FOM BLOG - FIVE THINGS TO PICK OUT FROM GILLINGHAM 0-2 LUTON TOWN
Since Gillingham’s encouraging performance and result against Reading a week ago at Priestfield Stadium, Gillingham’s First Team played two sixty minute behind closed door’s matches against Southampton, and Southampton won both matches 1-0 and 3-1 respectively, whilst The Gillingham XI Side had drew 2-2 against Deal Town on Tuesday Night, and they also drew 2-2 away against Sheppey United On The Friday Night, which was played the day before the home game against Luton Town, and I did go to Holm Park to watch The Gillingham XI Side put in a really encouraging performance against Sheppey United.
But Luton Town are going to be a serious step up in quality compared to Sheppey United, and Luton Town are also going to be a step up in quality from The Reading Side Gillingham faced at Priestfield Stadium a week ago, and you have to remember that although Luton Town are A League One Side for The 2025 / 2026 Season, two season’s ago, Luton Town were playing in The Premier League and they will still have players of top Championship Quality and players with Premier League Experience in there squad playing against Gillingham in our latest first team pre-season friendly.
Against Reading, we had to contend with very hot and humid conditions and The Gordon Road Stand was open for The Reading Game for home supporters who wanted to sit in the shade, against Luton Town, it chucked it down with rain, so a completely different contrast in weather conditions, but better weather to play football in, and more comfortable conditions for supporters to be able to watch Gillingham V Luton Town inside Priestfield Stadium.
Pre-Match, several Gillingham Supporters reflected on the encouraging performance against Reading, who are going to be contender’s for a playoff position in League One at the very least, but the 0-0 draw still highlights a problem that has been a problem Gillingham have had for the past four season’s, which is the lack of goals, and the two goals the first team have scored in pre-season for the first team is Robbie McKenzie getting on the end of a free kick against Dover Athletic, and Jack Nolan scoring from the penalty spot against Southampton, and with Gareth Ainsworth talking about strengthen the squad in the summer transfer window, those addition’s need to be strengthening the squad in the attacking area’s of the pitch.
And we are also now just two week’s away from the football season starting, and in two weeks time, we will be traveling to Accrington Stanley on the opening day of The League Two Season, and I have got my ticket for Accrington Stanley, a few other supporters have also got there ticket for Accrington Stanley Away, and we’re looking forward to the opening day of the season.
This is how Gillingham Lined Up Against Luton Town for our latest pre-season friendly…….
GILLINGHAM STARTING LINE UP - Glenn Morris (GK), Remeao Hutton, Andy Smith, Conor Masterson, Shadrach Ogie, Max Clark, Robbie McKenzie, Armani Little, Bradley Dack, Seb Palmer-Houlden and Joe Gbode
GILLINGHAM SUBSTITUTIONS - Jake Turner (GK), Harry Webster, Ethan Coleman, Logan Dobbs, Lenni Cirino, Nelson Khumbeni, Jack Nolan, Elliott Nevitt, Marcus Wyllie, Josh Andrews, Damien Theodore, Harry Waldock and Harry Bridle
One of the things Gillingham didn’t do when confirming the starting line up was saying that this is how Gillingham will line up for the first half and this is The Gillingham Team for the second half, which meant that Gareth Ainsworth is looking to push the number of minutes the first team will play in pre-season matches before the start of the season, where as I thought we might continue to stick with forty five minutes, not push the players too much to make sure that everyone is fit and available for selection for the start of the season, which of course is the most important thing.
The starting line up also confirmed that Gillingham are lining up with a 3-5-2 / 5-3-2 formation with Andy Smith, Conor Masterson and Shadrach Ogie lining up as the three centre back’s with Remeao Hutton and Max Clark at wing back, it’s the formation that Gareth Ainsworth mostly stuck with towards the back end of last season, and it is the formation that Gillingham are playing against Luton Town in this latest pre-season friendly.
And this match against Luton Town is by far the toughest friendly remaining, because after this match, the first team have friendlies against Ebbsfleet United on Tuesday Night and Dartford on Saturday, and Chatham Town host A Gillingham XI Side on The Friday Night, and after these three friendlies, preparation work will be done before the start of the season, as our full attention can turn to Accrington Stanley V Gillingham.
