MK Dons (H) - 14 Feb 15

[Kent_UckyFriedGills]

This is Edinburgh`s first home game,and there is a good feel around the club at the moment.Confidence is high,and we entertain a decent MK Dons side who are going for automatic promotion.They`re a good football side so I would be pleased with a point.

[Kent_UckyFriedGills]

Justin Edinburgh is hoping for a big crowd for the MK Dons match tomorrow.

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/spor ... -us-31770/

[Garawa]

This is the 26th meeting between both MK Dons and Wimbledon. The Gills are unbeaten in 4 at home against them and we have lost twice in 13 ties. Overall the Gills have won 10 times, MK Dons/Wimbledon 7 and there have been 8 draws.

Cody McDonald scored his 13th goal against Sheffield Utd. MK Dons top scorers are Benik Afobe (19 goals and 30 apps), Dele Alli (13 and 34 apps) and Will Grigg (11 and 33 apps). Afobe has since returned to Wolves.

The Gills are the 7th highest scorers in League 1 but MK Dons are the highest and are the only side to score 6 goals in a league game (twice) and 7 once. MK Dons are also responsible for 2 of the 6 occasions in which 5 goals were scored in a game in the league (both in away games).

Despite being league top scorers, 4 teams have scored more in away games including Scunthorpe and Rochdale whilst Doncaster have the same (24)

Along with Rochdale, MK Dons have seen the most goals scored and conceded in their league games (87) whilst the Gills and Colchester have seen the second most (85)

Until their 2-1 defeat at Bradford on Monday, MK Dons were unbeaten in 6 and had lost just once in 19 league games (winning 11). The Gills are currently unbeaten in 6.

KM Dons have won 4, drawn 5 and lost 1 of their last 10 away league games scoring 14 goals and conceding just 6 (with 6 clean sheets).

Since beating Colchester 6-0 and Oldham 7-0 in consecutive home games, MK Dons have taken 9 games to score 13 goals (the Gills have scored 16 in 9).

A Gills win would be the first time we had won 4 home games in a row since April 2013.

3:00
Kick-Off

3:09
GOAL! Gillingham 1-0 MK Dons: McDonald

3:13
The Gills have won 8 from 12 when scoring the opening goal but MK Dons have 13 out of 16 so far this season.
MK Dons have conceded the opening goal 9 times before today (the 2nd fewest in League 1) but have clawed back 11 points by full time, the most points on average from the games they fell behind in.

3:37
GOAL! Gillingham 1-1 MK Dons.

3:38
GOAL! Gillingham 2-1 MK Dons: Dack

3:49
Half-time: 2-1
The Gills have won 4 of the 5 matches they led at half time. MK Dons are unbeaten in their 10 leads, winning 9.

4:10
Cody hits the woodwork.

4:20
The ball rolls into the Gills net as the referee blows for a foul.

4:26
Gavin Hoyte concedes a penalty at the Rainham End.
GOAL! Gillingham 2-2 MK Dons.

4:34
GOAL! Gillingham 3-2 MK Dons: Garmston
Bradley Garmston scores his first goal for the club.

4:39
GOAL! Gillingham 4-2 MK Dons: Marquis

4:54
Full-time: 4-2

[Garawa]

Some facts for the game can be found here: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1662

[fan_of_mulligan]

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

----------------------------------Nelson--------------------------------------
Hoyte----------------Egan-------------------Ehmer-----------------Garmston
-------------------------------Hessenthaler-----------------------------------
------------Galbraith-----------------------------------Loft-------------------
-----------------------------------Dack----------------------------------------
--------------------McDonald--------------Marquis----------------------------

Subs: G.Morris (GK), Legge, Martin, Linganzi, McGlashan, Dickenson, Norris

I cannot see Gillingham making any changes to the team that started against Peterborough United on Tuesday Night, Jermaine McGlashan is so effective as an impact substitute that I will keep Jermaine McGlashan on the bench and bring him on with 20 - 25 minutes remaining because McGlashan keeps scoring or assisting goals when he comes on as a sub rather then starting matches.

I think Gillingham go into tomorrow's match against MK Dons with no expectations, no fear and we can almost treat tomorrow's match like a bonus game because if someone said to me a week a go that Gillingham would of picked up six points out of six against Sheffield United and Peterborough United then I wouldn't of believed them, combine the last two results with tomorrow being Justin Edinburgh's first home game in-charge for Gillingham and we're going to be a very dangerous team and MK Dons know this as well.

I think Gillingham can get something out of the game tomorrow, a week a go, I thought we might get three points from these three fixtures, but there is every possibility that Gillingham can pick up nine points out of a possible nine against Sheffield United, Peterborough United and MK Dons - COME ON THE GILLS!!!!!!!!

[Garawa]

This will be the key, I've said it most of the season. The young players are hungry and will do well if they learn each others game. We made far too many changes just for the sake of it earlier, the more they play the more they'll gel and the more they gel the more they'll win. Injuries aside of course. As Rob P said, better to have lesser players in the right spot than better ones in the wrong one. We've had Egan as right back when Hoyte wasn't selected, Hessenthaler right midfield ahead of McGlasghan. Loft left back when we didn't use they guy we had on loan, Dack's best role is forward midfield and it's all starting to show.

