Gills draw leaves more questions than answers

IT’S impossible to tell now whether the 2-0 lead Gillingham squandered against Shrewsbury will come back to haunt them come May, but it did bring everyone at Priestfield down to earth with a bump.

The atmosphere was terrific on Tuesday night as Simeon Jackson’s late penalty saw off Darlington. The boot was on the other foot against the Shrews, who scored twice in the last 12 minutes to pinch a point.

A week ago most fans would have probably settled for four points from two games against promotion rivals. The results have after all kept Gills right in the mix – only goal difference is keeping them out of the automatic spots and there is a useful, if fragile, three-point cushion over Bradford just outside the play-offs.

The draw also extended the club’s unbeaten run to seven games, the longest sequence for almost four years.

Yet there is just a nagging feeling that sides destined for automatic promotion do not give away two goal leads at home, regardless of the opposition or the concession of a soft penalty.
Crucially it used up a precious home game. Of the team’s remaining nine fixtures, six are away from home. While the form on their travels is light years better than even six months ago, they have not beaten any of their rivals away from home and there are still trips to Brentford, Wycombe and Rochdale (all in the top four) to come.

Perhaps the biggest problem to come out of the game is injury concerns to Simon King and Andy Barcham. Both are essential to the club’s promotion hopes but had to be substituted after taking knocks to already bodies already struggling after a tough season.

The pair may yet appear at Notts County on Tuesday, but there must now be a genuine worry about their involvement in critical games to come. Gills boss Mark Stimson admitted afterwards every game the influential duo played now was a risk, but one they have to take.

David Pritchard