FOM BLOG: PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 1-0 GILLINGHAM
My Thoughts On Plymouth Argyle 1-0 Gillingham 2020 / 2021……..
When Gillingham won 4-1 against Rochdale on The 19th Of December, Not only were we pleased with the result, but we were also pleased with the performance that Gillingham put in at Spotlands (A Ground where we have seen Gillingham get thumped 3-0, 4-1 and 3-0 in three of the previous four season's prior to The 2020 / 2021 Season) And Gillingham went into a mini season break off the back of that 4-1 win against Rochdale, and with the home game against Peterborough United postponed combined with Gillingham having the likes of Jordan Graham and Dominic Samuel unavailable because of injury, and Vadaine Oliver and Trae Coyle were not 100% for The Rochdale Game so they didn't play, then this mini season break came at the right time for The Gills and the players can then re-charge there batteries for the next two league matches against Northampton Town and Plymouth Argyle.
But the back to back league games against Northampton Town and Plymouth Argyle have seen Gillingham pick up zero points, losing 3-1 and 1-0 respectively, and the back to back defeats against Northampton Town and Plymouth Argyle have seen both clubs pull themselves away or outside of the relegation zone, whilst at the same-time, dragging Gillingham closer into The League One Relegation Battle, for now, Gillingham are seven points clear of The League One Relegation Zone with a decent goal difference, but another run of four defeats in five and Gillingham will be looking over there shoulder at The Relegation Zone, Gillingham winning four of the next five matches would put Gillingham on Thirty Eight Points From Twenty Four Matches, which would pull Gillingham clear of the teams in the bottom four, even with a impressive run of form like four wins from five matches, I am not looking at The League One Playoff Position’s, it is going to take a incredible run of form over the next twenty six league games for Gillingham to finish 6th or higher in League One, And Gillingham would probably need fifty points from our remaining matches to secure themselves a playoff spot, And I cannot see Gillingham achieving two points a game on average for the rest of The 2020 / 2021 Season.
Gillingham Lined Up As Follows Against Plymouth Argyle,,,,, Jack Bonham, Ryan Jackson, Declan Drysdale, Connor Ogilvie, Tom O’Connor, Josh Eccles, Scott Robertson, Robbie McKenzie, Jordan Graham, Kyle Dempsey, Vadaine Oliver, SUBS: Christian Maghoma, Jack Tucker, Matty Willock, Alex MacDonald, Trae Coyle and John Akinde - Now we knew that Joe Walsh was going to be unavailable for selection, so the question being asked is why wasn’t Charlie Walker promoted from the youth team to provide Goalkeeper Cover on the bench for the first team ??? - It also makes you wonder if Gillingham are looking to sign a goalkeeper with experience to provide cover for Jack Bonham and Joe Walsh, also, Jack Tucker being dropped to the bench for Declan Drysdale was a surprise even if Jack Tucker is out of form at the moment, But the good news has to be Jordan Graham returning to the starting line up after returning from injury.
And looking at Plymouth Argyle’s Starting Line Up, It Appears that Plymouth Argyle are lining up with three at the back with wing backs, and Danny Mayor is a player to watch out for, Danny Mayor showed his quality during his time at Bury and he is someone who can produce moments of genuine quality, But this match should be about what Gillingham do and how we approach this match, and can we respond from the disappointing 3-1 defeat against Northampton Town At Sixfields by picking up all three points against Plymouth Argyle at Home Park, I mentioned to a few Gillingham Supporters that nine points from nine from the three matches against Northampton Town, Plymouth Argyle and Burton Albion will be a great way for The Gills to move in the right direction, and it would be a great way to respond after going into a mini season break as well - as for the conditions, the rain is chucking it down as both teams line up on the pitch, So not only does watching the match on I Follow mean avoiding the long trip to Plymouth, But we are also spared the wet and windy conditions in The South West as well.
Four Minutes Into The Match, And Tom O’Connor is penalised for his challenge on Lewis MacLeod and Plymouth Argyle have been awarded a free kick down the right side of the pitch - Gillingham’s Left - In Gillingham’s Final Third, And From The Resulting Free Kick, Lewis MacLeod passes the ball forwards quickly towards Ryan Hardie, And Ryan Hardie gets the ball under control before seeing his cross charged down by Kyle Dempsey at the expense of conceding a corner kick - And Gillingham had just completely switched off from that quickly taken free kick - and from the resulting corner kick, Plymouth Argyle should have taken the lead, Lewis MacLeod whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross and Niall Canavan’s header is goal-bound and the ball ricochets against Vadaine Oliver and Will Aimson’s diving header at the far post goes just wide and that was the chance for Plymouth Argyle to open the scoring - WHAT ARE YOU DOING GILLINGHAM!!!! - Was my response, Because Gillingham switched off from the quickly taken free kick, and our defending from the resulting corner kick was less than satisfactory.
Seven Minutes Into The Match, And Ryan Hardie’s shot towards goal from the edge of Gillingham’s Penalty Area goes over Gillingham’s Crossbar, but it has to be said that the defending from Declan Drysdale and Connor Ogilvie prior to Ryan Hardie getting a shot off on goal was not convincing at all, And In The Eighth Minute Of The Match, Plymouth Argyle manage to win themselves another corner kick as Panutche Camará almost manages to pick out Lewis MacLeod with a dangerous low cross towards the far post and Ryan Jackson takes no chances and kicks the ball out of play for a corner kick, and from the resulting corner kick, Lewis MacLeod whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross and Kelland Watts is penalised for his challenge on Robbie McKenzie, And Gillingham have been awarded a defensive free kick which relieves the pressure building on to our own goal.
