Coca-Cola League One
Tuesday January 23, 2007
Venue: The Liberty Stadium
SWANSEA CITY 2 GILLINGHAM 0
A goal in each half has handed Swansea City the three points against a Gills side which tried hard but failed to match it with the League One high flyers.
The Gills headed to Swansea with happy memories of the Liberty Stadium, having recorded a 2-1 victory almost a year ago, on their only previous visit to the ground, but things started in the worst possible fashion for Ronnie Jepson's men, going behind after only six minutes.
Leon Britton took the ball to the byline on the left side and tried to find Adebayo Akinfenwa in the box, but Ben Chorley managed to clear - only as far as Lee Trundle however, lurking on the edge of the box.
Trundle's ball in found Akinfenwa on the back post, to head home past new Gills on-loan 'keeper Romain Larrieu.
Trundle shot wide after beating Andrew Crofts and Clint Easton a couple of minutes later, while the Gills first chance came on ten minutes, as Easton found Gary Mulligan in the area, the Irishman heading at Willy Gueret.
Tommy Butler cut inside Sean Clohessy on 13 minutes to shoot at Larrieu, but the French 'keeper was equal to the task to remove the danger.
Bas Savage tried his luck from 25 yards but Gills chances were few and far between in the first half, while at the other end Butler was causing Clohessy plenty of problems, again cutting inside to have a look at goal, his 23rd minute effort impressively tipped over the bar.
Matt Jarvis shot at Gueret as the half-hour passed, Crofts headed high and wide from an Easton corner, while Mark Bentley enjoyed the Gills best chance of the half, having a header seemingly cleared off the line after getting on the end of another corner.
On 42 minutes, referee Clive Penton became the first casualty, limping off to be replaced by assistant Lee Swabey, while another Lee, Swansea striker Trundle completed the first half action with a shot into the side netting from the right channel.
Swansea came out looking to end the contest after the break, as Butler and Ian Craney both had half chances from the edge of the area, while a ball into the box from Tom Williams found Akinfenwa who could only shoot weakly at Larrieu from six yards.
The Gills had a great chance to level just before the hour, as Crofts released Clohessy down the right, producing a long ball over the top allowing Jarvis to take the ball to the left by-line, and his ball in met by the head of Mulligan, who was desperately unlucky to see his header cannon off the crossbar with Gueret seemingly beaten.
Easton sent a free kick from the edge of the area at Gueret soon after and the match was never going to finish 1-0, as both teams continued to push forward, but unfortunately, it wasn't the Gills next on the score-sheet.
Seven minutes after being introduced for Lee Trundle, Andy Robinson was allowed through, calmly slotting home from ten yards.
The home side's defence was forced to clear the ball from danger after Gueret fumbled a shot in from Bentley, while soon after Akinfenwa beat Easton down the right but shot well wide.
A triple substitution late on by Ronnie Jepson introducing Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu, Frannie Collin and Duncan Jupp wasn't enough to salvage anything from the match, however Larrieu did ensure the score would remain 2-0, bravely getting down to deny new signing Pawel Abbott.
Flynn had a final chance to salvage something for the Gills but he shot straight at Gueret from point blank range, to sum up the Gills trip to Wales.
Gillingham: Larrieu, Clohessy, Easton, Johnson, Chorley, Bentley (Jupp 84), Flynn, Crofts, Jarvis (Collin 85), Savage (Ndumbu-Nsungu 84), Mulligan.
Subs Not Used - Jackman, McDonald.
Swansea City: Gueret, Austin, Tate, Britton (Prattley 70), Akinfenwa (Abbott 87), Trundle (Robinson 65), Williams, Lawrence, Butler, Craney, Duffy.
Subs Not Used - Howard, Iriekpen.
Bookings: Robinson (Swansea City)
Flynn, Collin (Gillingham)
Attendance: 9,675
Referee: Mr C Penton (Sussex) (Replaced on 42 mins by Lee Swabey)
Match Report by Glen Lauder
