SHRIMPERS
After the week we've had you can see them winning 3-0, a Walker hat-trick, then again, maybe not.
Enough's been said elsewhere, for now let's just pack out Roots Hall and sing our hearts out for Tilly and the lads.
Come On You Blues!
Possible Southend United: Mildenhall, Grant, Francis, Barrett, Herd, Laurent, Christophe, McCormack, Barnard, Walker, Moussa.
Subs: Joyce, O'Keefe; please fill in the rest.
OPPOSITION
Gills boss Mark Stimpson should be able to name an unchanged side from last week's home game against Charlton.
Danny Jackman will continue to be out until the New Year with after having surgery on a shoulder injury, while Simon King has also been under the surgeon's knife with damaged ankle ligaments.
Former Shrimpers in the Gillingham squad are ex-captain Kevin Maher, keeper Simon Royce, midfielder turned defender Mark Bentley and centre-half Garry Richards. Even manager Stimson made 57 league appearances for Southend between 1996 and 99.
| 13 | Southend United | 14 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 19 | 18 | 17 | +1 | ||||
| 14 | Walsall | 14 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 18 | 17 | -2 | ||||
| 15 | Brentford | 14 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 17 | 17 | -2 | ||||
| 16 | Gillingham | 14 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 18 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 20 | 23 | 15 | -3 | ||||
| 17 | Leyton Orient | 14 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 15 | 26 | 15 | -11 |
Gillingham 1 Charlton Athletic 1 (played on Saturday, October 24th, 2009)
Simeon Jackson struck his 11th goal of the season to rescue a point for
Gillingham against Charlton at Priestfield on Saturday.
His 82nd minute goal drew the Gills level just moments after they had gone behind following John Nutter's sliced clearance.
The draw ended a run of two straight defeats for Gillingham and it was richly deserved as they matched second placed Charlton throughout.
An entertaining opening half ended scoreless at Priestfield and it took until the final stages for the goals to come.
Charlton had an early penalty claim ignored by referee Jon Moss after Stuart Lewis clattered into Izale McLeod.
It was an end to end half and visiting keeper Robert Elliot did well to tip Mark Bentley's low shot wide after eight minutes.
Gillingham keeper Simon Royce was grateful to see McLeod put a great chance over moment later, after Lloyd Sam's ball over the top beat the off-side trap.
Sam Sodje had also come close but saw his volley fly over the bar.
The Gills had plenty of chances themselves and only a reflex save from Elliot stopped John Nutter's curling free-kick from creeping in.
Dennis Oli also had an overhead kick deflected narrowly wide of the post as League 1's second placed side came under plenty of pressure.
The start of the second half saw both teams have half chances. Elliot comfortably dealt with shots from Simeon Jackson and Andy Barcham and at the other end Royce held onto Nicky Bailey's free-kick.
Gillingham full-back Nutter had a great chance of opening the scoring, with a vicious shot that was creeping into the net, but he was denied by a fantastic one-handed save from Elliot.
With 11 minutes left Gillingham went behind as Nutter, just moments after missing the chance to become a hero, sliced the ball wildly past keeper Royce and into the net.
The Gills responded almost immediately though as Jackson latched onto Bentley's deft touch and he slammed the ball home with 82 minutes on the clock, earning his side a share of the points.
Gills: Royce, Fuller, Nutter, Gowling, Fry, Lewis, Bentley, Weston, Barcham, Oli (Yussuff 90mins) Jackson. Subs not used: Maher, Palmer, Miller, Julian, Rooney, Payne.
Charlton: Elliot, Richardson (Basey 60mins), Youga, Sodje, Dailly, Bailey, Semedo, Racon, Sam (Wagstaff 90mins), McLeod (Mooney 76mins), Burton. Subs not used: Randolph, Spring, Shelvey, Llera.
Attendance: 10,304.
Stimson said after the game: "We would possibly have taken a point befiore the game because we knew it would be a tough test. We were playing against a very good side, who are second in the league, but after the way we played we're disappointed we didn't get the three. Unfortunately John Nutter scoring an own goal made it a bigger task but full credit to the players, it didn't faze them. They could have quite easily gone under but they kept going and then the little man gets half a chance and comes up with the goods again and it was deserved."
(Report by Luke Cawdell on www.kentonline.co.uk)
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REF
He gives an interview here: www.refworld.com/referee/170/1/gavin-ward
FIXTURES
Friday, October 30th, 2009: Southend v Gillingham, 19:45.
Saturday, 31 October 2009; (all kick-offs 15.00): Brighton v Hartlepool, Carlisle v Charlton, Exeter v Brentford, Leeds United v Yeovil, Leyton Orient v Southampton, MK Dons v Bristol Rovers, Millwall v Colchester, Stockport v Norwich, Tranmere v Swindon, Wycombe v Walsall.
Sunday, 1 November 2009; Oldham v Huddersfield, 14:00.
BET
To Win:
Southend - Evens, Draw - 12/5, Gillingham - 11/4.
Gillingham are the only Kent-based club in the Football League and play their home matches at the KRBS Priestfield Stadium.
The club was founded in 1893 and joined the Football League in 1920. They were voted out of the league in favour of Ipswich Town at the end of the 1937-38 season, but returned to it 12 years later after it was expanded from 88 to 92 clubs.
Twice in the late 1980s they came close to winning promotion to the second tier of English football, but a decline then set in and in 1993 they narrowly avoided relegation to the Football Conference.
Between 2000 and 2005, Gillingham were in the second tier of the English football league system for the only time in their history, achieving a club record highest league finish of eleventh place in 2002-03.
In the 2008-09 season, the club was promoted to Football League One after victory over Shrewsbury Town in the League Two play-off final.
For a more comprehensive history of the club, go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gillingham_F.C.