Twelve Minutes Into The Match, And Plymouth Argyle create another decent goal-scoring opportunity, Danny Mayor has possession of the ball in a central position on the pitch, And Danny Mayor passes the ball out-wide to Conor Grant, who takes a touch to control the ball before threading a return through-pass through to Danny Mayor down the left side of the pitch in Gillingham’s Final Third, And Danny Mayor is through down the left side of the pitch in Gillingham’s Final Third, And Danny Mayor is being closely marked by Josh Eccles, And Danny Mayor manages to skip past Josh Eccles attempted challenge very easily before working his way inside Gillingham’s Penalty Area by the byline, And Danny Mayor manages to pull the ball back towards Ryan Hardie who is level with the penalty spot, And Ryan Hardie manages to tee up Kelland Watts, who drags his first time effort wide of the far right post, and that was the chance for Plymouth Argyle to open the scoring, But I have got to mention that Danny Mayor managed to get past Josh Eccles far too easily for that goal-scoring opportunity, But also, the main reason as to why Josh Eccles was in that position at right back is because Ryan Jackson was out of position and much higher up the pitch for The Gills.
Fourteen Minutes Into The Match, And Gillingham finally create a decent goal-scoring opportunity, Kyle Dempsey manages to win a throw on for Gillingham down the left side of the pitch in Plymouth Argyle’s Half Of The Pitch, And From The Resulting Throw On, Connor Ogilvie throws the ball short to Kyle Dempsey, who passes the ball back to Connor Ogilvie, And Connor Ogilvie passes the ball square to Ryan Jackson in a right / central area of the pitch, And Ryan Jackson takes a touch to control the ball before clipping a diagonal cross-field cross and Vadaine Oliver manages to win the aerial challenge to header the ball on towards Kyle Dempsey, who manages to keep the ball in play, And Kyle Dempsey is waiting for some support before turning back on himself and playing a short pass back towards Tom O’Connor, And Tom O’Connor whips in a first time cross towards the near post and Vadaine Oliver headers the ball over Plymouth Argyle’s Crossbar from close range - AND THAT WAS THE CHANCE FOR GILLINGHAM TO OPEN THE SCORING!!!!!! - Now if Vadaine Oliver got the faintest of touches and just directed his header on target then Vadaine Oliver would have opened the scoring for Gillingham, Because Plymouth Argyle Goalkeeper Michael Cooper was in no mans land and he got no-where near that cross from Tom O’Connor, Perhaps Gillingham can test Michael Cooper with some dangerous crosses because Michael Cooper looked less than convincing on that pattern of play.
And after that headed chance from Vadaine Oliver, Gillingham had the chance to take the lead In The Fifteenth Minute Of The Match, And this chance came from a less than convincing clearance from Plymouth Argyle Goalkeeper Michael Cooper, who has kicked the ball straight towards Robbie McKenzie, who takes a touch to control the ball before passing the ball out-wide towards Scott Robertson, who gets the ball under control before dropping the ball short to Kyle Dempsey just on the edge of Plymouth Argyle’s Penalty Area, And Kyle Dempsey manages to pass the ball out-wide to Scott Robertson, down the left side of the pitch, And Scott Robertson lays the ball off to Tom O’Connor, who takes a touch to control the ball before whipping in a dangerous in-swinging cross and Plymouth Argyle Goalkeeper Michael Cooper has punched the ball up into the air and as the ball has come back down again inside Plymouth Argyle’s Penalty Area, Jordan Graham’s first time volley towards goal is routinely saved by Michael Cooper, And The Plymouth Argyle Goalkeeper knows that he is very fortuitous to see Jordan Graham’s volleyed effort towards goal go straight towards him, either side and with more power, then Gillingham would have taken the lead.
And having almost opened the scoring at one end of the pitch with that chance from Jordan Graham, Plymouth Argyle could have taken the lead themselves in the next passage of play, Panutche Camará passes the ball out-wide to Joe Edwards down the right side of the pitch in Gillingham’s Final Third, And Joe Edwards just about manages to keep the ball in play before passing the ball inside to Panutche Camará, who takes a touch to control the ball before playing a short pass back to Danny Mayor on the edge of Gillingham’s Penalty Area, And Danny Mayor manages to skilfully avoid the attempted challenges from Josh Eccles and Scott Robertson before attempting a ambitious chip which clips the roof of Gillingham’s Net - And although I am sure that Jack Bonham had that effort on goal covered, that effort on goal from Danny Mayor is a reminder of the quality that The Plymouth Argyle Midfielder has got when he has got possession of the ball.
Nineteen Minutes Into The Match, And Gillingham had the chance to open the scoring, Josh Eccles manages to time his challenge to perfection on Kelland Watts on the edge of Gillingham’s Penalty Area and Robbie McKenzie passes the ball out-wide to Ryan Jackson, who manages to retain possession of the ball before passing the ball back to Declan Drysdale, And Declan Drysdale plays a first time pass forwards towards Jordan Graham just inside Gillingham’s Half Of The Pitch down the right side, and Jordan Graham takes a touch to control the ball before passing the ball centrally to Scott Robertson, who runs forwards in possession of the ball before passing the ball out-wide to Tom O’Connor down the left side of the pitch, And Tom O’Connor gets the ball under control before passing the ball back to Connor Ogilvie, And Connor Ogilvie see’s his attempted long ball down the line charged down by Luke Jephcott, and the ball loops up into the air and this meant that Lewis MacLeod was able to header the ball forwards and Panutche Camará, was unable to get the ball under control and this meant that Tom O’Connor could nip in there to intercept the ball and Josh Eccles was able to pass the ball out-wide to Ryan Jackson down the right side of the pitch, And Ryan Jackson runs forwards in possession of the ball before passing the ball out-wide to Jordan Graham, And Jordan Graham use his pace and skill to take on Conor Grant and Jordan Graham has whipped in a fantastic cross and Goalkeeper Michael Cooper was able to gather the ball and make a excellent catch in The Plymouth Argyle Goal - A Decent Catch From Michael Cooper, especially when you take the conditions into consideration.
Twenty Minutes Into The Match, And Will Aimson tries to pick out Ryan Hardie with a long pass which is well over-hit and the ball runs through to Jack Bonham In The Gillingham Goal, And In The Twenty Second Minute Of The Match, Connor Ogilvie manages to get to the loose ball by the byline ahead of Ryan Hardie and Connor Ogilvie kicks the ball long down-field and the ball runs all the way through to Michael Cooper in The Plymouth Argyle Goal - But Connor Ogilvie’s long ball down-field was more of a clearance rather then a long pass towards one of Vadaine Oliver or Jordan Graham.
