Match Reports
Weston puts the hurt on Burton
Published by Simon Head on November 28, 2009
In a match punctuated by strong challenges and painful collisions, a side-footed finish by Curtis Weston delivered the most pain of all as Gillingham edged a tough, uncompromising FA Cup clash at Priestfield this afternoon.
Burton Albion came to Priestfield with a clear gameplan to ruffle the Gills’ feathers – and they certainly succeeded.
Leading the way for the Brewers was captain Guy Branston. The big bruiser of a centre half is probably best known for Jeff Stelling’s “Guy Branston’s got himself into a pickle” but he’s a no-nonsense defender who likes to dominate his opponent.
But there is a line between being uncompromising and being dirty, and his challenge on Barry Fuller, which left the Gills skipper down and dazed for a good few minutes, was little short of thuggery.
Elbow raised, Branston launched himself into Fuller. He won the header, but at the same time his head was making contact with the ball his elbow was making contact with Fuller’s head.
The incident happened right in front of Blocks B and C of the Medway Stand, virtually all of whom were up in protest of the heavy challenge. The linesman flagged, referee Trevor Kettle blew and we waited the formality of a straight red card.
The outcome? A brief talking to. A clear indication of why Mr Kettle is officiating in the lower leagues and not the Premier League. It was a shocking decision.
And Burton were at it again minutes later when Fuller was sent spinning through the air by a high, late challenge by Russell Penn. Another referee may have produced a straight red for that challenge too, but the combative midfielder got away with a yellow.
But despite their rough-house tactics, Burton also offered an attacking threat. New loan signing Steve Kabba looked a constant threat with his pace and work-rate and with the big boys from the back trotting forward for set pieces, the League Two side kept the Gills honest at the back throughout.
Overall, though, the game was a scrappy one, with chances few and far between.
Febian Brandy, whose small stature belies a huge work-rate, bobbled a shot narrowly wide, while Brewers keeper Shane Redmond was forced into a superb double save to deny Simeon Jackson and Stuart Lewis as the Gills took charge in the opening stanta.
After 11 minutes Curtis Weston broke through the middle of the field leaving players in his wake and, when everyone in the ground was imploring him to let fly, he squared for Jackson, who was brilliantly tackled just as he was about to pull the trigger.
But Branston’s challenge on Fuller after 28 minutes marked the start of a scrappy period which lasted for the remainder of the half.
The second half started off in the same vein as the first, with the Gills looking to play a little too much long ball, leading to scrappy play all round.
Branston, clearly ‘relishing’ the leeway afforded to him by the lack of a card in the first half, took full advantage by firstly going through the back of Brandy, then elbowing him afterwards. The pint-sized Gills striker was causing the big centre half all manner of problems – and Branston’s only effective response was to try to rough him up. After what seemed like his 10th or 11th clear foul, the Brewers’ skipper finally had his name taken.
That’s not to say Gillingham weren’t averse to dishing it out, too. After being hacked down by Steve Kabba, only to find the challenge deemed fair, the red mist descended on Weston, who blatantly and aggressively chopped down the former Sheffield United and Watford striker in a clear act of retaliation and got a booking for his troubles.
But as the game progressed, Jackson and Brandy began to find holes in the Brewers defence and Dennis Oli and John Nutter were thrown on for the Stuart Lewis and Chris Palmer, both of whom looked a little off the pace.
And moments after their introduction Gillingham made the breakthrough. Barcham dispossessed Aaron Brown wide on the left and passed to Brandy, whose perfect through ball sent Weston in behind the Burton defence. The midfielder drew the keeper before side-footing coolly into the far corner to give the Gills the crucial goal they needed.
Mark McCammon was introduced late on for Brandy and nearly scored with his first touch when his downward header was somehow cleared off the line.
And the big striker, who has been out of action through injury recently, produced a peach of a pass to give Weston another one-on-one with Redmond, but a heavy touch gave the Brewers keeper the chance to stop the Gills goalscorer doubling his tally.
The final whistle blew, Branston, who could consider himself extremely fortunate to be on the field by that point, stormed off without shaking hands with anyone, while the Gills celebrated their safe passage through to the Third Round. It was a tough, bruising encounter, but that moment of quality from Barcham, Brandy and Weston tipped the balance and put the Gills into the hat and in with a chance of meeting the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal in the Third Round.
The draw for the Third Round of the FA Cup takes place tomorrow at 3:50pm live on ITV.
Simon Head
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