THE CONCRETE ROUNDABOUT (TCR)

THE GREAT BRITISH MELTDOWN – GILLINGHAM
When I looked at this trilogy of home games, I thought 5 points or better, I confess it didn’t really work out the way I’d perceived it, but 6 points isn’t a bad return considering we played rivals AFC and a tough nut in Gillingham.

For what it’s worth I thought Gillingham were one of the better teams we have played this season, well organised, slick quick passing, and you could see their plan, getting it to the big man up front to hold up, or knock down to supporting players.

Throughout the game they really had our midfield outmuscled in spells, and I’m shocked looking at the stats that we had 68% possession as from where I was standing it didn’t feel like it.

The game started with our newbie keeper playing Russian Roulette with the ball, and it took a few irate fans to voice their displeasure for him to rethink his distribution policy. Following that he made two decent saves, the first especially looked destined for the corner of the net but he got down smartly and pushed it wide, and that looked to settle him as I can’t recall another incident where I had to look through my fingers.

The first half in a nutshell was two teams cancelling each other out, and it would have been harsh for either team to go into the break losing although we did have a shout for a penalty when Max Dean went down in the box, but ref Carl Brook waved it away…..the long wait for a penalty this season continues.

I felt in the second half MW had called for a higher press, as the Gills were certainly not playing out from the back so comfortably, and Dean, Kemp, and Gilbey were continually pressing.

A fragile control on the game is how I would describe it, and once or twice Gillingham players skipped past despairing attempts to stop the attack and created a few a few chances, one in particular fizzed across the box just eluding the player coming in on the back stick and it eventually ran out for a throw.

Just when the clock watching started and you wondered if we could breach the well organised defence, a hopeful cross into the Gills box was poorly played out by their defence and MJ on the edge of the box guided it into the corner to give us the lead.

Thankfully we never tried to defend the lead but had to soak up a bit of pressure and you could see Gillingham had gone thin at the back going man for man. We managed to get the ball up to the hallway line and Harrison did really well to fend off two defenders and get it out to Wearne on the right. The former Gateshead winger did well to ride the challenge and squared the ball across the 6 yard box for Gilbey to hammer it home.

We never do things the easy way and Gillingham pulled one back two minutes later, a corner wasn’t cleared, and a decent save to Marschall to beat away a header, but Walker reacted quickest to the lose ball and bundled it home.

Gillingham grazed the cross bar deep into injury time but that was about that.

It’s 3 points and probably we just about deserved it, but we had to work bloody hard against a team that will surely be knocking around the playoffs at the end of the season, if not that they are certainly going to test some of the big boys who they are yet to play.

For me Payne was again the MOTM and Bate showed a fair amount of promise and will be a valuable asset once up to speed. We didn’t get a long look at Wearne, but getting an assist in your first start is encouraging, and there will be more to come from a player MW considered to be one of the first on the team sheet during his time in the National League.

I have to say I thought Lewie struggled today, three terrible passes, caught in possession a couple of times and struggled against right sided players that just nudged the ball past him and done him easily for speed, I was convinced Lofty would come on and the skipper would get the hook, but MW decided to keep the faith and thankfully there were no more dramas.

The window is about to slam shut and as we know Hunter has been released and Leko loaned to Burton although he lasted just 5 minutes as a second half sub before being injured and having to come off.

I doubt if anyone else will come in, I did here a whisper of Mo to Lincoln City, but I would be shocked they could match the asking fee or his wages, and its more likely he will sit on the bench as one of the top earners at SMK and leave on a free in June.

Toulouse are rumoured to be sniffing around Max Dean and I hope this club is not so stupid as to let him go and basically scupper our promotion hopes, that would be a really bad move….but would you be shocked….you know how we love the smell of money and f**k the consequences….of course we would bring in an untested kid from Brentford or something like that, and we would be expected to suck it up, or better still put Mo upfront on his own, and just don’t replace him at all, better still don’t you think……um NO !!!!

Right Barrow next week, a monster journey, but a new ground to tick off against a team with just 1 home defeat this season…I’ll take a point right now.

Have a good weekend, and Big hugs to Aliramone.

WD

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Read the MELTDOWN after every game, no bullshit, just giving it straight

Much to agree with there. Gills played well and were unlucky not to get a point. Their fans were loud and plenty of them.

For me Bate was MOM. He was excellent on the ball , made things happen. Wearne played very well when he came on. I agree re Lewie who was off the pace today. Our best two players Payne and Dean weren’t quite on it but their work rate was once again off the chart.

A great win.

I couldn’t catch the game today but I’m a bit concerned to hear Lewie was off the pace. I thought he looked pretty poor in his last two appearances (certainly when he came of the bench vrs Morecambe).

I'm afraid Lewie needs to retire.
Our high press game doesn't suit him and when the ball passes him he can't recover and lookslike he's running through treacle.
A great servant and all that and the manager must rate him but there again he rates our goalie

Great write up as always

Have to agree about Lewie. I didn’t think he looked too comfortable against AFC either and felt we looked much more sure at the back once Harvie came on.

Not righting him off just yet but he’s been off it the last three games

I am not quite as doom and gloom on Lewington as the above posts. He wasn’t great yesterday or at Donny , but he was really good throughout December. He pushed on a bit more yesterday so naturally had to take more risks with the ball and his positioning. He was by no means terrible, just not quite at the same level as the others.

Oh don’t get me wrong I’m defs not saying me needs to retire. He was one of our best players through December and is still really important for us. I think he has just had a dip in form probably tied into playing so many games in a short time at his age. Hopefully he gets a decent rest with Harvie back and we can see the best of his game again. On his day he is still one of our most important players.

There was a “we need to talk about Lewington” tweet yesterday and for the first time ever I found myself agreeing. The guy’s never been less than a 7/10 in every game for nearly twenty years and we’ve just witnessed three 5/10’s within a month. We’ve regularly seen the sort of sloppy passes that he made about two or three times a season. Whether it’s two games in four days (as was the case at Doncaster and yesterday, but definitely not Morecambe) or just a general decline in stamina and mental fatigue as age finally catches up with him, we’re now at the stage where we’re in the end game and maybe need to start using him sparingly in match situations that warrant it.

"...of course we would bring in an untested kid from Brentford or something like that"

To replace the untested kid we brought in from Leeds.

Seriously though, the idea of selling him now is nuts, unless it includes a loan back.

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I don't need your ill-informed, half-baked, idiotic opinions. I have plenty of those myself.