Standing in their way will be the league’s basement team, Stockport County.

Waiting for them will be Newcastle based referee Dave Foster.

Now in his fourth season as a league referee Mr Foster has officiated the Gills on three previous occasions.

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Can the Gills get that elusive first away win of the season? If you’re making the long, journey to Edgeley Park for the match, why not download our essential Gills365 Travel Pack, which is packed with all the travel information you need for the trip.

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Alan started the season as the first choice goalkeeper but lost the shirt to Simon Royce after just three and a half games, when he was substituted at half time in the home defeat to Hartlepool. At the time of his substitution the scores were level at nil-nil.

He returned to league action in December following a car accident in which the experienced Royce sustained knee and neck injuries.

Julian was the goalkeeper for Saturday’s important win over Huddersfield Town and Gills365’s readers shared their views on his performance, rating him using the Grumpometer rating system.

“Made one decent save and wasn’t terrible as it was a cleansheet. But I think he needs to communicate with his defence more as there were many times when he was too slow to come out and didnt make himslef availabe when a defender had the ball. the defence need him communicating with them as he can see more than them. But an ok performance today”.

mgills101 (4)

“I thought he had a good game, made some good saves and thought his decision making was, on the whole, very good. He was hollering at his defence (and the linesman) throughout the second half, so thought his communication was good.

I didn’t see him do anything overly wrong, but along with that I don’t think he was overly tested….”

Headley (6)

“Kept another home clean sheet but poor kicker at times. But did what was required….”

Jolley (5)

“Thought he commanded his area very well. Made a couple of good stops”.

Symonglls2 (6)

“He was very vocal in the second half and was directing the defence. He had a sound game and made some good saves and punches. His confidence seems to have grown since he came back into the side.”

Grumpy (5.5)

“A good save is worth a goal and he made a couple..”

baronnight (6)

“A couple of really good saves and his kicking has got alot better.”

Katie (6)

“not overly tested but produced a good save at the end when called upon, when they went down to 10 men and they didn’t have the players to close down both full backs made good use of the throw out to nutter in particular.”

jtbeast (6)

“Didn’t have a great deal to do although pulled off a good save towards the end, was mostly competent but flapped at a couple of crosses. Seems to be becoming more confident vocally and distributed the ball well.”

Obamarama 5.5

“Thought he made some good saves, and was brave when he got clattered. That shot that hit the post I think he had covered had it been on target. Unsure about the two decisions up the Gillingham End, I thought he had dropped it, but that could have been because he was fouled.”

fediculous_biggs (6)

“Does command his box well. A couple of occasions you could hear the shout for the defenders to leave which they happily did knowing he was there.

Wasn’t made to do a lot but made two good saves when Huddersfield had made their substituions and were on the attack and a couple of good confident punches (one of which I thought he was never going to get to but he did)

Playing now with the confidence of someone given a run in the team.”

josephteency (6)

“They only had a couple of clear chances, and I thought he did pretty well for the one that got disallowed – he got back to try and stop the second shot. Good stop later on too that he pushed round the post – his catching is good and he tends to make a solid enough contact when punching.

I also like how confidently he dealt with that through ball that earned him a clothesline.”

Zoidy (6)

“Didn’t have alot to do other than fairly regulation saves. Flapped around rather alarmingly in the bit of play that led to their disallowed goal.”

lark_moronson (5)

“A competent display and did what he needed to do when called upon.A couple of unsure punches,but a couple of decent saves too.”

ReSeat82 (5.5)

“I really hope he does well as he obviously is a better future hope than Royce.His shot stopping is superb.Somehow his body language doesn,t exude the same confidence as Royce,which leads to what appears to be flapping.”

erich (5.5)

“Two superb saves to hold onto his clean sheet, and, probably, our three points. Has potential to be a shot stopper in Big Fat Jim’s class, and more willing to leave his goal line than BFJ. Concern about kicking on our bobbly pitch suggests to me that he is thinking about his game.”