But In The Twenty Fourth Minute Of The Match, Plymouth Argyle should have opened the scoring, Ryan Jackson clears the ball long down-field and Vadaine Oliver tries to flick the ball on towards Robbie McKenzie, But Niall Canavan boots the ball clear and Declan Drysdale passes the ball out-wide to Tom O’Connor, And Tom O’Connor see’s his pass down the line towards Kyle Dempsey cut out by Will Aimson, And Will Aimson plays a short pass forwards towards Panutche Camará on the halfway line, And Panutche Camará passes the ball square to Danny Mayor on the halfway line, And Danny Mayor takes a few touches in possession of the ball before passing the ball out-wide to Conor Grant down the left side of the pitch, And Conor Grant runs forwards in possession of the ball before whipping in a low cross towards Ryan Hardie on the edge of Gillingham’s Penalty Area, And Ryan Hardie skilfully evades the sliding challenge from Declan Drysdale and Ryan Hardie turns back on himself before threading a pass through to Luke Jephcott, AND CONNOR OGILVIE TIMES HIS SLIDING CHALLENGE TO PERFECTION, And Ryan Jackson has possession of the ball for The Gills, And Ryan Jackson passes the ball short to Jordan Graham, And Jordan Graham is looking around for passing options before passing the ball back towards Ryan Jackson, And Ryan Jackson kicks the ball long down the line and Vadaine Oliver chests the ball back to Josh Eccles, who retains possession of the ball and passes the ball square to Connor Ogilvie, And Connor Ogilvie runs down the left flank up towards the halfway line in possession of the ball, And Connor Ogilvie passes the ball forwards towards Tom O’Connor, And Tom O’Connor goes down to the deck very easily and Lewis MacLeod now has possession of the ball for Plymouth Argyle, And Lewis MacLeod lays the ball off to Joe Edwards, who’s attempted long ball down-field is cut out by Kyle Dempsey, And Kyle Dempsey manages to pass the ball back to Connor Ogilvie, who plays a short pass forwards towards Scott Robertson, And Scott Robertson plays a give and go with Vadaine Oliver before seeing his pass through to Jordan Graham cut out, and the ball ricochets towards Danny Mayor, who runs forwards in possession of the ball for Plymouth Argyle, And Danny Mayor losses possession of the ball to Josh Eccles and Ryan Jackson passes the ball forwards towards Scott Robertson, and this time, Scott Robertson was able to pick out Jordan Graham with a pass down the right side of the pitch, And Jordan Graham gets the ball under control before taking on Joe Edwards, And Jordan Graham has fired a low cross across the face of goal and Vadaine Oliver almost makes a telling connection on to the ball to give Gillingham the lead - Both teams have created decent goal-scoring opportunities to try and take the lead in the past two minutes of play, And Plymouth Argyle perhaps created the better of the two goal-scoring chances there as well.
Twenty Seven Minutes Into The Match, And Plymouth Argyle really should have opened the scoring, Will Aimson runs forwards in possession of the ball up until the halfway line before passing the ball back towards Lewis MacLeod, And Lewis MacLeod passes the ball square to Kelland Watts, And Kelland Watts passes the ball down the line towards Conor Grant down the left side of the pitch, And Conor Grant plays a short pass back inside to Kelland Watts, who takes a few touches in possession of the ball before laying the ball off to Lewis MacLeod, And Lewis MacLeod passes the ball square to Will Aimson, who takes a touch to control the ball before threading a pass down the line down the right side of the pitch towards Joe Edwards, And Joe Edwards runs inside into a more central position before passing the ball towards Luke Jephcott, inside Gillingham’s Penalty Area, And Luke Jephcott back-heals the ball back to Joe Edwards who fires a first time low effort just wide of Gillingham’s Far Left Post, And Plymouth Argyle really should have opened the scoring in that passage of play.
Twenty Eight Minutes Into The Match, And Danny Mayor’s cross towards the far post is headed out of play by Tom O’Connor For A Plymouth Argyle Corner Kick, And Danny Mayor was twisting and turning past Josh Eccles far too easily there and it is almost like at times like Ryan Jackson is playing on the right wing with Josh Eccles filling in at right back, and that’s twice now where Josh Eccles has been beaten by a piece of technical skill, and we are asking a lot from Josh Eccles as a young player to play out of position and fill in at right back on occasions, Danny Mayor opts to go for a short corner kick routine and Conor Grant manages to win Plymouth Argyle a second corner by kicking the ball against Josh Eccles, and from the second corner kick, Lewis MacLeod whips in a cross towards the near post and Kelland Watts goal-bound header is headed clear by Kyle Dempsey and Gillingham eventually clear there lines and relieve some of the pressure building on to Gillingham’s Goal.
Thirty One Minutes Into The Match, And Gillingham had the chance to open the scoring, Kelland Watts pass through to central midfield is cut out by Declan Drysdale, And Declan Drysdale passes the ball forwards towards Robbie McKenzie, who passes the ball back to Josh Eccles, And Josh Eccles gets the ball under control before passing the ball out-wide to Ryan Jackson, And Ryan Jackson eventually passes the ball out-wide to Jordan Graham, And Jordan Graham takes a touch to control the ball and Jordan Graham is twisting and turning and Jordan Graham eventually manages to whip in a dangerous in-swinging cross towards the far post, and Niall Canavan manages to header the ball away from Vadaine Oliver and Kyle Dempsey lays the ball off to Scott Robertson, And Scott Robertson passes the ball back to Josh Eccles, And Josh Eccles passes the ball out-wide to Kyle Dempsey, And Kyle Dempsey cuts inside and evades the attempted challenges from Joe Edwards and Luke Jephcott, And Kyle Dempsey has fired his effort right on the edge of Plymouth Argyle’s Penalty Area clear of the crossbar - and that was the chance for Gillingham to open the scoring.
