[ 11 Feb 25 ] Walsall v GILLS Match Thread

[Garawa]

- Both the Gills and Walsall have won 47 of the 120 meetings. The Gills are winless in 7 games with Walsall since their last win - a 1-0 win at the Bescot in November 2017. The Gills have lost 4 of those 7 games since, scoring 3 goals and conceding 13.
- The Gills last win at Walsall in November 2017 was a 2nd consecutive win there and made it just 1 defeat in 6 visits. Since then, they have lost their last 3 visits including a 1-4 loss there last season.
- League 2 top scorer for Walsall Nathan Lowe (15 goals) ended his loan spell there inspiring them to 6 successive wins in which they scored 14 goals (6 for Lowe himself) and conceded 2. The 7 played since without him saw them win 1 and lose 4, scoring 9 goals and concede 15.
- Walsall have lost 4 of their last 6 league and cup games. They lost just 3 in their opening 23 matches in all competitions and all season have won 22 and lost just 8 of the 39 played.
- Walsall are the division's top scorers (55) thanks partly to being the top scorers in their home matches - 36 goals in 15 home games (11 more than the Gills have scored in their 28 home and away). Walsall's 36 home goals have made the Bescot the L2 ground with the most goals scored (55).
- Walsall are the only side in League 2 to have scored in all of their home games this season and it has been exactly a year since they last endured a league blank sheet at home (24 matches). Home and away, they have only failed to score in 5 games, the fewest in League 2.
- The Gills have managed 79 shots on target, the fewest in the division and an average of 2.8 per game. Walsall have faced 77, the fewest in the division and an average of 2.7 per game. However, the Gills have managed 11 in their last 6 and Walsall have faced 19 in their last 5.
- At 6.4 corners per game, Walsall take the most corners in the division and managed 38 in the previous 5 games. With 3.6 corners per game conceded, Walsall also face the fewest corners in the division.
- 40 of Walsall's 55 league goals have come after half time. Those 40 second half goals is equal to or more than the total number of goals scored by 17 other sides in League 2.
- Walsall's 25 League 2 leads and 15 at home are the best totals in the division and the 11 leads conceded is also the best total. However, Walsall have not led for the longest period of time in League 2 nor have they been losing for the shortest time either.

[Tue 11th Feb 2025] EFL Sky Bet League 2: Walsall v Gillingham FC
Opposition Manager: Mat Sadler. Matchday Team: Tommy Simkin, Evan Weir, Harry Williams, David Okagbue, Liam Gordon, Jamie Jellis (Danny Johnson), Ryan Stirk, Oisin McEntee, Connor Barrett, Josh Gordon (Ellis Harrison), [c] Jamille Matt (Levi Amantchi)
Opposition League Position: Sky Bet League 2 (1st)
Referee: Thomas Parsons
Attendance: 6,229 ()

(19.46) Kick Off [ 3 - 4 - 1 - 2 ]
Gills start with new match captain Little. Ehmer retains club captaincy.
(20.08) Neither chance for either side yet but the Gills are the side pressing the most and trying pre-planned set piece routines.
(20.15) Gbode goes down holding his groin and needs lengthy attention. A third of the match passes with just 1 shot on target (by the Gills).
(20.22) Walsall win their 5th consecutive corner after the Gills clear each one. The 5th is cleared for a throw from which the hosts win a 6th! It is put under the crossbar and somehow it squirms through all the feet in the box and the Gills run the ball down the pitch.
(20.31) 2 additional minutes will be played.
(20.33) Half time 0-0 [47:31]

(20.48) The second half kicks off.
(20.52) GOAL! Walsall 1-0 Gillingham: Matt
(21.11) GOAL! Walsall 1-1 Gillingham: McKenzie
Robbie blasts a driven shot into the top right corner of the goal from long range! What a screamer!
(21.17) The Walsall 'keeper loses possession outside of his penalty area. A Gills player goes down under a challenge just inside the box but the ref says he went down too easily.
(21.23) Hutton works his way into the box and makes space for a shot but his curling effort goes narrowly over the bar.
(21.27) Gills play the ball from one side of the box to the other, failing to quite get the required touch. Walsall head away from under the bar, Hutton sends it back in but it is blocked 3 yards from goal and ricochets to Little whose effort is blocked on the line. A Gills player then goes down under a challenge just as he is about to pull the trigger but this time Walsall desperately clear.
(21.30) Gills again pile huge pressure on the hosts. They cannot head the ball away and a couple of Gills shots are blocked, the second seemingly with an arm but no penalty is given.
(21.31) Just on as a sub, Johnson lifts the ball over the advancing Morris towards goal but onto the roof of the net.
(21.33) The 4th official signals 5 minutes will be added to the end of the match.
(21.38) FULL TIME 1-1 [97:34]

Gills' League Position After Game: 19th
Match Report: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c4g37zzrp3et
Match highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JuQt-ilnBo