Carpe Diem (7)

“Wasn’t overly tested until the later stages but dealt with things in a great manner. Really starting to turn into that potential into good performances ”

Brad (7)

“I’m afraid in the past I’ve been less than complementary about Julien,especially after what I saw last season at Dagenham,and his performances in other games, I felt left a lot to be desired ,and I wasn’t too fussed about him asking to go on the transfer list.Since Royce’s absence,I think Julien has been a revelation.His handling and distribution has improved enormously,and yesterday I thought he was outstanding.Notice how now when he has the ball,he’s looking to throw it to either of the full backs,rather than kick it upfield where it’s usually an opposition ball.I hope he comes off the list,because next season,he will be number1 choice,and I can’t see royce getting back in this season,let alone next.”

vinney (7)

PLAYER FOCUS RATING: 5.9

Huddersfield have been one of the division’s success stories under the stewardship of Lee Clark, while Gillingham’s season has been a largely frustrating campaign punctuated by inconsistent performances at home and the sort of consistency away that nobody wants.

With Gillingham desperate for a home win and Huddersfield looking to bounce back and prove a point, it promised to be a competitive game, and it certainly was.

Too competitive.

Gillingham played with three up top, with Andy Barcham hugging the left touchline and the duo of Rene Howe and Simeon Jackson playing more orthodox centre forward roles.

But while the Gills were looking to attack the Huddersfield goal, it seemed that the visitors’ tactic was to attack the Gillingham players.

Peter Clarke spent most of the first half with his forearm (and occasionally his elbow) planted in the back of Howe’s head, while Robbie Williams, whose performance failed to entertain anyone, seemed keen to follow his defensive partner’s lead, and eventually found himself booked for his trouble.

But, in a week where an accidental challenge from Ryan Shawcross resulted in a broken leg for the unfortunate Aaron Ramsey, Priestfield Stadium witnessed a quite disgraceful challenge.

Lee Clark may say the player is young and inexperienced, but the challenge from Nathan Eccleston was deplorable. From our seats in the Medway Stand we heard a loud crack and immediately feared the worst. But thankfully, and amazingly, Lewis recovered after a lengthy spell of treatment.

Meanwhile Eccleston – who had already put his head on Adam Miller after a tangle of legs saw the young Huddersfield player lose his temper far too quickly – was given his marching orders and disgraced himself further with an unrepentant middle-finger gesture to the Medway Stand as he was escorted from the field.

The challenge wasn’t a mistimed lunge, nor was it simply an over-zealous attempt to win the ball. It was, in my opinion and those of the people sat around me, a two-footed, over-the-top attempt to deliberately injure an opposing player. You can only hope the Football Association come down hard on the youngster and that Eccleston himself learns to control his aggression on the football pitch.

By the time Eccleston was sent from the field, Huddersfield were already up against it. Gillingham had taken the lead after just seven minutes thanks to a stunning strike from Simeon Jackson.

Twenty-five yards from goal, Jackson powerfully volleyed a bouncing ball low into the bottom corner, leaving Terriers keeper Alex Smithies bemused and the Medway Stand faithful shocked – many, including me, thought the ball was going narrowly wide.

And Jackson doubled Gillingham’s lead just 25 seconds into the second half, breaking clear of the Huddersfield back line – including Clarke’s cynical attempt to pull him back by his shirt – and firing low past Smithies into the bottom corner.

After the second goal, Huddersfield eventually abandoned their strongarm tactics, decided to play some football, and looked a much better side for it, despite being down to ten men.

The introduction of Gary Roberts in particular gave the visitors some much-needed quality on the ball, and he crashed a 25-yarder against the outside of Alan Julian’s post in one of Huddersfield’s best second-half attacks.

They had the ball in the net, but the goal was pulled back due to the cross going over the by-line before being pulled back, and Alan Julian and his defence had to deal with a flurry of late corners as the visitors searched in vain for a way back into the match.

