Match Reports
Bad decisions and missed chances as Gills draw with Norwich
Published by Simon Head on September 26, 2009
If you look at the scoreline and see Gillingham 1-1 Norwich City you’d probably think that the match was a run-of-the-mill match between two well-matched sides. But in the case of this match, the term run-of-the-mill couldn’t be further from the truth.
The match was officiated by the worst referee seen at Priestfield in a long time. But that’s not sour grapes from the fan of a team who conceded a goal in the last minute of stoppage time.
For starters, Gillingham’s goal, from my vantage point, definitely SHOULDN’T have stood. More of that later.
But starting from the beginning, it was clear to see that Norwich were by a fair distance the best side to visit Priestfield for a league match this season. They passed the ball around with ease, their movement was impressive and, for the opening half hour, were clearly the better side.
Gillingham looked a pale shadow of the team that thrashed Exeter and dismantled Millwall in previous home games. The passing and movement had been replaced by long ball tactics, bypassing our midfield. The fact that we had five players in midfield made the tactic all the more ridiculous. As a result the Gills spent the first 30 minutes hoofing possession away, giving the visitors the chance to attack us again and again.
Thankfully, despite their dominance, Norwich failed to carve out much in the way of clear-cut chances and Gillingham began to work their way back into the game.
The catalyst was a foul on Curtis Weston just inside the Gillingham half. Wes Hoolahan stood over the ball to prevent a quick free-kick, only to be shoved out of the way by Barry Fuller. Hoolahan hit the deck like a sack of spuds and referee Paul Taylor booked Fuller, sparking outrage from the players, the bench and the stands. It was a shove, but Hoolahan was deliberately slowing the taking of the free kick and should have been reprimanded.
Referee Taylor then began to make a series of mystifying decisions. Throw-ins were awarded the wrong way, clear fouls for both sides went unpunished, then, on 35 minutes, he made the biggest mistake of the match.
A great backheel from Simeon Jackson sent Weston through on goal. The midfielder outstripped the last defender, knocked the ball past the outrushing Fraser Forster and dived. I’m a Gillingham fan, so I can put the blue-tinted specs on and say there might have been contact, but I didn’t see any – and even if there was, the theatrical fall to the deck had me out of my seat ready to berate Weston for diving.
The ref blew his whistle and went to his pocket. I, and most people around me, thought he was about to book Weston for diving. But instead he red-carded the unfortunate Norwich keeper and pointed to the spot.
It wasn’t a bad decisionn. From where I sat it was an absolute shocker of a decision.
Jackson, for the first time in his Gills career, put his penalty to the keeper’s left and put the Gills 1-0 up. As the halftime whistle blew it was a strange feeling. We were ahead, but it sat a little awkwardly as it shouldn’t have been a pen. You take decisions like that, as more often than not we’re on the wrong end of them, but we were lucky to be ahead.
In the second half, Gillingham pushed forward and looked dangerous. One goal up and dominating exchanges with the benefit of an extra man, Gillingham created a host of chances but repeatedly wasted them – and they were made to pay deep into stoppage time.
Gillingham had dominated most of the second half with Jackson uncharacteristically wasting three great chances to add to his earlier penalty.
Chance after chance went begging as crosses went unmet, shots went wide and good possession was wasted.
Then, after Gills boss Mark Stimson had withdrawn Simeon Jackson and replaced him with Adam Miller, leaving the team with no centre forward and no outlet ball, the ten men of Norwich took over again. Roared on by their sizeable travelling support, the Canaries pushed forward in search of a late equaliser as a clearly nervous Gillingham side began to drop deeper and deeper and hoof possession away once again.
Five minutes of stoppage time were added. From where I do not know. There weren’t many stoppages in the game, and certainly not in the second half, but once the number went up, the Gills knew they had a job to do. Sadly, right at the death, they nodded off and paid the price.
A great block from Mark Bentley denied Grant Holt a certain goal and, from the resulting corner, Simon Royce made a crucial error, leaving a curling, dipping ball to go out for a goal kick. Rather than falling out of play, it dropped onto the top of the angle of post and bar and, with Royce slow to react, the ball dropped back into play, giving Darel Russell the simplest of tasks to nod into the empty net and cause pandemonium in the away end.
Our fans might legitimately complain about the five minutes of stoppage time, but the Norwich fans will also legitimately complain about the penalty and sending off in the first half – so on balance, 1-1 probably isn’t an unfair result.
But having got ourselves in front, and considering the chances we had in the second half, there’s no way Gillingham should have dropped points. The fact they did merely demonstrates how much tougher life in League One is compared to League Two. Miss chances and you get punished.
Simon Head
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