A wet, rainy evening, with a stiff wind blowing was the background for tonight's game. For the second match running the Rovers meet a team in the bottom four. So the recipe is the same, both teams need the points, one for promotion, the other to get away from the relegation zone. The Rovers were unchanged from Saturday, on the field and on the bench despite Steve Roberts and Jason Price reporting fit. Gillingham had Adam Bygrave, on loan from Reading, taking over from Neil Cox and Simon Royce back in goal after recovering from illness. Sean Clohessy returned, on the bench, after a suspension but Garry Richards was suspended and Danny Cullip was unfit. The Rovers won the toss and chose to defend the South Stand end.
Gillingham, in their all blue strip, set the ball rolling but it was Coppinger, on the Rovers right, who gave Royce his first touch of the ball when he fielded the cross. Green followed this with a shot from 30 yards that drifted past the far post. Then, on 4 minutes, a through ball from Wellens for COPPINGER to run on to was taken on and coolly slotted past the keeper, Royce. Five minutes on and Gillingham won a free kick on the Rovers left by-line followed by a corner but they gained nothing from either. Minutes later, another corner was cleared but the Gills came again when Facey was played in down their right. His shot from near the byline was beaten out by Sullivan for another corner. The Rovers then got in on the act by winning their first corner on 17 minutes but it was collected easily by Royce. The Rovers had to make a substitution on 21 minutes when Wilson came off with what looked like an ankle injury, with McDaid replacing him. Even play was now the vogue with Gillingham belying their place in the bottom four. On 27 minutes, Stock fed Heffernan, who passed back to McDaid to fire a terrific shot from 20 yards that Royce did well to tip over. In the melee that followed the cornerthe ball came out to Stock and from 30 yards he drilled his shot against a post, the ball running across the face of goal before being cleared. Two minutes later and Miller, for the Gills, put a 25 yarder high and wide. The visitors followed this up with Facey going down their left to the byline before putting a low cross across the face of goal, Gareth Roberts putting it out for a throw in before a blue shirt could latch on to it. Minutes later, following another attack down the Gills left, a throw in bounced over the Rovers defenders giving Crofts a header that went wide. Another corner to the visitors was cleared out of the Rovers defence and a quick break was on culminating in Stock shooting wide from 30 yards. Ten minutes from the break and a good effort from McDaid was deflected for a corner, which was fed to Green, with his cross giving McCammon a header but Royce saved. Four minutes from the break, a corner on the Rovers right from Stock was swung out Wellens 20 yards out to the left of goal. A terrific volley from the midfielder was stopped at the foot of a post, with a defender completing the clearance. A corner to the Gills brought the first half to a close, with the Rovers going in with their one goal lead but it was, overall, a fairly even and interesting half.
The Rovers set the second half in motion and went on the attack from the off, forcing a corner on their left. It came out to Green in the centre circle. He placed a high ball into the penalty area where McCammon and Bygrave challenged for the ball. The referee, in answer to the chorus of shouts, was seen to be pointing to the penalty spot indicating handball by Bygrave. HEFFERNAN put the ball on the spot and placed the ball to the keeper's left as he went right to put the Rovers two up after 47 minutes. Three minutes later and it could have been three. Heffernan robbed Bygrave of the ball halfway into the Gills half and set off for goal. As Royce came out the Rovers forward tried to shoot past him but Royce stuck out his left hand deflecting the ball away from goal and a defender clearing. Gillingham gradually got into the game and after 56 minutes forced a corner on their left. This was headed over the Rovers bar for another corner. This time Sullivan came for the ball but dropped it under challenge and CROFTS smashed into the net from five yards. The Gills were up for it now and the game was on. On 71 minutes, McDaid slipped a pass through to Heffernan to the right of goal. Royce beat out his shot but McDaid following up stabbed goalwards under challenge only to see Fuller clear off the line. Gillingham's answer was the eponymous corner but that was because their attacking threats were constantly nullified by the Rovers defence. On 85 minutes, however, a thunderous shot from 30 yards by Nutter dipped and swerved on goal but Sullivan made the catch look easy. Four minutes of added-on time didn't produce any meaningful goal action, the game being fought out in midfield so that when the final whistle went it left the Rovers winners by the same scoreline as Saturday, 2-1.
A good win for the Rovers from a hard fought game as Gillingham, playing some good football at times, battled well for some reward but the Rovers defence was in no mood to give them another goal. This enabled them to catch up by two points on Swansea, who could only muster a draw but Carlisle won again and are still a point behind the Rovers.
Teams - ROVERS - Neil Sullivan; Paul Green, Matt Mills, Adam Lockwood, Gareth Roberts; James Coppinger, Richie Wellens, Brian Stock, Mark Wilson; Mark McCammon, Paul Heffernan
Subs used - Sean McDaid for Wilson 21mins; Stuart Elliott for McCammon 82 mins; James Hayter for Coppinger 89mins;
Subs not used - Gareth Taylor, Sam Hird,
Cautions - Lockwood,
Gillingham - Simon Royce; Barry Fuller, Simon King, Adam Bygrave, John Nutter; Dennis Oli, Andrew Crofts, Kevin Maher, Adam Miller; Delroy Facey, Leroy Griffiths
Subs used - Gary Mulligan for Griffiths 69mins; Simeon Jackson for Oli 76mins;
Subs not used - Sean Clohessy, Stuart Thurgood, Derek Stillie gk
Cautions - Bygrave, Miller,