But with Gillingham having plenty of second-half chances of their own, notably from Jackson, Howe and Miller, the home side ran out well-deserved winners against one of the division’s promotion challengers.

And if there was one thing we can learn from today’s game, it’s that you can’t put a value on having a genuine finisher in your side.

Gillingham had one, Huddersfield didn’t.

The opponents this weekend, Huddersfield Town, are one of the best sides in the division. The fact they were royally trounced 5-0 by a rampant Southampton side last time out should only serve to heighten our wariness ahead of the League One clash on Saturday.

Manager Lee Clark has spoken out, saying if he could have made ten substitutions at halftime last week, he would have – and has since come out and said ht expects a “huge response” from his players at Priestfield this weekend.

Make no mistake, Huddersfield will be on the attack and out to prove a point.

Gillingham, who have always looked shaky when faced with sides who attack them, will need to display a combination of steel and adventure if they’re to pick up a much-needed victory tomorrow – and for me, that means a return to a straightforward 4-4-2 formation.

The back four, in my eyes at least, picks itself. But at right back, Chris Palmer should be replaced with Stewart Lewis. The man dubbed “The Ginger Cafu” after his performances at right back last season proved an admirable stand-in for Barry Fuller last season, and there’s no reason why he can’t be again. Palmer’s ‘challenge’ for the penalty at Brunton Park was evidence enough that he isn’t a natural defender, and he should be used, when necessary, as a wide midfielder. He can fill in at fullback, but we have a better defensive player available, and that player is Lewis.

In midfield, Kevin Maher and Danny Jackman should play side-by-side in the centre, with the attacking impetus coming from wide areas, helping to force Huddersfield’s wingers and fullbacks onto the back foot. Andy Barcham and Curtis Weston, two of our most dynamic players, fit the bill perfectly. Weston has mainly operated through the middle for the Gills so far, but has played wide right in the past and can do a good job for us on the wing this weekend.

Up front, we know there is a fitness cloud hanging over one of our three strikers, but assuming all three are available, we’ll go for the most potent duo – Simeon Jackson and Chris Dickson. If necessary we can throw on Rene Howe in the second half to help provide fresh impetus and grunt.

Looking at the record of both sides, Huddersfield should be big favourites for this match, but their recent result at St. Mary’s and with Gillingham desperate to pick up not just points, but wins, at home, this match could prove a lot closer than many might think.

Huddersfield are far from bulletproof on their travels. They have lost more games than they have won away from home this season (won 6, lost 8 ) so they CAN be got at. The Gills’ home form, meanwhile is still very impressive. They’ve lost just three times at Priestfield, but have started to draw more games.

Mark Stimson, plus around 5,000 Gills fans, will be hoping for a return to winning ways this weekend.

Stimson said, “Hopefully we are as good as Huddersfield on the day. We can be, there’s no reason why we can’t.”

Huddersfield are still reeling from their 5-0 reverse at Southampton in their last match and a quick goal from the Gills on Saturday could give the Kent side the platform to get on top of a team whose confidence in defence may still be a little shaky.

For the Gills boss the approach is simple, “Score the first goal and keep the ball going towards their goal as much as possible.”

In the video, Stimson shares his views ahead of this weekend’s big match at Priestfield and talks about his plans for youngster Luke Rooney, who signed a two-year deal with the club this week.

Leading the team of match officials will be Essex based official Fred Graham.

Mr Graham decided to take up refereeing in 1988 at the age of 24, following a bad injury that curtailed his playing career.

He has refereed Gillingham on six previous occasions with the Gills failing to win any of the games.

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The livewire forward, who has largely been deployed as a winger so far in his Gills career, will be under contract until the end of Season 2011/2012 and will look to force his way into Mark Stimson’s first-team squad on a more regular basis.

Talking to the club’s official website, Stimson said he was pleased that Rooney had signed on the dotted line and secured his future at Priestfield.

“Luke has potential,” he said.