And failure to take that opportunity proved to be costly, because the next passage of play see’s Plymouth Argyle take the lead, Joe Edwards has possession of the ball down the right side of the pitch In Plymouth’s Half, And Joe Edwards goes on a driving run forwards and continue’s his run centrally into Gillingham’s Half, And Joe Edwards eventually manages to pass the ball out-wide to Conor Grant down the left side of the pitch in Gillingham’s Final Third, And Conor Grant takes one touch to control the ball and another touch to whip in a dangerous low in-swinging cross and there was Luke Jephcott to accurately place the ball into the far right corner of the net and Jack Bonham had dived at full stretch, But Jack Bonham was unable to prevent Luke Jephcott from opening the scoring for Plymouth Argyle after thirty two minutes, a very poor goal for Gillingham to concede, Because Connor Ogilvie and Tom O’Connor have both failed to track the run from Luke Jephcott, However, Why didn’t Ryan Jackson stop the cross, If Ryan Jackson blocks the cross from Conor Grant then Luke Jephcott doesn’t score for Plymouth Argyle and there have been a few occasions where Ryan Jackson has been more on the right wing then at right back throughout this first half (Is this a tactical decision from Steve Evans ???) But Ryan Jackson has to do more to stop the cross from Conor Grant - PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 1-0 GILLINGHAM.
Thirty Seven Minutes Into The Match, And Plymouth Argyle are forced to make there first substitution of the match because Alex MacLeod has to be substituted because Alex MacLeod has picked up an injury, and Tyrese Fornah has come on in his place, and also, It appears that Panutche Camará was getting some treatment whilst that substitution was on-going, Plymouth Argyle will be grateful that teams can make five substitutes in a match, If Panutche Camará had to be substituted as well, then if we had the traditional three substitutes rule, then Plymouth Argyle will only have one sub left for the rest of this match.
And In The Forty Second Minute Of The Match, Plymouth Argyle had the chance to double there advantage, Plymouth Argyle were awarded a throw on down the right side of the pitch in Gillingham’s Final Third, And From The Resulting Throw On, Ryan Hardie throws the ball to Will Aimson, who takes a touch to control the ball, and Will Aimson lays the ball off to Panutche Camará, and Panutche Camará passes the ball square to Tyrese Fornah, who has come on as a substitute for Plymouth Argyle, And Tyrese Fornah passes the ball out-wide to Conor Grant, who runs inside into a more central position on the pitch, And Conor Grant plays a one / two with Danny Mayor before evading the attempted challenge from Jordan Graham, And Conor Grant’s fiercely driven effort towards goal is saved and gathered at the second attempt by Jack Bonham.
And from here, Gillingham had the chance to level the scores up at 1-1 before half time, Jack Bonham kicks the ball long down-field and Will Aimson wins the aerial challenge up against Vadaine Oliver and Danny Mayor has inadvertently passed the ball straight into Jordan Graham’s Path, And Jordan Graham cuts inside before cutting back outside to evade the challenge from Kelland Watts, And Jordan Graham’s shot towards goal is saved by Michael Cooper and Michael Cooper has parried the ball wide and away from goal - Decent Effort On Goal From Jordan Graham - and we can really have done with Gillingham scoring an equaliser before half time as well.
And as we approach stoppage time at the end of the first half, Kelland Watts has kicked the ball long down the line and Declan Drysdale was trying to shield the ball out of play for a throw on, And Declan Drysdale passes the ball back to Jack Bonham, who was being charged down by Ryan Hardie, So Jack Bonham had no choice but to kick the ball into touch for A Plymouth Argyle Throw On, And the final noteworthy moment of the first half see’s Conor Grant whip in a dangerous in-swinging cross and Tom O’Connor headers the ball clear and away from goal and Joe Edwards is on to the loose ball for Plymouth Argyle, And Joe Edwards whips in a low dangerous cross, and somehow, no-one made a telling connection on to the ball and Ryan Jackson passes the ball down the line to Jordan Graham, And Referee Sam Allison blows his whistle for half time.
HALF TIME: PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 1-0 GILLINGHAM
And right at the start of the second half, Plymouth Argyle had the chance to double there lead for 2-0, Jordan Graham gets the ball clear and away from goal and Scott Robertson wins the initial aerial challenge and the second ball falls kindly to Tyrese Fornah, who plays a first time pass forwards towards Ryan Hardie, And Ryan Hardie lays the ball off to Panutche Camará, And Panutche Camará passes the ball out-wide to Joe Edwards down the right side of the pitch - Gillingham’s Left - And Joe Edwards takes a touch to control the ball before whipping in a dangerous in-swinging cross and the ball deflects off Declan Drysdale straight into Luke Jephcott’s path, And Luke Jephcott see’s his fiercely driven effort towards goal blocked by Declan Drysdale and the ball ricochets straight into Jack Bonham’s Grasp - BUT THAT WAS THE CHANCE FOR PLYMOUTH ARGYLE TO GO 2-0 UP!!!!!!!!!!
Forty Six Minutes Into The Match, And Goalkeeper Michael Cooper has picked up Niall Canavan’s back-pass and somehow the official’s have not awarded Gillingham A In-Direct Free Kick, And I was not pleased with that decision at all, That was a back-pass and Gillingham should have been awarded a in-direct free kick, And In The Forty Eighth Minute Of The Match, Plymouth Argyle had the chance to double there lead, Tyrese Fornah has possession of the ball in Plymouth Argyle’s Half Of The Pitch, And Tyrese Fornah threads through a through-ball through to Ryan Hardie, And Ryan Hardie passes the ball inside to Danny Mayor, And Danny Mayor tries to pick out Panutche Camará with a threaded through-pass inside Gillingham’s Penalty Area, But Connor Ogilvie on the stretch managed to deflect the ball out of play for A Plymouth Argyle Corner Kick, And From The Resulting Corner Kick, Conor Grant passes the ball short to Danny Mayor, who passes the ball out-wide to Conor Grant, And Conor Grant works his way towards the byline before standing up a high and hanging cross inside Gillingham’s Penalty Area and Will Aimson wins the initial aerial challenge and Luke Jephcott doesn’t get the cleanest of connections with his effort on goal and Jack Bonham makes a comfortable save in goal for Gillingham.