But here are the five talking points to take away from Gillingham’s 2-0 Home Defeat Against Luton Town At Priestfield Stadium………
ONE: LUTON TOWN DOMINATED THE FIRST HALF - This was a first half that Luton Town dominated, and right from the get go Gillingham were put on the back-foot when Andy Smith made a crucial clearance to clear the ball out of play for A Luton Town Corner Kick, and from the resulting corner kick, a dangerous in-swinging cross aimed towards the far post see’s Nigel Lonwijk’s header on goal go over the crossbar, and that was the first goal-scoring of many that Luton Town created in the first half.
That dominance from Luton Town continued with Glenn Morris having to save an deflected effort on target, Andy Smith then makes a crucial block challenge and Gillingham managed to clear there lines with desperate last ditch defending, and in a separate attacking opportunity, Glenn Morris saved a deflated cross which looped high and up into the air and Glenn Morris got to the ball ahead of A Luton Town Player at the near post.
Remeao Hutton had to do his defensive duties and block a dangerous cross, but with the way Luton Town were passing and moving the ball quickly with incisive passes, Remeao Hutton and Max Clark were both dropping deeper, and it was very much a defensive flat back five and Remeao Hutton and Max Clark couldn’t provide Gillingham with enough width higher up the pitch, and this is one of the negative aspects of the 3-5-2 / 5-3-2 formation, if the wing back’s don’t push higher up the pitch, then a back three with three centre back’s turn’s into a defensive flat back five, and Gillingham are struggling to get higher up the pitch against A Luton Town Side with a lot of quality players in there squad, and when you compare Luton Town against Reading, both team’s will be in League One this coming season, but Gillingham put in a very encouraging performance against Reading, where as Luton Town look a division above Reading with the qualities they are showing against Gillingham in this pre-season friendly.
In a separate attacking opportunity which started with a throw down The Gordon Road Stand Side Of The Pitch, Shadrach Ogie blocks a dangerous cross at the expense of conceding a corner kick, and although the corner kick didn’t result in a goal-scoring opportunity for Luton Town, the visitor’s are dominated possession, Luton Town were constantly being patient in possession of the ball waiting for that pass to unlock Gillingham’s defence.
And Luton Town did find that pass moments later with Nahki Wells having possession of the ball for Luton Town inside Gillingham’s Penalty Area, and Nahki Wells skips past the attempted challenge from Conor Masterson, and Glenn Morris was off his goal-line to narrow the angle, and there was Andy Smith to make a goal-saving interception to prevent Nahki Wells from opening the scoring for Luton Town - Excellent Defending From Andy Smith just as Nahki Wells was about to shoot as well.
Shadrach Ogie also made an important interception to prevent Luton Town getting through on goal, and if this friendly against Luton Town was scheduled so that Gillingham can do some defensive work in pre-season, then the defence is getting severely tested, but when Gillingham do get possession of the ball, we’re trying to hit the ball long for Seb Palmer-Houlden and Joe Gbode to either retain possession of the ball, or these two are chasing lost causes, and with both Remeao Hutton and Max Clark so deep and Gillingham are lining up with a flat back five, there is no service or support for either striker with how deep Gillingham are with all the defensive work Gillingham have had to do in the first half.
And when your defending constantly throughout the first half, eventually, that defensive resistance is going to falter, and that is exactly what happened, because Luton Town took the lead after twenty nine minutes, Millenic Alli goes on a great run in possession of the ball and manages to pass the ball square to Reuell Walters, and Reuell Walters has managed to pick out Jordan Clark with a cross towards the edge of Gillingham’s Penalty Area, And Jordan Clark has volleyed the ball into the ground and the ball loop’s up off the turf and into the far corner of the net past the despairing dive from Glenn Morris who was unable to prevent Luton Town from opening the scoring, and it has taken some-time, but Luton Town have eventually taken the lead - GILLINGHAM 0-1 LUTON TOWN
There is a level of fortune about the way Luton Town have opened the scoring, but sometimes you make your own luck, and with all the chances that Luton Town have created and should have taken in the first half, even though there was a slice of luck with how the ball bounced into the far corner of the net from Jordan Clark’s effort on goal, if your constantly creating goal-scoring opportunities, eventually, the ball is going to hit the back of the net.
