A cold wind was blowing straight down the pitch when the Rovers arrived at the Priestfield Stadium this afternoon. James O'Connor was back in the team following his heel problem, Graeme Lee returned after his one game suspension and Peter Gilbert, on loan from Sheffield Wednesday, made his League debut for the club. The Rovers defended the end where their fans were seated.
The Rovers were the first to attack when Heffernan's chance of a shot was blocked but he set Coppinger up for a shot but he screwed it wide of the far post. After 5 minutes, good work by Coppinger, battling through several tackles, took him into the Gills penalty area but his final effort went across goal and out the other side. Two minutes later and Jarvis, for the home side, went on a mazy run from inside his own half, left several Rovers defenders in his wake before crossing low from the right byline. The ball went across the face of goal where nobody got a touch on it, Smith racing out to collect it. On 13 minutes, a good run by Easton on the home leftled to a cross into the middle but Smith was alert and cut out the danger. Two minutes later a long clearance by Lockwood gave Forte the chance of a run at goal from the Rovers right but he achieved the same result as Coppinger from the same place earlier. Down to the other end went the Gills. The ball came out of the Rovers defence to Flynn, on the edge of the penalty area on the right. His fierce drive skimmed past the far post. Another attack by the home team ended with Mulligan getting a header in for Smith to save. In the swirling wind in the playing arena a corner to the Gills caused problems in the Rovers defence before being cleared. After 26 minutes, a free kick to Rovers by Coppinger from 20 yards was hit straight at Brill, Forte then hit a shot that Brill saved comfortably and Heffernan, coming in from the right, drove the ball straight at the keeper. The Gills then went down to the other end where Jarvis ran from left to right to pick up the ball and, from the angle of the area shoot wide of the far post. Two inswinging corners from the Gills right caused all sorts of problems to the Rovers before being cleared. After 41 minutes, a Rovers attack ended with Coppinger pulling the ball back from right byline for Heffernan to head on to the roof of the net. The teams went in at the break, with the scoreline still goalless.
The second half opened with Gillingham on the attack but the Rovers defended well with a strong wind against them and driving rain coming in. Six minutes in came the Rovers first real attack, which saw Coppinger head in a cross, which Brill had to go down at the foot of a post to save. Two minutes later a Gills free kick from just outside the the left angle of the Rovers penalty area was brilliantly tipped over by a flying Smith. The resulting corner caused mayhem in the Rovers area, with the home team claiming a handball at one stage. The ball was cleared but keeper Smith was left on the floor nursing a knock. Further pressure by the Gills forced another corner, which was cleared. On the hour, Lee was robbed by Bentley, went clear on goal but Lockwood came in with a last ditch tackle to save the day for the Rovers. After 66 minutes, a great run down the home left by Jarvis saw him put another low cross into the middle where two of his team mates failed to get the final touch. Two corners to the Gills was followed by a Stock shot at the other end going just wide of a post. On 80 minutes, two successive corners to the Rovers ended with PRICE heading in from the second one, having risen higher than several Gills defenders. A good run by Forte saw him shoot wide before being substituted. In a good period for the Rovers, STOCK picked up on a mistake by a Gills player and blasted in from 20 yards with a fantastic swerving shot. Time ran down leaving the Rovers with a great win, at a place where we haven't won since 1971.
Teams - Gillingham - Dean Brill; Clint Easton, Ian Cox, Michael Flynn, Brent Sancho, Andrew Crofts, Ben Chorley, Mark Bentley, Bas Savage, Matthew Jarvis, Gary Mulligan.
Subs used - Danny Spiller for Bentley 84 mins; Ndumbu-Nsungu for Savage 84 mins;
Subs not used - Danny Jackman, Duncan Jupp, Dean McDonald.
Cautions - Savage
ROVERS - Ben Smith; James O'Connor, Adam Lockwood, Graeme Lee, Peter Gilbert; James Coppinger, Paul Green, Brian Stock, Jonathan Forte; Jason Price, Paul Heffernan.
Subs used - Steve Roberts for Forte 86 mins; Lewis Guy for Heffernan 90 mins; Mark Wilson for Coppinger 90 mins.
Subs not used - Sean Thornton, Bruce Dyer,