And In The Fiftieth Minute Of The Match, And Plymouth Argyle almost capitalised on a defensive error from Gillingham, Kelland Watts has kicked the ball long down-field for Plymouth Argyle and Declan Drysdale has passed the ball back to Jack Bonham, And Jack Bonham has kicked the ball straight into Luke Jephcott and the ball ricochets towards Declan Drysdale, And Ryan Hardie gets to the ball first and Declan Drysdale is late with his sliding challenge and Plymouth Argyle have been awarded a free kick in a very promising position on the pitch, and from the resulting free kick, Conor Grant whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross and Niall Canavan’s glancing header goes just wide of the far right post with Jack Bonham beaten, And had Niall Canavan’s header been on target then Plymouth Argyle would have doubled there lead to 2-0.
And after that goal-scoring opportunity from Niall Canavan, Gillingham make a double substitution with Alex MacDonald and John Akinde coming on for Scott Robertson and Josh Eccles, John Akinde will partner Vadaine Oliver in attack, and one of Alex MacDonald or Kyle Dempsey will partner Robbie McKenzie in central midfield, Gillingham had to make a change now because Plymouth Argyle look more likely to score for 2-0, rather then Gillingham get themselves back on to level terms for 1-1.
Fifty Three Minutes Into The Match, And Conor Grant is penalised for his foul on Jordan Graham down the right side of the pitch, And Gillingham have been awarded a free kick in a very promising position on the pitch, and from the resulting free kick, Gillingham should have equalised, Tom O’Connor has whipped in a dangerous in-swinging cross and Connor Ogilvie’s header towards goal clears Plymouth Argyle’s Crossbar AND THAT WAS THE CHANCE FOR GILLINGHAM TO EQUALISE!!!!! - Connor Ogilvie had pealed away from his marker, got on the end of Tom O’Connor’s dangerous in-swinging cross, and had Connor Ogilvie headed the ball on target, then Gillingham would have levelled the game up at 1-1.
Much better from Gillingham, and with Alex MacDonald and John Akinde coming on, and that headed chance from Connor Ogilvie, we are starting to see more from Gillingham in the second half, and had Gillingham levelled the game up with that header from Connor Ogilvie, then Gillingham would have just under forty minutes to try and turn this 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 win, And that goal-scoring opportunity really did kick The Gills into life, Because Gillingham had chances to get themselves back on to level terms after that header from Connor Ogilvie, And In The Fifty Fifth Minute Of The Match, Ryan Hardie is penalised for his challenge on Ryan Jackson down the right side of the pitch, and from the resulting free kick, Tom O’Connor passes the ball short to Kyle Dempsey, And Kyle Dempsey passes the ball out-wide to Jordan Graham, And Jordan Graham looks to take on Ryan Hardie, And Jordan Graham kicks the ball against Ryan Hardie, and the ball ricochets off The Plymouth Argyle Striker and hits Jordan Graham and the ball goes out of play for A Plymouth Argyle Goal-Kick, And From The Resulting Goal-Kick, Michael Cooper passes the ball forwards short to Niall Canavan, who passes the ball square to Will Aimson, And Will Aimson takes a touch to control the ball before kicking the ball long down-field and Connor Ogilvie wins the aerial challenge to header the ball forwards towards Vadaine Oliver, and although Will Aimson gets to the loose ball first, Will Aimson cannot get the ball under control and John Akinde manages to nip in there to intercept the ball before passing the ball square to Jordan Graham, And Jordan Graham takes a touch to control the ball before taking on Kelland Watts, And Jordan Graham has whipped in a cross / shot across the face of goal and Jordan Graham doesn’t pick out Vadaine Oliver at the far post, or, pick out the bottom left corner of the net, and that was another goal-scoring opportunity for The Gills.
Fifty Eight Minutes Into The Match, And Gillingham had the chance to get themselves back on to level terms, Jack Bonham has possession of the ball for Gillingham, And Jack Bonham kicks the ball long down-field and John Akinde wins the aerial challenge to header the ball down towards Kyle Dempsey, And Kyle Dempsey gets the ball under control before passing the ball out-wide to Jordan Graham, And Jordan Graham gets the ball under control, and works his way out-wide to the byline, and Jordan Graham whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross, and although John Akinde wins the initial aerial challenge, Vadaine Oliver cannot keep the ball in play at the far post and the ball goes out of play for A Plymouth Argyle Goal-Kick - John Akinde could not direct his header goal-wards, and Vadaine Oliver had to try and keep the ball in play on the stretch, which is easier said then done.
Sixty Minutes Into The Match, And Joe Edwards whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross towards the far post and Declan Drysdale has to header the ball out of play for a corner kick because Ryan Hardie was there at the back-stick trying to get on the end of Joe Edwards cross, and despite the chances created by Gillingham in the second half, It’s Plymouth Argyle who are looking to score that all important second goal to put the hosts in a commanding position to pick up all three points, and from the resulting corner kick, Conor Grant whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross and there appeared to be a clash of heads between Niall Canavan, Kelland Watts and Connor Ogilvie, and you can hear Steve Evans appealing for a defensive free kick, however, Connor Ogilvie got the last touch on the ball and headed the ball out of play for another Plymouth Argyle Corner Kick, And From The Second Corner Kick, Conor Grant whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross and Vadaine Oliver wins the aerial challenge to header the ball away from goal and John Akinde goes on a driving run forwards in possession of the ball, And John Akinde manages to win the fifty / fifty challenge up against Tyrese Fornah and Joe Edwards has smashed the ball into touch at the expense of conceding a throw on - fantastic run from John Akinde There - And From The Resulting Throw On, Tom O’Connor throws the ball back to Jack Bonham, who takes a touch to control the ball, And Jack Bonham kicks the ball long down-field and John Akinde wins the aerial challenge to header the ball on towards Vadaine Oliver and Niall Canavan manages to shield the ball out of play for A Plymouth Argyle Goal-Kick.