I don't expect anything from the game, we are due a defeat but if we do pull off a win I fully expect to get completely and utterly carried away!

[baronnight]

It will be difficult for us to stop MK scoring (they're on 60 league goals so far) equally they are quite good defensively (only 27 conceded) I think we need to play our own game and not start changing a winning formula in a vane attempt to contain them, just stay positive and keep them on the back foot.

[gillsfan1066]

Hope Glasgow doesn't play for a 0-0,even if we don't come away with points which I think we might, MKD are not the greatest team for scoring away from home, I would rather see us go down 2-3 than 0-1. This ten point cushion is nice,and with points I am pretty sure coming from the Yeovil and Barnsley games this won't be the end of the world should we drop a couple or three.

[Garawa]

I agree, I didn't see many points coming from this month with maybe only a win against Yeovil. We have already surpassed most people's expectations and getting something from this game would be astonishing, especially if we beat Yeovil as well. That has to be realms of manager of the month territory but who would it go to? Edinburgh, Lovell, Hare, Hessy or Patterson????

[gillsfan1066]

See I told you all along, great choice in Glasgow being bought in and nothing to worry about point wise, February just another month for the mighty Gills, and I am being proved right ,told you we would be heading for the play offs by the beginning of March didn't I ??
What a great score and only 5,000 turned up to see us blast MKDons (stupid name anyway) into next week, well done the Big Blue Machine wwwooww hhhoo report someone PLEASE, fed up with reading the scrolls,tell me what really happened.

[Kent_UckyFriedGills]

I was watching Soccer Saturday,and also had Twitter on as I didn`t fancy listening to the MK Dons coverage.The reports I read were we pressed them for 95 minutes and deserved the win.Our front three of Dack,Cody,and Marquis are working really well,and to not only beat MK Dons but score 4 goals against them is a great result.Like the other two games against Sheffield Utd,and Peterborough I would have taken a point before,so to get 9 points from these tough fixtures is fantastic.Confidence is high and the gap from the play-off`s and us is only two points.If we beat Yeovil then I will see us as play-off contenders.

[Garawa]

This is 2 games now where I feel we have made sides at the top look ordinary. Sheffield Utd have beaten top side Bristol City 3-1 away and a couple of weeks ago beat then top side Swindon 2-0. In between that time they lost 2-0 at Priestfield and looked ordinary and like a side battling for survival.

MK Dons offered virtually nothing and their first goal was pretty much the first time they troubled our penalty area let alone goal. For a 10 minute spell after Cody's opener (a well worked free kick that saw Dack tap to his right and Cody make space before launching the ball in to the bottom left corner of the net) Utd could barely get out their own penalty area. The Gills constantly attacked and although all eyes were on Dele Alli (who had secured a £2m move to Spurs and was loaned back) it was Dack who ran the show and made it look silly. Galbraith was superb in this spell, breaking up play and his accurate passing allowed the Gills to camp in the Utd half. The goal then came and you felt the tide would turn but just over a minute later Dack got his goal. The Gills led at the break and even though the Dons had recovered to win more points from the games they were losing at the break, you couldn't help but feel the Gills were well on top. The ref tried his best to give every decision their way and led big fouls on our players go but to no avail!!! I didn't see it myself but many seem to think he even booked the same Dons player twice!

Dack fed Cody through and the keeper pushed his shot onto the post and 16 minutes later Hoyte challenged from behind to concede a penalty and make it 2-2. I was disappointed and I felt this was the chance gone now. We didn't deserve to be level even though I would have been happy with a draw before the match. Within 8 minute we were ahead for the 3rd time, first Dack fed Garmston who shot under the keeper from the left side of the box replicating exactly the same shot that went wide a few minutes before. 5 minutes later and Dack fed Marquis to make it the same score as on the opening day of the season away at MK Dons.

The display was defensively frail at times but dominant attacking-wise. The ref tried to ruin things but failed. Dack was deservedly man of the match with a goal and 3 assists which might have been 4 had Cody's shot not hit the post. Cody, Marquis, Galbraith, Egan and Ehmer put in composed performances and even Loft was much better. McGlashan didn't have a lot to do when he came on, Hoyte was OK and Garmston dangerous on the attack. Hopefully this wasn't just a response to the manager's first home game but this was a complete display the likes we haven't seen for ages. I'm not even sure there was a single player including Alli that I would have wished was on our side.

I hoped for a draw or 2 from the last 4 games but we have got 10 points. I felt Yeovil was the one to get the 3 points in and, although we generally lose these kind of games, they are bottom with poor results and the form we are in could win. It's then Barnsley who seem to be in free-fall having just lost their manager and getting thumped 5-1 at Crawley, a side everyone else has thumped this season! The recent miserable moments make these times seem fantastic and the form the likes of Dack are in I can't see it grinding to a halt.

[lidbid46]

Not being picky but i think ali was sold for five million pounds to spurs. Texted my son after about 60 minutes to tell him spurs had signed the wrong player; they should have spent the money on dack!

[gillsfan1066]

Not being picky but do you really "launch" the ball into the bottom corner of the net, or did you mean he was eating his lunch ?

[Garawa]

£5m? Even worse then! I did read two articles, one said £2m and the other £5m but as he didn't look worth a tenth of that I went for the lower amount!