Charlton Athletic 2 v Gillingham 2

I'm twenty pounds lighter after backing the Gills and it's typical that all we get is a point in exchange. As the games tick away, it was ultimately an ok point, with only Huddersfield in the top eight managing a win. Leeds and Millwall play tomorrow evening and another draw would be no surprise.


Parky made four changes from the Millwall line-up and there were no real surprises; Sam Sodje replacing clanger Llera; Gary Borrowdale making his loan debut at left-back; Lloyd Sam replacing left footed Reid on the right and Deon Burton returning to the spearhead. The biggest surprise was that Simeon Jackson was on the bench for the Gills.


The players were wearing black arm-bands which had those around me puzzled. I thought it was perhaps to remind the players of their hopeless performance at the New Den, but learnt this morning that it was to mark the sad passing of 60 year-old Bob Curtis on Friday.


Gillingham looked worryingly like Millwall in their blue and white kits and they started the game in fine fettle backed by a noisy Medway following of close to 3,000 fans, which swelled the gate to our largest of the season and broke the 20,000 mark (20,024) for the first time since we last played in the Championship. 


The game was played at good pace and was end-to-end for most of the first-half without any real chances until the half-hour mark when Sam Sodje showed some determination and thumped a header against the Gillingham bar. We went in front a couple of minutes later courtesy of a soft goal when Fraser Richardson's under-hit shot from distance bobbled over the out-stretched arm of Andy Julian. The moment was short-lived as Andy Barcham seized a pass from the restart and careered towards the Charlton goal. Given far too much space, he wound up a drive and hammered it beyond the despairing dive of Rob Elliot and into the top corner to the delight of the Gills packing the Jimmy Seed Stand behind it.


Charlton responded and Deon Burton got up very well and planted a goal-bound header only to see Julian touch it onto that crossbar again. It was Burton's last touch of the game as he limped off to be replaced by Akpo Sodje.
Gillingham weren't finished though and took the lead minutes before the interval after getting the ball into a congested box and seeing Elliot block one effort before it fell to Dennis Oli several yards out. 


Elliot must have managed to do himself some damage in the lead-up to the goal because he didn't come out for the second-half. In his place was the assured looking Darren Randolph who had a forty-five. His kicking was good and he managed the only real save that came his way from an Oli shot. 


The second-half was all about could we get two? David Mooney got the first chance when Lloyd Sam slipped him in but Julian was flying out and smothered Mooney's first-time shot. Nicky Bailey tested Julian with a looping header that he had to tip over before Mooney struck the equaliser. It was a finish of some quality and one that would not have looked out of place in the top flight. The ball came to him eight yards out with his back to goal and a defender on his rear. Mooney stepped aside with the ball and turned and fired in one movement that sent the ball high into the roof of the Gillingham net. Julian simply didn't see it. The stick that Mooney's been getting in recent weeks has clearly got to him because he celebrated by running down the length of the West Stand with his ear-cupped. 


The last half-an-hour passed without much further incident and Charlton looked content to take a point. Therry Racon was subbed to make way for Kyel Reid and he didn't like it. He stormed past the Charlton officials standing in his way and booted the back of the dugout. He might have had a decent game for a change but he was fortunate to start based on recent performances and it meant we had Nicky Bailey playing on the fringes once again.


The point might look alright in the circumstances but it will very much be a case of two lost if we get beaten at Huddersfield next weekend when they can cut the gap on us to a solitary win and match our goal difference. We are going to have to knock over the likes of Gillingham from here on in and will probably need to win a couple of our harder looking fixtures. It's going to run and run.


Rest in peace Bob.