Sixty Two Minutes Into The Match, And Jordan Graham wins Gillingham A Corner Kick by kicking the ball against Conor Grant, and from the resulting corner kick, Gillingham almost equalised, Tom O’Connor whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross and Goalkeeper Michael Cooper completely misses the ball and the ball hits Kelland Watts and goes narrowly wide of the far left post and out of play for A Gillingham Corner Kick - AND THAT WAS THE CHANCE FOR GILLINGHAM TO EQUALISE!!!!! - And you just wonder if this is going to be Plymouth Argyle’s Day, Because if the ball hits Kelland Watts and is on target then Gillingham are back on level terms, and from the resulting corner kick, Jordan Graham whips in a low cross towards the near post and Tyrese Fornah manages to clear the ball out of play for A Gillingham Throw On, But there were protests from John Akinde and Connor Ogilvie that the ball had gone out of play for another Gillingham Corner before Tyrese Fornah had cleared the ball out for a throw on.
Sixty Five Minutes Into The Match, And Gillingham are looking to get back on level terms, Kyle Dempsey passes the ball short out-wide to Jordan Graham, And Jordan Graham takes on Conor Grant and Jordan Graham whips in another fantastic cross towards the far post and Vadaine Oliver cannot get on the end of that cross and Vadaine Oliver cannot keep the ball in play and the ball goes out of play for A Plymouth Argyle Throw On - But Vadaine Oliver and John Akinde have got to move quicker and anticipate some of these crosses, because Jordan Graham has whipped in some sensational crosses throughout the second half, and with Jordan Graham coming back from injury, you just wonder if Jordan Graham is going to have to be substituted at some point just to make sure that Jordan Graham is available for selection for The Burton Albion League Game At Priestfield Stadium ???
Sixty Six Minutes Into The Match, And Gillingham are looking to find the equaliser, Kyle Dempsey runs forwards in possession of the ball down the right side of the pitch, And Kyle Dempsey passes the ball short out-wide to Jordan Graham, And Jordan Graham gets the ball under control, takes on Conor Grant and Jordan Graham whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross which is just too high for Vadaine Oliver to get any contact on the ball, but the ball does fall kindly into Alex MacDonald’s Path, And Alex MacDonald takes one touch to control the ball and another touch to hook the ball back across the face of goal and Vadaine Oliver’s looping header was on target and easy for Michael Cooper to save in The Plymouth Argyle Goal.
Sixty Seven Minutes Into The Match, And Ryan Jackson is penalised and booked for his challenge on Danny Mayor on the halfway line and Plymouth Argyle have been awarded a free kick, But In The Sixty Ninth Minute Of The Match, Gillingham almost equalised in fortuitous circumstances, Danny Mayor has managed to pick out Conor Grant with a pass down the left side of the pitch, And Conor Grant is challenged by Ryan Jackson and Ryan Jackson turns and runs forwards in possession of the ball before passing the ball forwards to Jordan Graham down the right side of the pitch on the halfway line, And Jordan Graham runs forwards in possession of the ball and Jordan Graham continue’s his run down the right side of the pitch in Plymouth Argyle’s Final Third, And Jordan Graham takes on Conor Grant and Jordan Graham whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross which hits the crossbar and the ball then ricochets off Will Aimson and the ball deflects out of play for A Gillingham Corner Kick, And From The Resulting Corner Kick, Jordan Graham passes the ball short to Kyle Dempsey, And Kyle Dempsey takes a touch to control the ball before passing the ball towards Tom O’Connor on the edge of Plymouth Argyle’s Penalty Area, And Tom O’Connor takes a touch to control the ball before passing the ball square to Kyle Dempsey, And Kyle Dempsey is looking around for passing options before passing the ball out-wide to Jordan Graham, And Jordan Graham gets the ball under control before whipping in a dangerous in-swinging cross towards the far post and Vadaine Oliver cannot jump higher enough to either header the ball on target or header the ball back across the face of goal and the ball has gone out of play for A Plymouth Argyle Goal-Kick.
Plymouth Argyle have also made a substitution with Jerome Opoku coming on too replace Conor Grant, And Jordan Graham has given Conor Grant a lot of problems defensively throughout the entire match, however, It is Conor Grant’s cross which lead to Luke Jephcott opening the scoring for Plymouth Argyle, and it is Luke Jephcott’s goal which separates both sides so far in this match, But speaking of substitutions, I am surprised that Trae Coyle isn’t at least warming up, just to provide Gillingham with a alternative attacking option down the left side of the pitch.
Seventy Minutes Into The Match, And Plymouth Argyle could have gone 2-0 up, Ryan Hardie has hit a low driven effort towards goal from twenty five yards out which is saved and gathered at the second attempt by Jack Bonham, and that effort on goal from Ryan Hardie is a reminder that Plymouth Argyle can cause Gillingham problems defensively, even if it has been Gillingham on the offence for the vast majority of the second half, And In The Seventy Second Minute Of The Match, Gillingham had the chance to equalise, Plymouth Argyle Goalkeeper Michael Cooper has kicked the ball long down-field and Declan Drysdale wins the initial aerial challenge and Kyle Dempsey gets the ball under control before passing the ball out-wide to Jordan Graham - who is down the left side of the pitch - And Jordan Graham runs down the left side of the pitch in possession of the ball and Jordan Graham stands the ball up towards the far post and Vadaine Oliver’s header is on target and straight at Michael Cooper, who makes a comfortable save in goal - either side of The Plymouth Argyle Goalkeeper, And Gillingham would have equalised.
Seventy Five Minutes Into The Match, And Ryan Hardie tries to pick out Panutche Camará with a attempted pull back towards the edge of Gillingham’s Penalty Area, And Tom O’Connor was able to intercept that pass, all be it, at the expense of conceding a corner kick, and from the resulting corner kick, Tyrese Fornah’s in-swinging cross towards the back-stick has swung out of play and Plymouth Argyle have completed wasted that set piece, and before play can resume, Plymouth Argyle make a double substitution as Frank Nouble and Dominic Telford come on to replace Ryan Hardie and Luke Jephcott - So Plymouth Argyle have decided to replace both of there strikers to try and freshen up there attack for the remaining minutes left in this match.
