Match Reports
Gills send Plymouth packing
Published by Simon Head on August 11, 2009
Gillingham progressed to the second round of the Carling Cup with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Championship side Plymouth Argyle.
The Pilgrims started their Championship campaign with a draw at Crystal Palace, but the Gills, who kicked off their season with a resounding 5-0 win over Swindon Town, produced another good performance to ensure their place in the hat for the next round of the competition.
The damage was done in the final three minutes of the first half, with Simeon Jackson and Andy Barcham netting the crucial goals for the Gills.
On 42 minutes a superb series of one-touch passes released Curtis Weston down the left and his first-time cross was met with a simple side-foot finish by Simeon Jackson, who netted his fourth goal in just two games.
Winger Andy Barcham, who has performed impressively in both of Gillingham’s fixtures so far this season, made it 2-0 on the stroke of halftime with a towering far post header from a Chris Palmer corner.
Plymouth forced their way back into the game after a bad foul by Garry Richards on Steve MacLean gifted Argyle a free kick on the edge of the area. Luke Summerfield fired low through the Gills wall and past the unsighted Simon Royce to halve the deficit.
The visitors upped the tempo in search of an equaliser, but the Gills held firm and could even have extended their lead had substitute Mark McCammon found a way past former Gills loanee Romain Larrieu in the Plymouth goal.
Thankfully it proved academic as the Gills kept Plymouth at bay to record a hard-earned 2-1 win and move through to the second round.
Gillingham: Royce, Fuller, Richards, Gowling, Nutter, Maher (McCammon 72), Palmer (Rooney 79), Miller, Weston, Barcham, Jackson
Plymouth: Larrieu, McNamee, Sawyer, Seip, Duguid, Paterson, Mackie, Summerfield (Barnes 80), Judge (Clark 73), MacLean (Noone 72), Fallon
Simon Head
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