And as soon as Luton Town had opened the scoring, Shadrach Ogie conceded a foul right on the edge of Gillingham’s Penalty Area by the byline, and the resulting free kick for Luton Town see’s a fiercely driven effort on target blocked by Gillingham’s Defensive Wall at the expense of conceding a corner kick for Luton Town.
And ten minutes after opening the scoring, Luton Town double there advantage to 2-0, Millenic Alli uses his pace to go past Remeao Hutton and work his way towards the byline, and Millenic Alli pulls the ball back towards Jordan Clark, who fires the ball into the back of The Gillingham Net with a neat first time finish - and Remeao Hutton isn’t a slow player by any means, and this goal for Luton Town came down to the pace and ability of Millenic Alli, who was causing Gillingham problems defensively throughout the entire match - GILLINGHAM 0-2 LUTON TOWN
I could have included three or four more chances that Luton Town created in the first half, such was there dominance in there performance against A Gillingham Side who were mostly on the back-foot in the first half, but the general point is that Luton Town could have added to the two goals that they scored against Gillingham, and it took crucial interceptions and vital clearances from The Gills to ensure that Luton Town didn’t add to there goal tally.
TWO: SECOND HALF WAS ENCOURAGING - Luton Town could have made the score-line 3-0 or 4-0 with the chances they created in the first half, but Gillingham were much improved in the second half, and Gillingham were putting Luton Town under pressure before the penalty, and then the penalty kick did happen, when Remeao Hutton whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross, and Joe Gbode is pulled to the ground and Referee Isaac Searle points to the penalty spot, but unfortuantely, it’s a poor penalty from Max Clark and Goalkeeper James Shea makes the save in goal for Luton Town, and that’s a massive moment in the entire match, if Max Clark scores from the penalty spot, Gillingham are back in the match at 1-2 down, but with the scoreline remaining at 2-0, it is still a comfortable lead for Luton Town, and Gillingham are deflated with the penalty miss as well.
And there were a few half chances for Gillingham to half the deficit, Gillingham have a throw on deep in Luton Town’s Half Of The Pitch, and Remeao Hutton hurl’s in a long dangerous throw which is flicked on by Conor Masterson and James Shea makes the save in goal for Luton Town, Bradley Dack had an effort on goal from a free kick which went over the crossbar, and I have got to say that Luton Town Goalkeeper James Shea just walking outside the penalty area with the ball in his hands was such a bizarre situation to begin with, Joe Gbode’s Header on target was saved by James Shea, and in a separate attacking opportunity, Seb Palmer-Houlden puts Luton Town under pressure to concede a corner kick.
And Luton Town had there opportunities to add to the score-line in the second half themselves, but the second half wasn’t so one sided as the first half, and Gillingham had there opportunities to score, The Gills were causing Luton Town more problems in there defensive final third, and we as supporters do need to take into consideration that Gillingham are playing against higher league opposition in Luton Town, they look very likely to achieve promotion back into The Championship, and pre-season is the time to give players minutes and try a few things out tactically, but there is one aspect that many Gillingham Supporters are very concerned about for this coming season.
THREE: THE CONCERN’S REGARDING GILLINGHAM SCORING GOALS - And the very concerning aspect regarding Gillingham Football Club for supporters this season is will Gillingham score enough goals ??? Max Clark needed to score that penalty at the start of the second half, there was a chance in the first half where Remeao Hutton hurls in a long dangerous throw which is flicked on at the near post by Andy Smith, and in the centre of the goal was Seb Palmer-Houlden, who needed to header the ball either side of The Luton Town Goalkeeper to score for Gillingham, and these are the goal-scoring opportunities that if they come your way, you got to take them, sometimes you might get one or two chances to score a goal in a tightly contested match which is 0-0, take one of the very few opportunities that you create all game and you turn a 0-0 draw into a 1-0 win, and do that five or six times a season, and Gillingham or any team in the division can go from mid-table to competing for promotion or a playoff position in League Two very easily.
And from what I have seen from Seb Palmer-Houlden, he is going to be a fans favourite at Gillingham, hard working, never stops running, chases and competes for everything, he had one opportunity in the first half which he created himself and cut inside and saw his effort on goal saved by Luton Town Goalkeeper James Shea, but the header in the first half needed to hit the back of the net, and I think this is where some of the sides like Chesterfield, MK Dons, and Swindon Town excel over Gillingham, they have got goal-scorers in there sides, and the three team’s I have mentioned in MK Dons, Chesterfield and Swindon Town will create plenty of goal-scoring opportunities for there strikers to score goals, and chance creation is something that Gillingham need to improve just as much, maybe more, then finding the one player who can stick the ball into the back of the net.