Seventy Six Minutes Into The Match, And Gillingham were looking to cause Plymouth Argyle problems defensively, Jordan Graham manages to thread a pass through to Ryan Jackson on the over-lap, And Ryan Jackson runs through towards the byline in Plymouth Argyle’s Final Third, And Tyrese Fornah has come across and managed to shield the ball out of play for A Plymouth Argyle Goal-Kick, And In The Seventy Ninth Minute Of The Match, Gillingham make there third substitution of the game as Matty Willock comes on to replace Robbie McKenzie, As Steve Evans will be hoping that Matty Willock can provide Gillingham with something different in the final third which can be a difference maker and The Gills can pick up a point at least, I am also still surprised that Trae Coyle isn’t coming on to boost Gillingham’s Attacking Options as we are losing 1-0 heading into the final ten minutes of the match, and Trae Coyle is a player who has got himself on the score-sheet on quite a few occasions for Gillingham This Season As Well.
And after Matty Willock’s substitution, Kyle Dempsey wins Gillingham A Corner Kick In The Eightieth Minute Of The Match When Kyle Dempsey plays a neat give and go with Tom O’Connor down the left side of the pitch, And Tom O’Connor’s return pass plays the ball through to Kyle Dempsey inside Plymouth Argyle’s Penalty Area, And Kyle Dempsey’s low cross is blocked by Dominic Telford at the expense of conceding a corner kick, and from the resulting corner kick, Gillingham had the chance to equalise, Jordan Graham whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross and Goalkeeper Michael Cooper can only punch the ball towards the edge of Plymouth Argyle’s Penalty Area And Tom O’Connor chests the ball under control before volleying his effort towards goal well over Plymouth Argyle’s Crossbar by some considerable distance - Tom O’Connor had to take that shot on quickly because he was being charged down, And perhaps Tom O’Connor isn’t the player you want to see take the shot on from the edge of Plymouth Argyle’s Penalty Area.
Eighty Four Minutes Into The Match, And Plymouth Argyle had a throw on down the right side of the pitch in Gillingham’s Final Third, And From The Resulting Throw On, Jerome Opoku throws the ball down the line towards Franck Nouble, And Franck Nouble gets the ball under control before playing a short pass out-wide to Jerome Opoku, And Jerome Opoku manages to whip in a low cross towards the near post which is blocked by Declan Drysdale, And Declan Drysdale slips inside Gillingham’s Penalty Area, And Danny Mayor gets the loose ball and plays a short layoff to Dominic Telford, And Dominic Telford see’s his low shot towards goal blocked by Connor Ogilvie, and that block from Connor Ogilvie keeps Gillingham in this match at 1-0 down, And Connor Ogilvie was also in the right place at the right time to block Panutche Camará’s driven effort towards goal from the edge of Gillingham’s Penalty Area.
Eighty Seven Minutes Into The Match, And Gillingham had a half chance to try and find that equaliser, Matty Willock manages to pick out Jordan Graham in Plymouth Argyle’s Final Third Down The Right Side Of The Pitch, And Jordan Graham is twisting and turning and unfortunately, Jordan Graham’s cross goes out of play for A Plymouth Argyle Goal-Kick when Vadaine Oliver was unmarked at the far post, And In The Ninetieth Minute Of The Match, Ryan Jackson tries to pick out John Akinde with a long pass down-field and Goalkeeper Michael Cooper was able to gather the ball inside his penalty area to relieve the pressure building on to his own goal - BUT THE FOURTH OFFICIAL HAS SHOWN FIVE ADDITIONAL MINUTES OF ADDED TIME, SO THERE IS STILL TIME FOR GILLINGHAM TO SCORE A EQUALISER!!!!!!!!!!!
And the next passage of play almost see’s Gillingham find that equaliser, Declan Drysdale has possession of the ball in Plymouth Argyle’s Half Of The Pitch, And Declan Drysdale passes the ball square to Connor Ogilvie, And Connor Ogilvie takes a touch to control the ball before passing the ball out-wide to Tom O’Connor, And Tom O’Connor is running away from goal, turns back and evades the attempted challenge from Panutche Camará, And Tom O’Connor runs forwards in possession of the ball and Tom O’Connor tries his luck from twenty five yards out, But Tom O’Connor’s shot towards goal clears Plymouth Argyle’s Crossbar and Michael Cooper wasn’t required to make a save - This was a much better effort on goal from Tom O’Connor, But both attempts on goal from The Gillingham Left Back have failed to hit the target.
Danny Mayor is then penalised for his challenge on Jordan Graham down the right side of the pitch in Plymouth Argyle’s Final Third, And Gillingham have been awarded a free kick in a very promising position on the pitch, Jack Bonham has also come forward as it is now or never for The Gills, and from the resulting free kick, Gillingham should have equalised, Tom O’Connor whips in a sensational in-swinging cross and Goalkeeper Michael Cooper has completely missed the ball and Matty Willock has missed a sitter on the goal-line and Matty Willock has headed the ball over the crossbar when really Matty Willock should have scored the equaliser - HOW HAS MATTY WILLOCK FAILED TO SCORE FROM JUST ONE YARD OUT I HAVE NO IDEA!!!!! - Also, I think if Matty Willock wasn’t there, then potentially Tom O’Connor could have scored directly from the free kick and levelled the game up at 1-1.
And the final noteworthy moment of the match see’s Gillingham try and find the equaliser with the last kick of the game, Jack Bonham kicks the ball long down-field and Vadaine Oliver wins the initial aerial challenge and Kyle Dempsey gets the ball under control before passing the ball out-wide to Jordan Graham, And Jordan Graham passes the ball back to Kyle Dempsey, who runs forwards in possession of the ball, And Kyle Dempsey passes the ball square to Tom O’Connor, who lays the ball off to Alex MacDonald, And Alex MacDonald takes a touch to control the ball before threading a through-ball through to Kyle Dempsey on the edge of Plymouth Argyle’s Penalty Area, And Kyle Dempsey passes the ball out-wide to Tom O’Connor, And Tom O’Connor whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross first time and Tyrese Fornah headers the ball partially clear and away from danger, But Kyle Dempsey is on to the loose ball, And Kyle Dempsey gets the ball under control before passing the ball out-wide to Jordan Graham, And Jordan Graham takes on Jerome Opoku by the byline and Jordan Graham stands the ball up towards the far post and John Akinde wins the initial aerial challenge to header the ball back across the face of goal, And Vadaine Oliver’s sliced volley goes over the crossbar, and after over five minutes of stoppage time, Referee Sam Allison blows his full time whistle and it’s Plymouth Argyle who pick up three valuable points at Home Park.
