We look ahead to Saturday's encounter
GILLINGHAM v ALDERSHOT TOWNnpower League Two
MEMS Priestfield Stadium
Saturday October 13 2012
Kick-off: 3.00pm
TEAM NEWS…
Midfielder Charlie Allen is available for selection after sitting out the trip to Oxford through a one- game suspension.
Danny Jackman sits out the last of his three-match ban while midfielder Charlie Lee (knee) is out for another week.
The visitors are expected to include new signing Danny Rose in Dean Holdsworth’s squad, the midfielder arrived on a three-month loan deal from League Two rivals Fleetwood Town in midweek.
Alex Rodman (shoulder) is doubtful having been injured against Chesterfield but long-term absentee’s Ross Worner (back) and Craig Stanley (broken leg) are not scheduled to return until December and the New Year respectively.
THE SHOTS SEASON SO FAR…
On Tuesday night the Shots losing run was extended to five games when losing 2-1 to Plymouth (Craig Reid netting) in their Johnstone Paints Trophy Second Round tie at Home Park.
Aldershot currently lie 23rd in the League Two table having picked up eight points (two wins and two draws) from their 11 games.
Having run Championship Wolves close in the Capital One Cup, losing 7-6 on penalties after it had been 1-1 at the end of extra-time, they then won the opening league game 2-0 at Plymouth.
Then after home defeats to Exeter City and Cheltenham Town they were beaten 4-1 at Fleetwood Town before the Shots embarked on a four game unbeaten run. They won 4-3 on penalties at Exeter City (following a goalless 90 minutes) in the JPT then drew 2-2 at Bristol Rovers and 0-0 at home to Morecambe in League Two. This was followed by their second victory of the campaign when bottom club Barnet lost 1-0 at the EBB Stadium.
However that reasonable run has been followed by five losses, Accrington Stanley and Torquay United, both away, and York City and Chesterfield at home prior to Tuesday’s reverse in the West Country.
LEADING SCORERS…
Danny Kedwell is the Gills leading scorer with nine goals, fellow striker Deon Burton has four while Myles Weston and Chris Whelpdale have netted two apiece.
Five other players, Bradley Dack, Charlie Lee, Joe Martin, Lewis Montrose and Ben Strevens have registered one goal each.
Former Stevenage striker Craig Reid, who has previously worked with Dean Holdsworth at Newport County, currently leads the Shots goalscoring chart. His midweek goal took his tally to seven goals which included a hat-trick in their recent 4-3 defeat at Torquay.
No-one else has registered more than one goal, those on that figure are Troy Brown, Josh Payne, Michael Rankine and Alex Rodman.
THE LAST MEETING…
It was on January 2 that the Shots last made the relatively short trip to Priestfield but Danny Jackman’s second-half goal saw the visitors and their 208 travelling supporters returning home pointless.
The Gills had been forced to play the last half hour or so with ten men following Joe Martin’s red card from referee Chris Sarginson for two bookable offences, the first of which had occurred in the first minute.
Jackman struck the only goal from the first attack after the interval, Lewis Montrose, Curtis Weston and Danny Kedwell were all involved in the build-up before the Gillingham midfielder beat Ross Worner with a well-placed strike.
Gills: Flitney, Lawrence, Frampton, Richards, Martin, Weston (Lee 83), Whelpdale, J Payne, Jackman, Montrose, Kedwell Unused subs: Gazzaniga, Rance, S Payne, Miller.
Aldershot: Worner, Herd, Straker, Guttridge, McGlashan, Rankine (Smith 44), Rodman (Henry 85), Vincenti, Davies, Pearson, Doig (Brown 44) Unused subs: Young, Day.
OFFICIALS…
Referee: Mark Haywood
Assistant referee’s: Nigel Lugg & Adrian Sannerude
Fourth Official: Robert Whitton