Gillingham v Preston North End-Match Thread

[Kent_UckyFriedGills]

After our luck draw at Rochdale on Saturday,we`re back at Priestfield on Tuesday for the first of two home games this week.Preston are a good side and will be a side that will be top 6 come the end of the season.We do tend to play better against the better sides at home i.e Peterborough this season.If we can get 4-6 points from these two games then it will have been a good week.

What Team will we play?

[gillsfan1066]

My guess would be Preston North End, but of course I am happy to be corrected, lol. Just watching a soccer show and Steve Bruce is on, how much longer do you think he stays at Hull before he takes over another team, Newcastle, Sunderland, QPR, maybe ?

[Garawa]

Some facts about tonight's game can be found here: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1333

[fan_of_mulligan]

I think Gillingham will line up as follows.......................

-------------------------------Bywater-------------------------------------
Fish--------------Legge-----------------Egan----------------------Hoyte
----------------Hessenthaler-----------Linganzi---------------------------
McGlashan----------------------------------------------------------Dack
-----------------Norris----------------McDonald-------------------------

Subs: Nelson (GK), Hare, Staunton, Pritchard, Dickenson, Kedwell, German

The back four really does pick itself tonight with Joe Martin, Kortney Hause, Callum Davies and Aaron Morris all injured and Adam Barrett and Devante McKain sent out on loan to AFC Wimbledon and Maidenhead United respectively, I don't like the idea of Gavin Hoyte at left back but we don't have any other alturnative, with Jermaine McGlashan used as a sub against Rochdale and Bradley Dack only playing 45 minutes I can see these two starting on the right and left flanks with Jake Hessenthaler and Amine Linganzi in the middle of midfield, I thought Amine Linganzi was Man Of The Match for Gillingham on Saturday and Amine Linganzi was very effective as a supporting striker behind Cody McDonald and if Gillingham do play five in midfield again then it is a role I hope Linganzi plays in because he does win the initial flick on from Stephen Bywater's goal-kicks.

Up-Front I would go with Cody McDonald and Luke Norris, Danny Kedwell has just come back into the squad and he isn't 100% fit yet and I would use Kedwell sparingly as an impact sub until he is back to 100%, Dickenson and German also give us attacking options if we need to go for it tonight but defensively, youngsters Josh Hare and Jsoh Staunton will have to take up places on the bench and I am surprised that Peter Taylor has not gone into the loan market to sign some defenders - especially down the left side of our defence.

It is going to be a tough match tonight because Preston North End are flying high in League One and in Kevin Davies, Paul Gallagher, Joe Garner and Jordan Hugill, Preston North End have got some serious firepower, but two goals conceded in the last four games also suggests that the defence is solid as well - we are going to need the performance levels we put in against Peterborough United and I think Gillingham need at least two goals tonight if we are going to get something from the game - fingers crossed for three points tonight Gills, even a point would be a decent result - COME ON THE GILLS!!!!!!!

[Kent_UckyFriedGills]

I would start Cody and play Kedwell for 60 minutes.I think he should be able to handle that long in his first game back.

[Rimshot]

Anybody got a match report.. what I've seen in the media is not too encouraging ?

[Goalmouth]

There's a report here http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/sport/ ... ton-25671/
Sounded a bit more encouraging than the last home game. As much as anything else, injuries and unnecessary suspensions don't appear to be helping.

You can also see Taylor's verdict on the same site.

[gillsfan1066]

Me thinks the Kent on line writer was being a little more than a "homer" here. They had 17 shots with 3 on goal, we had 8 with two on goal, they scored and hit the woodwork four times, we failed to score and hit the woodwork once, and both keepers made 2 saves.
I think the comment I read which went something like Gillingham had little sight of goal for most just about sums it all up,but we did win the fouls battle 11-7.
Can not believe we are playing this badly,and yes I except PNE are a far better team than us, ( although why they should be I have no idea), but this season all be it only October with plenty of games left is becoming a debacle and very disappointing for the fans seeing as this is Taylor's team,the players he wanted and bought in.

[Rimshot]

Independent reports talk of us being 'brushed aside'. Terrific. Just two seasons since we were promoted as champs, no investment, no improvements to playing strength and no accounts published to show if Scally has taken a 'performance bonus' again along with the consultancy fee his wife gets for choosing the executive crockery.

The club is paralysed by ownership.

[Kent_UckyFriedGills]

I only listened to the game.The first half did sound very positive and we could have two goals,but we didn`t repeat that in the second half and Preston took control.It basically sounded like a game of two halfs.I think we really need a win and fast with our lowly position and run of defeats.Crawley is a big game for the Players and Taylor.

[Garawa]

Right, strip away the stats. Yes they had 17 shots at goal but at least 7 or 8 went so high and wide of the goal it would make the worst player in the country look good (a couple were from halfway inside the half and hit the top of the Rainham End on the far left almost going for a throw)!!! They hit the wood work 4 times but they are shots OFF target - you cannot score from them!

Performance: it matched Preston's and you would struggle to tell who the side was at the top of the table.
Chances: both keepers made 2 fantastic stops so even stevens again. How the Cody chance from point blank range was blocked I'll never know and Nelson made a crucial one to deflect for a throw when it could have been toe poked home an inch or 2 closer to the attacker! We looked dangerous on the attack but need to find more of an end product.
Goals: this was the key difference, clinical finishing. They only needed 1 chance and took it.

Preston's class was what won the game. 30 out of their last 40 matches in which they scored first saw them win and the other 10 end with a draw (no defeats) so they know how to close out a game and did it perfectly last night. Had we been 1 ahead we probably wouldn't have been able to do the same. A much improved performance, a good game to watch and encouraging improvements possibly partly down to the returning Kedwell.

[gillsfan1066]

There is a reason why some managers have 173 teams in 25 years.

[Elgrande]

Yep; it's because they have a PS4.

[gillsfan1066]

LOl, yeah that must be it, now i know where he is going wrong, he thinks he can pull the plug and start the season all over again when ever he wants.

[gillsfan1066]

Gazza you need to come off the roof where you watch the game from, your suffering from altitude sickness, lack of Oxygen or something. OK I was not there and I bow to your first hand knowledge of seeing the game first hand Ion the other hand, thats the second hand, have read probably 4 reports on the game and apart from the Kent On Line one everyone else said we were out classed and out played,and company's like ESPN have no interest on reporting that PNE were head and shoulders above us and could easily have scored 4 or 5 if it were not for the wood work just for something to say.
I look forward to reading the lovely Miss Fanny Mulligans report on the game and let me have a quick look at the table , lets see can't find us, oh oh there we are.