TOP TWO – SIX POINTS

Who would have thought it, especially when we saw the starting line up for Priestfield? “Strange team” everyone was saying.

The manager and team have, rightly in my view, come in for some severe criticism this season, but by the same token massive plaudits are thoroughly deserved after these two performances.

I’ve heard it said that on each occasion the opposition were not that great and did not justify their positions at the top of the table. I disagree. I thought that both the Gills and Vale played pretty well. Each pass the ball around well and have dangerous players up front who can hold the ball up and score a goal or two. That they weren’t as effective as they usually are was all down to us. Come on, proper credit where it is due. In both matches we had excellent shape, belief and an ability to retain possession.

I’ve also heard it said that we’ve played well in other games too and have been unlucky to have got nothing out of them. Again I’d disagree, quite strongly actually, with this. Some people won’t face the truth. I’m with Jerome when he asserted in his post match broadcast that we’ve had to up our game to get these six points.

The harsh truth still remains though that even after these fantastic results we have still only won as many games as we have lost and, taking some account of our long list of injuries, are still a little short of where we should really be.

GILLINGHAM

As everyone will know, the trip to Kent was horrendous for team and fans alike. We avoided the M40 car park and headed out of Bicester via Aylesbury but by the time we had negotiated the clockwise M25 and the Dartford Crossing the best part of four hours had elapsed.

The temporary Brian Moore stand which accommodates away fans comes in for a lot of stick because it is no more than glorified scaffolding offering no protection from the elements but I’ll say one thing in its favour – you get a good view.

And what a view the pitch was – a perfect playing surface. All green, no brown. This undoubtedly helped our passing game. Being the away side it does not matter, as we feel it did at the Kassam when we were able to play that way, if we are doing this passing stuff in areas of the pitch where there is little chance of hurting the opposition. But although chances were few and far between we created more than the Gills. The only thing that was missing from our game was being able to produce a shot worthy of the name.

Alfie Potter was causing them problems and was clearly fouled three times long before the first 45 minute mark. The home crowd who, on this showing, must be one of the most biased around, yelled their disapproval on each occasion. I wonder if they genuinely believed we should not have been awarded these free-kicks or thought it their duty to do everything within their power to influence the referee, if not on that particular incident but the next one or one after that. Perhaps we need to be ever more biased in our support of the yellow cause but I can’t help but think if the Gills fans had focused more on actually getting behind their team, that may have paid better dividends. For a top of the table side a gate under 5,000 has to be disappointing doesn’t it? Walking to the ground I got no feeling that there was actually a match on let alone a buzz of local anticipation. Perhaps the natives don’t truly believe. As the game wore on I was thinking what a great point this was going to be and even if we were to concede, which we didn’t really look like doing, it would have still been a good performance.

Then it happened. A proper finish, and it was Alfie Potter whose finishing in recent times had gone missing. Following a superb long ball from Tony Capaldi it was Alfie’s determination and, yes, strength that got him within striking distance. I thought he had put it wide, but in it went off the post.

VALE

The pitch has to be mentioned yet again. Yes I know that there are lots of others around that are terrible too, but that’s no excuse. At the Kassam the 65% muddy sand mix and 35% greenery seems to cut up in almost every area within minutes of the kick off. This means that the ball will not roll smoothly across the surface and random bobbling introduces an element of lottery to the proceedings. A player can be on a nice little dribble with the ball at his feet and then in a split second it is up around shin or knee height.

On Saturday we didn’t let this bother us. We just got on with it and along with second placed Vale produced a very good and watchable game of football. It’s been a while since we have been able to say that about a home game.

Alfie’s second of the week just shows what he can do when in confident mood and thanks to Darren Purse for the assist in the form of an under-hit back pass. Potter also won a penalty, well I say won but referee Eddie Ilderton decided that being shoved to the ground having turned your marker doesn’t warrant blowing the whistle. Tim who sits in front of me didn’t think the referee “gave a toss” and it did seem that he often wasn’t looking where he should have been and only applied the rules when he felt like it. He missed some serious stuff including a right hook. I won’t say who threw that punch but the Vale player on the end of it thoroughly deserved the smack.

Even after Vale had equalised with a wonder goal we just kept on playing and when the winner came it was scored by my man of the match. In the last Fan’s View I said as regards Deane Smalley, “Sorry but I just don’t see it”. I certainly saw it against Vale. His work rate was tremendous and he showed intelligent movement but I didn’t think he had a goal in him. He did though, perfectly placed through the keeper’s legs in the 76th minute. However, I thought he was at his most impressive after scoring when we needed to keep the ball in their half. I can still picture Deano controlling a clearance, waiting for a challenge before knocking it past the defender and running the clock down.

A bloody marvellous win particularly as we had a few players that were not at the races. Adam Chapman was one but he didn’t make it to half time. Most people don’t think that was very good man management by Chris Wilder but we don’t know how to get the best out of Chappy. He seems to be in a dozy state much too often. Sean Rigg has not been on good form for a while now and Josh Parker had little impact.

AND SOME FINAL BITS

Jake Wright

Imperious is probably a good description of the way he is playing at the moment with something of the Bobby Moore about him as he brings the ball out of defence. Best though not to fall over it as he did against Vale and on one occassion a Gills forward read exactly what he was going to do and took possession like taking candy from a baby. But I love the way he plays. He’s a proper footballing centre half.

Michael Raynes

A number of people have said to me that he wins headers but they don’t go anywhere very useful, he’s got no pace, he’s no good on the ground and can’t pass and will be found out against the better opposition. So I’ve been wondering if I’ve been going OTT in my standing up for him. Do you know what, I’ve seen him make a crunching tackle that meant Gill’s midfielder Bradley Dack have to go off injured, I’ve seen him bide his time when an opponent has the ball in the area and wait for the precise moment when he can make the tackle and I’ve seen him make a few passes to colleagues. Again credit where it’s due please.

Andy Whing

Fantastic to see him properly returned and yes he was better than Chappy but I don’t think he touched the ball until quite a while into the second half so I think all this praise he got on the radio was a bit OTT. He was pretty good at the wrestling that Vale wanted to indulge in from the moment he ran on though. Yes, a team of Andy Whings we’d never go down without a fight.

The penalty miss

I think whenever there’s a lengthy delay the penalty taker, who in this instance should never have been Riggy in the first place, should be changed.

The Football League Show

We got a little clip of Rick O‘Shay and Dave Banana, which was nice but this programme is beginning to annoy me. There was a time when we were on a decent run but not getting any mentions when I thought we could sneak in under the radar but now our lack of coverage is beginning to pee me off. “Gillingham lost in the week”. Not “lost to OXFORD UNITED”. And no mention of us having beaten the top two sides in five days. If such an accomplishment had been achieved by a certain team when under a certain foreign manager the presenters would have been drooling with orgasmic delight.