And Gillingham have got six strikers competing for one or two position’s in the starting line up, Josh Andrews, Sam Vokes, Elliott Nevitt, Seb Palmer-Houlden, Marcus Wyllie and Joe Gbode - And starting with Josh Andrews, we want to see Josh Andrews remain fully fit and play a key role for Gillingham Football Club this coming season, but there is always going to be question marks regarding his fitness and how many games will Josh Andrews be fit and available for selection for ??? with Sam Vokes, I really like this signing a lot, because Sam Vokes experience off the pitch will be just as valuable as his contributions on the pitch, but for the time being at least, Sam Vokes is recovering from a broken arm and is likely to miss the first few weeks of the season, but there is a proven quality player in Sam Vokes once he is fit and available for selection for Gillingham.
I can see Elliott Nevitt scoring more goals for Gillingham this coming season, he scored twice for Gillingham in the nine league games Gareth Ainsworth managed at the end of The 2024 / 2025 Season, and I mentioned earlier about Seb Palmer-Houlden and how he is going to be a real fans favourite with the off the ball running he does in the final third of the pitch, one player who ended last season in decent goal-scoring form is Joe Gbode with the two goals he scored for Gillingham against Swindon Town and AFC Wimbledon, two well taken goals, but with Joe Gbode, we’re always asking the question, is his best position playing out-wide, or through the middle as a central striker, and can Joe Gbode add goal-scoring to his all-round game this season ??? - and finally, with Marcus Wyllie, will he be given more opportunities to play for Gillingham’s first team during The 2025 / 2026 Season, or, will Marcus Wyllie likely leave Gillingham on loan ???
In the last three season’s in League Two, Gillingham have scored 36 goals, 46 goals and 41 goals, so that’s 123 goals scored in 138 league games in the past three season’s, and during pre-season this summer, Gillingham’s first team have scored two goals against Reading, Luton Town, Southampton and Dover Athletic, and against Southampton, Jack Nolan scored from the penalty spot, and against Dover Athletic, Robbie McKenzie scored from a knock down from a free kick, so we’re not just asking questions about goal-scoring, but we’re also asking questions about Gillingham scoring goals in open play as well.
And regarding chance creation and creating goal-scoring opportunities in open play, if Gillingham had a player or two like Millenic Alli in our side, a player of his ability would create more chances for Gillingham to score goals, because players with pace creates space for attacking and creative players to thrive in, and this has been an on-going issue for Gillingham where we don’t seem to be the quickest of sides, and I do wonder if the two signings that Gareth Ainsworth is looking to add to the first team are one or two players with pace who can make a difference to creating and scoring goals for Gillingham, because it’s clear that the final third of the pitch is an area of the squad that needs to be strengthened in the transfer window.
Whilst pre-season is about preparing the players for the start of the season, working on systems and formation’s, making sure that the players are fit and available for selection for the opening game of the season against Accrington Stanley, and performances and results in pre-season have absolutely nothing to do with how your side is going to perform over a ten month football season, when Gillingham have been struggling to score goals for the past four year’s, and we’re scoring only two goals in four first team pre-season friendlies, that is going to have supporters very worried and concerned about Gillingham having yet another low goal-scoring season for yet another season.
FOUR: NELSON KHUMBENI AND ELLIOTT NEVITT ARE BACK - Nelson Khumbeni and Elliott Nevitt both made there first appearances for Gillingham Football Club in pre-season, and although it was only a fifteen minute substitute appearance, it is great to see both players back and available for selection for the first team, and both Elliott Nevitt and Nelson Khumbeni will have opportunities to play for Gillingham in pre-season friendlies against Ebbsfleet United and Dartford in our final two pre-season friendlies before the start of the season.
I am not sure if Elliott Nevitt or Nelson Khumbeni will be fit enough to start on the opening day of the season away against Accrington Stanley, but just having these two players back will be very important, because Sam Vokes, Euan Williams and Aaron Rowe will all miss the start of the season, and Gareth Ainsworth will want as many first team players fit and available for selection for the first league game of the season in less then two weeks time.
