Written by Craig Lucock
Cody McDonald, who scored what would ultimately be the winner in the game.
SUMMARY
Gillingham came away from a windy and wet Brunton Park with a narrow win against a Carlisle team which showed profligacy in front of goal. The hosts edged the game when it came to quality and quantity of chances, but their inability to convert proved to be their downfall.
Following a good couple of early chances for Carlisle, the Gills found the breakthrough just before half time when Joe Piggott stroked the ball into the bottom left corner following some slack defending from Courtney Meppen-Walter. Carlisle persisted with their dominance, with Michael Drennan and Lee Miller both striking the post. It was not to be for the Cumbrians however, as Courtney Meppen-Walter was again at fault for a Gillingham goal. He failed to properly control a high, looping ball and underhit a backpass, which Gills striker Cody McDonald latched onto and dinked over goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. Carlisle had a glimmer of hope when Gills centre back Leon Legge turned a David Amoo cross into his own net in second half stoppage time, but Peter Taylor’s side held on to secure a win which lifted them up to 11th in the table. Carlisle sank down to 20th, only a point above the relegation zones, with 2 wins and 8 defeats from their last 10 games.
Attendance: 3,584 (194 away fans)
Referee: Mark Heywood
Official Man Of The Match: David Amoo
My Man Of The Match: Brad Potts
LINEUPS
CARLISLE
Carlisle
SUBS:
Noble
Thirlwell
Symington
Fleming (GK)
Redmond (Ekangamene, 71′)
Byrne (Drennan, 83′)
Guy
GILLINGHAM
Gillingham
SUBS
Davies
Akinfenwa (Piggott, 64′)
Lee
Fagan (Smith, 22′)
Hare
Hessenthaler
Baxter (GK)
MATCH REPORT
Both sides came into this match knowing that a win would be vital for their chances of survival in this league, Carlisle especially. It seemed that the hosts knew this as Lee Miller created some space for himself inside the Gillingham penalty area in the 1st minute of the game, only to fluff his lines when he hit a 1 on 1 into the side netting from a slightly narrow angle. Carlisle continued their search for an opener, with the next chance of note coming 6 minutes later as Sean O’Hanlon met a James Berrett corner, but could only loop his header over the bar. Gillingham weren’t going to sit back and invite pressure onto themselves however, as Steven Gregory tried his luck from 30 yards, only to see his drive flick up off of the head of Courtney Meppen-Walter and into the arms of debutant goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, a drive which left the Carlisle centre half a little dazed.
Carlisle fashioned another chance moments later, as Brad Potts latched onto a knock down from Miller, but his half volley from just inside the area was tipped wide by Gills ‘keeper Stuart Nelson. The visitors were forced into a change moments later, as Connor Smith collided with Berrett and came out for the worse, he was replaced by the well traveled Craig Fagan. Carlisle’s goalkeeper was called into action again in the 25th minute, as a corner broke to Gillingham defender Adam Barrett, but his volley was superbly tipped over by Pickford. Carlisle seemed unable to deal with the visitors’ set pieces, and the resulting corner fell to Barrett’s defensive partner Leon Legge, who attempted to place a shot in the bottom corner, but he was also denied by Pickford.
The action seemed to slow down from this point onwards, with the highlight of the next 15 minutes being a 35 yard drive from Carlisle left back Matty Robson, which, with the help of the wind, just eluded the crossbar. The half looked certain to end goalless, until Gillingham talisman Cody McDonald jinked his way past a slack Meppen-Walter, Pascal Chimbonda’s slide tackle knocked the ball away from the ex-Coventry man, but the ball fell to McDonald’s strike partner Joe Piggott, and the on loan Charlton player made no mistake, evading a Berrett slide tackle before superbly slotting the ball past Pickford into the bottom left hand corner.
Carlisle’s fans were stunned, as their early dominance of the possession and chances had rewarded them with nothing as their side fell behind. They very nearly found an equaliser in first half stoppage time however, as Aston Villa loanee striker Michael Drennan struck a 25 yard effort towards the Gillingham goal, only to see it strike the inside of the right hand post, Brad Potts attempted to turn in the rebound from just outside the box, however with the ball at an awkward height, he could only hit his effort into the ground, and the ball went well wide.
HALF TIME: CARLISLE 0 – 1 GILLINGHAM (Piggott 44′)
Carlisle boss Graham Kavanagh was desperate to change his side’s fortunes in the second half, and the hosts went for a different approach, with Amoo and Drennan swapping sides. Carlisle didn’t look like getting back into the game in the early stages of the half, and their plight wasn’t helped by the performances of Amoo and Meppen-Walter, with the former showing greedy streaks, and the latter looking shaky following his earlier error. Their fans were getting desperate, and launched multiple half-hearted handball appeals, which left referee Heywood unmoved. It was Peter Taylor’s men who created the first notable chance of the half, as substitute Fagan found himself with some space just inside the opposition penalty area, but his low drive was well held by Pickford. Carlisle were being stifled by Gillingham, and could only fashion long range chances, with Miller and Potts trying their luck from distance, but fired their shots well over Nelson’s goal.
Gillingham had a mild penalty shout moments later, as McDonald tried to latch onto a ball into the area, but had the ball apparently knocked away from him by Pickford, McDonald hit the deck, but the ref wasn’t interested with the appeals. Carlisle could and possibly should have had a penalty themselves, as Drennan found himself in the box with his back to goal, Legge appeared to have a hold of him, but he showed great honesty, staying on his feet and attempting a shot which only found the side netting. Gillingham made their second change of the day in the 64th minute, bringing on the man mountain Adebayo Akinfenwa in place of goalscorer Piggott.
There were clear signs that it wasn’t going to be Carlisle’s day, as Miller jumped higher than everyone else to get his head onto a Berrett corner, but his flick on hit the angle between bar and post. Akinfenwa was clearly not taking this game lightly, throwing his arms and legs into challenges, challenges that were bordering on illegal.
Kavanagh made another attempt to change the course of the game, substituting on Wigan loanee Daniel Redmond in place of Manchester United loanee Charni Ekangamene. This substitution brought the number of players to play for Carlisle this season up to a staggering 43. Carlisle fans were showing increasing signs of frustration, not only at their team ,but at referee Heywood, who booked Redmond for his first foul of the game, despite only speaking to several Gillingham players after multiple infringements. Miller had his 3rd golden opportunity of the game, but he made it 3 out of 3 misses for the day, as he hit a weak volley into the arms of Arnold.
The conditions were not helping Carlisle, as many of Pickford’s goal kicks were picked up by the strong wind and carried all the way across the opposite byline. The hosts continued to press for an equaliser, but Potts blazed a shot well over the bar from just inside the box moments after Miller’s earlier effort. The misery was compounded for Carlisle and specifically, Meppen-Walter, as he under hit a pass back to Pickford, a pass which was gratefully picked up by McDonald, who burst into the box and chipped over Pickford, and, despite O’Hanlon’s best efforts, the ball crept over the line. Carlisle had a glimmer of hope in stoppage time, however, as David Amoo produced an excellent cross into the box which centre back Legge could only turn into his own net. The final chance of the game fell to another loanee, Manchester United striker Sam Byrne, who could only head tamely into the arms of Gills keeper Nelson.
FULL TIME: CARLISLE 1 – 2 GILLINGHAM (Legge (OG) 90′) – (Piggott 44′, McDonald 88′)
Under The Floodlights 