FULL TIME: PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 1-0 GILLINGHAM
I posted the following on Social Media,,,,, FULL TIME: PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 1-0 GILLINGHAM - Luke Jephcott’s goal was the difference and Plymouth Argyle pick up three valuable points, but how on earth did Gillingham fail to hit the back of the net with the chances created in the second half, Because Gills deserved a point. Tom O'Connor whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross from a free kick and Connor Ogilvie has headed the ball over the crossbar from close range, Jordan Graham's cross / shot goes wide of the far left post. Jordan Graham whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross and John Akinde wins the header, But Vadaine Oliver cannot keep the ball in play. O'Connor whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross from a corner, Goalkeeper Cooper misses the ball and Kelland Watts almost scores an OG for Plymouth, Jordan Graham's cross clips the crossbar, And Oliver's header was on target and straight towards Cooper, Tom O'Connor tries his luck with a effort from goal from distance which clears Plymouth Argyle's Crossbar, O'Connor also saw a snap-shot effort towards goal clear the crossbar, But how did Matty Willock missed that chance deep into second half injury time ??? - Gillingham deserved a point from the game, but at the same-time, only four shots on target and have Gillingham seriously tested Cooper in The Plymouth Argyle Goal Today ???
I also mentioned the following regarding the high turnover of players at Gillingham Football Club over the past eighteen months,,,, A huge turnover of players is also going to happen for Gillingham in January, with 2-3 players likely to make way for 5-6 new additions to strengthen the squad for the squad half of the season. Tucker Ogilvie and Woods are the only three players at the club from The 18/19 Season, 18 signings last season and 16 signings this season, A total of 34 signings since the start of The 2019 / 2020 Season, 33 signings because Jordan Graham counts on this list twice and Joe Lumley was signed on a emergency loan goalkeeper when Bonham was injured earlier on this season. - I think a separate blog looking at all the incomings and outgoings at Gillingham Football Club under Steve Evans reign would be something that needs to be written about in another blog.
The last time Gillingham traveled to Plymouth Argyle, Gillingham lost 3-1 and the fan-belt broke on the coach, which meant that we didn’t leave Plymouth until 11.30PM and I didn’t get back home until 5.30AM On A Wednesday Morning, So we at least avoided the long trip to Plymouth Argyle this time round (because supporters cannot go to matches) But the defeat to Plymouth Argyle means back to back league defeats for Gillingham against Northampton Town and Plymouth Argyle, I am sure most Gillingham Supporters would be looking at four points from these two matches, or, even all six as Gillingham look to move up The League One Table.
Last Season, The Defence was the backbone to Gillingham’s Success, Only Coventry City, Sunderland and Doncaster Rovers had a better defensive record in League One during The 2019 / 2020 season and in our final eight league games before the season was brought to a halt, Gillingham kept four clean sheets in eight matches against Lincoln City, Southend United, Shrewsbury Town and Burton Albion, picking up eight points from those four, Gillingham have conceded twenty six goals already this season compared to The thirty four Gillingham conceded through-out The 2019 / 2020 Season - even though the season was cut short - the defensive record was much better last season.
I also saw a few comments from supporters mentioning there lack of enthusiasm for this season, and I replied with the following,,,, Not being able to watch Gillingham play live either inside Priestfield Stadium, or, at a away game has contributed to this lack of enthusiasm, at least if we were watching the game live, your watching with friends, family and fellow supporters, Cheering Gills on to get a result. - Watching Gillingham On I Follow is a decent substitute for not being there, but celebrating a last gasp winner on I Follow is not the same as celebrating a last gasp winner inside a football stadium.
And Gillingham’s last six results in all competitions do not make for good reading……
Cambridge United 2-0 Gillingham
Doncaster Rovers 2-1 Gillingham
Gillingham 0-2 Accrington Stanley
Northampton Town 3-1 Gillingham
Plymouth Argyle 1-0 Gillingham
Five defeats in six is concerning form, And it’s not just five defeats in six which is concerning, Gillingham have only scored six goals in these six matches, four of these goals were scored in Gillingham’s 4-1 away win against Rochdale, Yes, Gillingham created a lot of chances against Plymouth Argyle in the second half, but how many saves did Michael Cooper have to make in The Plymouth Argyle Goal, and of course, we will be talking about the two chances that Connor Ogilvie and Matty Willock should have scored, if both headers go in, then Gillingham would have won 2-1 against Plymouth Argyle.
I think a lot of questions are being asked regarding the high turnover of players under Steve Evans reign as Gillingham Manager, the style of play is being discussed at length, why didn’t Trae Coyle and one of Jack Tucker or Christian Maghoma come on, even if one of the centre back’s came on and played up-front to try and salvage a point from the game, with five substitutes allowed, Gillingham had the options to make changes, and even if Christian Maghoma and Jack Tucker don’t make an appearance, then Trae Coyle should have come on for The Gills surely for fifteen to twenty minutes.
There are also questions regarding Steve Evans future as Gillingham Manager and whether we should back Steve Evans in the transfer market, or, stick with Steve Evans until the end of the season and evaluate our situation from there, But if Gillingham were to lose two of the next three league games and Gillingham are dragged into a relegation battle, then we may not see a managerial change at the end of the season, we could see a managerial change happen instantly, and then Gillingham are in the process of looking to appoint a manager who is available and affordable mid-season with no match-day income coming into the football club, and it is perhaps for these reasons why a managerial change might not happen in the middle of The 2020 / 2021 Season for The Gills, a very disappointing defeat for Gillingham against Plymouth Argyle, and back to back league defeats against Northampton Town and Plymouth Argyle have dragged Gillingham back into the relegation battle, so therefore, it is vital that Gillingham put in a run of consistent results against Burton Albion, Accrington Stanley, Lincoln City, Rochdale, Crewe Alexandra and Sunderland for the rest of January, there are fixtures coming up where Gillingham can pick up a lot of points and move in the right direction in The League One Table.