“He has played this season on the right-wing, after playing most of his career in the middle of the park, either up-front or centre midfield.

“We gave him an opportunity on the wing because I think he is very good in one-v-one situations.

“If he can maintain what he has done so far then he will have a good chance to play at a decent level.

“He’s got a little bit of security now, he’s happy with the deal and we’re happy with it from the club’s point of view, so now he’s got to work hard and get into the 18-man squad.”

Meanwhile, fellow Gills youngster, striker Andy Pugh, has joined Blue Square Premier side Histon in an initial one-month loan deal.

The 21-year old midfielder had made a telling contribution to a promotion campaign in just 8 games, steadying the ship after a late season wobble and helping to guide the team through the perils of the play-offs.

“The move came out of nowhere really, I hadn’t been playing much football and suddenly I’m celebrating at Wembley. Those sorts of days don’t come around very often so I was over the moon.”

The assist was a rare moment of glory for the young playmaker, who has scored just one goal in over 75 professional appearances. These statistics however mask the true worth of Wright, a deep-lying midfield anchor man whose hard work often goes unnoticed.

One of his finest performances for the Gills came in the away leg of the semi-final against Rochdale, commanding the midfield battle alongside good friend Stuart Lewis. Although the game finished goalless, Wright quietly produced a superb display, giving Gillingham the edge in the return fixture.

Wright’s cameo in Kent provided the perfect end to what had been another frustrating season for young midfielder, who signed for Charlton at just seventeen. He went on to make just three appearances for the Addicks during the two years that followed, which saw loan spells at both Barnet and Brentford.

“The financial situation caused lots of unrest, I saw four different managers come in while I was there. Obviously the club was going in the wrong direction, and when you are fighting relegation I think managers prefer to turn to experience. My age definitely counted against me.”

Charlton’s loss was most certainly Gillingham’s gain, but any hopes of a permanent move were dashed in the summer. Wright’s calm and assured displays had already started to turn heads, and when Scunthorpe manager Nigel Adkins offered him Championship football the chance was too good to turn down.

“Gillingham did make an offer, which I did consider. I knew Mark Robson as a young boy from Charlton, and I got on very well with Mark Stimson – he’s a great manager who gets the best out of you. I really enjoyed my time there, but I had to think in the best interests of my career.”

The decision to move north was not an easy one for Wright, who had been based in and around London throughout his career. However, he has no lingering regrets having enjoyed a consistent season in which he has missed just five games.

“At first I wasn’t sure that I was making the right call, but the move has really taught me what life is all about. The standard of football is a big step-up, but the emphasis is on passing and a fast pace to the game, and that’s the way I like to play. It’s nice to have a full season playing regularly.”

Wright seems to have finally found the continuity that he has been craving at Glanford Park, and few would begrudge him such success after enduring such a fragmented start to his career. Whatever the future holds for Wright, he will always be remembered with fondness by Gillingham fans who recall that dreamy day under the Wembley arch.

Carlisle had lost their last three matches, but ran out comfortable winners against the Gills at Brunton Park with former Leeds United fullback Ian Harte bagging both goals.

Harte’s first strike came from a direct free kick, while his second, a penalty kick, came when an unnecessary challenge from Chris Palmer left referee Paul Tierney no option but to point to the spot.

Simeon Jackson missed a glorious opportunity early on in the first half, while Rene Howe blazed over in the second, but on the whole Gillingham found themselves overrun in midfield – the 4-3-3 formation deployed by Mark Stimson left the away side short of numbers in key areas.

Gillingham fans will now start to wonder if, rather than when, they’ll see an away win this season.

From the 51 points Gillingham have played for in away games so far this season, they have taken just four.

And with four of the six teams below them within three points or less – and all with at least one game in hand – Gillingham face a turbulent end to the season as they desperately look to pick up enough points to avoid going straight back down after their promotion last season.

With points being dropped at home and the team’s repeated failures on the road, it’s not looking good.