in a league game since Crawley Town’s 2-0 away win against Gillingham on Boxing Day in 2023, and here are the five talking points from Gillingham’s 1-0 home defeat against Grimsby Town…..
ONE: A FANTASTIC AWAY WIN FOR GRIMSBY TOWN - There have been matches this season where Gillingham have scored the first goal, defended well and managed to held out for three points, The 1-0 win against Notts County at Meadow Lane and the two home matches against Chesterfield and Tranmere Rovers where Gillingham played the final thirty plus minutes in both matches with ten men, and Gillingham won 1-0 against Chesterfield and 3-0 against Tranmere Rovers respectively.
And Kieran Green opened the scoring for Grimsby Town in the mid-way point through the first half, and from Grimsby Town’s point of view, it is a well worked and brilliantly taken goal, from Gillingham’s point of view, Gillingham perhaps should have paid more attention to the warning, because there were a few times prior to that goal from Kieran Green where Grimsby Town were almost through on goal and the visitor’s either mis-placed a pass, or hit an over-hit through-ball, but there was nothing wrong with the passing or movement in the build up to Kieran Green’s goal from A Grimsby Town point of view, and that goal gave Grimsby Town the lead, but it also gave Grimsby Town the opportunity to sit and protect that one goal lead as well.
Elliott Nevitt had a great chance to score the equaliser from Jayden Clarke’s Cross, But Elliott Nevitt could not direct his effort on goal on target, and Tim Dieng’s header from Jack Nolan’s corner failed to hit the target, it is a great away win for Grimsby Town, just like the away win for Gillingham against Notts County was a great away win for Gillingham.
TWO: SUBSTITUTIONS FROM MARK BONNER WERE POOR - And this has not been the case up until this point, because Mark Bonner’s substitutions have been very good like George Lapslie coming on and scoring the winning goal against Morecambe, Jayden Clarke, Jacob Wakeling and Marcus Wyllie played a crucial role in helping Gillingham to win 3-0 against Tranmere Rovers, Oli Hawkins made that goal-line clearance away against Notts County and in those matches, Mark Bonner has used the substitutes bench very well.
But in this match against Grimsby Town, George Lapslie should have come on for Jonny Williams at half time, Oli Hawkins should have come on ten minutes earlier, and maybe Marcus Wyllie could have come on with Oli Hawkins as Gillingham lok to get more attacking players on to the pitch to turn a loss into a draw, or even turn this defeat on it’s head and win a league game from a losing position, Because Elliott Nevitt was isolated at times and maybe needed more attacking players around him in the final third, It is not often we have criticised Mark Bonner’s decisions tactically, but in this instance, substitutions needed to be made earlier, and those earlier substitutions could have made an important difference had Oli Hawkins and Marcus Wyllie came on earlier, or, in Marcus Wyllie’s case, comes on as Gillingham’s fifth change of the match.
THREE: GILLINGHAM MISSED REMEAO HUTTON - Gillingham missed Remeao Hutton being able to provide width down the right side of the pitch, because Remeao Hutton likes to attack high and wide, and that allows Jack Nolan the ability to cut inside and shoot, and with Robbie McKenzie at Right Back, Robbie McKenzie can play at Right Back very well, but I would say that Robbie McKenzie plays as a more defensive minded Right Back if Gillingham are defending a lead, where as Remeao Hutton can attack down the right side of the pitch, and with Robbie McKenzie at Right Back, it also meant that Gillingham had to break up the midfield partnership of Robbie McKenzie and Armani Little in the centre of midfield, So Remeao Hutton being unavailable due to injury meant that Gillingham had to make two changes in-terms of moving Robbie McKenzie to Right Back and Ethan Coleman starting in the defensive midfielder role.
FOUR: ATTACKING THE RAINHAM END SECOND HALF COULD HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE - Against Tranmere Rovers and Chesterfield, when Gillingham went down to ten men, Gillingham were defending The Rainham End Goal in that instance, and in both of those matches, that was to Gillingham’s benefit, because Gillingham were defending a lead with a numeric disadvantage and The Gillingham Players had The Rainham End behind them in both of those matches to make sure that Gillingham won both matches, and Gillingham kept a clean sheet in both of those matches as well.
But against Grimsby Town, I think if Gillingham were attacking The Rainham End Second Half, that could have made a massive difference and there have been plenty of times where Gillingham attacking The Rainham End Second Half has seen Gillingham turn a loss into a draw, or, a draw into a win, and because Gillingham were attacking The Town End Second Half, and Gillingham were losing 1-0, I think this is a factor in why Gillingham lost, but of course, the main factor’s are that Gillingham didn’t play well, and Grimsby Town scored first and defended the 1-0 lead very well, But I do think that Gillingham attacking The Rainham End Second Half would have made a massive difference, just like I think had Gillingham been defending The Brian Moore Stand Goal for the matches against Chesterfield and Tranmere Rovers, I don’t think Gillingham win either one of those matches with ten men, I think defending The Rainham End Goal helped Gillingham that day, just like how Gillingham attacking The Brian Moore Stand hindered Gillingham’s chances of getting a result against Grimsby Town.
FIVE: ETHAN COLEMAN AND JONNY WILLIAMS LACK MATCH SHARPNESS - Two players who started for Gillingham against Grimsby Town who have not played a lot of football for Gillingham recently are Ethan Coleman and Jonny Williams, both players looked off the pace and you can tell that both players are lacking in match fitness and match sharpness, and there is a massive difference between being fit and available for selection, and being at your best in-terms of match fitness and match sharpness, and if players who have not played for a while are thrown into the starting line up, they are obviously going to look off the pace.
Jonny Williams should have been substituted at half time for George Lapslie, that substitution did eventually happen in the second half, and Ethan Coleman did come off for Joe Gbode, and injuries and suspensions have affected Gillingham badly in the early stages of the 2024 / 2025 season, and is there something wrong with our preparation work in training ??? are we working the players hard enough, or not working the players hard enough ??? are we just unfortunate with the injuries that Gillingham have got this season ??? do we just accept that these injuries are part and parcel of the game, or should we as Gillingham Supporters should be more concerned with the sheer number of injuries the players are picking up at the moment ???
Now Gillingham have scrapped The B Team, But do Gillingham need to start considering implementing A U21 Team in a competitive league which not only bridges the gap between youth team and first team football for our young players, but also, The U21 League gives Gillingham the opportunity to give our experienced players the opportunity to get game-time, especially the players who are not getting many minutes for the first team, you could have had a situation where Jonny Williams, Ethan Coleman, Tim Dieng and Marcus Wyllie all got the chance to play for A Gillingham U21 Team in a competitive fixture and build up match fitness and match sharpness levels - I believe only four players over the age of twenty one can play in A U21 Team - But the point stands, do Gillingham need A U21 Team, which can give Mark Bonner the opportunity to give players minutes who need game-time who are not getting many opportunities to play for the first team ???