FIVE: MORE MINUTES PLAYED AND NO INJURIES - And having as many players fit and available for selection for The Accrington Stanley Away League Game brings me on to my next point, and something else which was important from our 2-0 home defeat against Luton Town, and that is no injuries, there were no injuries to any of the twenty two players who played for Gillingham against Luton Town on Saturday, and we’re getting closer and closer to the start of the season now.
The friendly against Luton Town was the first time where Gillingham didn’t name a separate team for the first half and second half, Glenn Morris and Bradley Dack played for sixty eight minutes, whilst Remeao Hutton, Andy Smith, Conor Masterson, Shadrach Ogie, Max Clark, Robbie McKenzie, Armani Little, Joe Gbode and Seb Palmer-Houlden all played for seventy five minutes as players stepped up there match fitness and match sharpness levels before the start of the season, and regarding the substitutes who came on against Luton Town, Gareth Ainsworth has hinted that the substitutes against Luton Town are likely to start against Ebbsfleet United, and those subs will be given the opportunity to increase there match fitness and match sharpness levels, as Ainsworth gives as many players in the first team squad the opportunity to get themselves fit before the start of the season.
ANDY SMITH - If I am picking a player for Gillingham’s Man Of The Match against Luton Town, I thought Andy Smith was superb, outstanding challenge to prevent Nakhi Wells from scoring a certain goal for Luton Town, made two or three other important interceptions when Gillingham were on the back-foot defensively, and as an attacking threat, on the small occasions where Gillingham did attack Luton Town’s Goal, it was Andy Smith who flicked on Remeao Hutton’s long throw and Seb Palmer-Houlden needed to score with that header which he headed the ball straight at James Shea in goal for Luton Town.
I mentioned earlier about our concern’s regarding Gillingham’s ability to score goal’s, and the need for Gillingham to still strengthen the squad in the final third of the pitch, but when it comes to our defensive options, Andy Smith, Conor Masterson, Shadrach Ogie and Sam Gale are four decent centre back’s to call upon in the two or three starting position’s on the pitch - depending on the formation that Gillingham will want to line up with on the opening day of the season - and Robbie McKenzie and Ethan Coleman can play centre back at a push when required to do so as well, Gillingham have got good quality defensive options to call upon, and signing Andy Smith on a permanent deal is a very good signing for Gillingham, and Andy Smith put in an excellent performance in defence for Gillingham against Luton Town.
BRADLEY DACK - Bradley Dack had that chance to score for Gillingham in the second half, with his effort on goal from a free kick which went over the crossbar, but the big positive was Bradley Dack playing for sixty eight minutes for Gillingham against Luton Town and coming through that friendly without any injury problems, and I think this is how Gareth Ainsworth intends to play Bradley Dack throughout the 2025 / 2026 season, if Bradley Dack starts for Gillingham, then Dack is playing for 60-65 minutes and then substituted, if Bradley Dack is named on the bench, then Bradley Dack comes on as a substitute with 25-30 minutes left to play, I don’t see Bradley Dack playing the full ninety minutes in matches for Gillingham, but he can contribute greatly for The Gills for the time he is on the pitch, regardless if Dack is starting the game initially before being substituted, or, named on the bench, and subbed on to make an impact, this is a big pre-season for Bradley Dack, and playing almost seventy minutes against Luton Town will be a relief for Dack, who has not had a pre-season in almost three years, and great to see Bradley Dack playing more minutes for Gillingham in pre-season.
POSSIBLE LOAN SIGNINGS FROM LUTON TOWN - Given that Matt Bloomfield was Gareth Ainsworth’s Captain at Wycombe Wanderers and there is such a high level of mutual respect between Matt Bloomfield and Gareth Ainsworth, maybe Gillingham could sign one or two players on loan from Luton Town who are unlikely to play for Luton Town in League One who would be good enough for Gillingham in League Two, Gareth Ainsworth hasn’t used the loan system to make any signing’s so far, and having connections and good relationship’s with football club’s and other manager’s is so important when it comes to signing players on loan, and I do wonder if Gareth Ainsworth will have had a conversation with Matt Bloomfield about the possibility of signing one or two players on loan from Luton Town ???
