Alive and Well in Deepest Kent

By: Andrew Doherty
Date: 18/04/2026

IF there's a more dismal place to visit than Gillingham, I don't know where it is. And there's plenty of competition in our division. Today I was here of course for the business of watching Town in our bid for post-season action, but it doesn't make the place any better.

The first time I came to the Priestfield Stadium was in 1979, where a helpful policeman told me without any prompting that I'd probably get some aggravation as an away supporter but I'd be safest behind the goal in a stand which is still used today but noteworthy for its intricate array of scaffolding. We won 1 - 0 that day thanks to a Kevin Kilmore goal. That would be a very useful score today. So I put my head down, and admiring the scaffolding joined the Town throng in willing our team to victory in this depressive outback, only rivalled by its Kentish counterpart Dover who mercifully we no longer have to visit.

Gillingham have underachieved once again this season against expectations. I went to the corresponding fixture in October. We won 1 - 0 against a reasonable side who self-destructed by specialising in earning yellow cards and even two red, reflecting the physicality of a team managed by Gareth Ainsworth. They proved that they should not be underestimated. Their form of late has been patchy but that's not our concern. We start afresh after Tuesday's disappointing loss at Chesterfield. My version of that loss was that it was deserved, and we allowed ourselves to be overrun by a team who were more alert and showed greater quality. Head Coach Artell's version ran along the lines of us being better in the second half and deserving a draw. Either he's deluded or I am. The simple stat is that we have to win our remaining games, or if we don't do that, we are reliant on other teams. First comes the tall task of gaining three points at Gillingham.

The starting XI for Town, today in traditional black and white, was: Smith - Rodgers, Kacurri, McJannet, Staunton - Amaluzor, Walker, Green, Oduor, Kabia - Cook. There were a few clouds about, but it was a bright and sunny afternoon, with blue skies to match the colour of the stadium and the home side's kit. 5,863 spectators were here today including 646 hopeful Town supporters.

Town went close after 7 minutes after a good build-up. Staunton's cross was met by Green close to goal but the shot was too straight and Morris managed to smother it. A Cook headed flick led to a Green run but the move ended when Walker committed a foul. Although Gillingham had a chance when Hale struck a shot over the bar, Town were on top. On 17 minutes Walker did well to Rob Hutton, run forward and shoot but his shot went well over. At this point Smith inexplicably went down, leading to a stoppage and an opportunity for Mr Artell to assess the feelings of his players, as apparently is now the norm. On the restart Walker made a good interception and hit the ball forward towards Cpok, but in no situation could Cook ever be described as gazelle-like and Morris got to the ball first. A good Gillingham move led to a McCleary shot on 23 minutes and an excellent save by Smith, but the Gillingham striker was offside in any case. Town came close again on 26 minutes after god work by Staunton and a great turn by Oduor. Green was unable to finish. Walker kept the move going. The quality wasn't great with neither side being able to finish off moves. Gillingham had done very little. Gale had a good run but found himself unsupported. Amaluzor had a cross blocked before another stoppage on 30 minutes. On resumption, a Kacurri chip fell to Kabia whose chip found no-one. It was a case of “nearly” again. This was dull fare. There was little to excite the crowd here. On 36 minutes Cook decided to take some action, bursting through the defence. His shot appeared two stroke the hand of a defender but no penalty was given. A crunching tackle by Kacurri on Palmer-Holden set up a move but Green's cross went straight to Morris. Gillingham won a corner on 38 minute but Hale pushing Smith into the net did them no favours. The struggle went on. On 41 minutes a long Smith clearance resulted in a throw to Town. The ball came back to McJannet who volleyed a high ball to Green. The ball was flicked on to Cook who was clear with Morris to beat. Cook expertly drilled the ball past Morris and into the left corner. Gillingham 0, Town 1. Amaluzor was booked for a foul just as 5 minutes extra was announced. Inevitably there was a further stoppage in this stoppage-ridden game. At half time it remained: Gillingham 0, Town 1. At times this had seemed like a pre-season game where the sides were getting into their stride, but even so the greater endeavour came from.Town. Gillingham posed no threat at all. Town deserved to be in the lead, but until the goal, it had looked like nothing was going to happen as Town didn't seem to be able to finish off moves. Green and Cook, with a bit of help from McJannet disproved this theory.

Gillingham came out as if they had been given a deserved rocket at half-time, taking the initiative at the start of the second half. Town did have a good chance on 52 minutes when Green and Oduor combined well to apply pressure deep in Gillingham's half but with Cook now lurking Green's cross was weak. A desperate block resulted in a Gillingham corner following a run by Hale. 55 minutes had gone. Town had moved up. A cross field ball from Little on the left found McCleary on edge of the box. Using his pace and beating Staunton with ease, McCleary flicked the ball over Smith. Gillingham 1, Town 1. Town sought to regain control. After a shot from Oduor, a lovely move between Walker and Oduor earned a throw deep in Gillingham territory. Staunton played the ball in. Masterson sliced his clearance backwards and into the air, forcing Morris to save on his line. There was more intensity in the game now. After a foul by Walker, Clark played the ball across to Palmer-Houjden who in spite of having a clear path headed into the stand. On 65 minutes Turi replaced Walker. McJannet started a move with a headed clearance from defence to Green. Amaluzor picked the ball up on the right and sent in a left-footed cross to Cook who worked to find space and shot. The shot was blocked. Kabia picked up the rebound but had his shot blocked. This was a very good piece of play from Town, who were now playing well and inventively. Battling from Cook led to a Rodgers cross. 73 minutes had passed. The ball was played back to Morris in the Gillingham goal. With Gale in close attendance, Morris got in a mess, underhitting his pass. Kabia was on hand and nipped in, stealing the ball and passing it into the net. Gillingham 1, Town 2. This was a complete calamity from Gillingham's point of view but brilliant opportunism from Kabia. This prompted a triple change: Vernam, Sweeney and Burns replaced Kabia, Staunton and Amaluzor. Town maintained the momentum. Green surged up the right, putting over a cross which was put out for a corner with Vernam running in. Town then won another corner after combined work between Green, Turi and Vernam. 80 minutes had gone. Vernam took the corner. Green ran onto the ball at the near post and headed it back on over the despairing Morris. Gillingham 1, Town 3. Town looked alive and on fire, having found renewed energy. With 85 minutes gone, Cook laid the ball off to the right. Town's own Mr Duracell Green ran forward with vigour and placed a low pass across goal perfectly for Vernam to run on to and hammer home. Gillingham 1, Town 4. Warren replaced Oduor soon after. Gillingham made an effort to come back but Town's defence was resilient. Town had two further chances when a Turi shot earned a corner, and the electric Vernam went close after a run, but at the final whistle the score remained: Gillingham 1, Grimsby Town 4. It was a resounding snd totally deserved victory.

We now all have to go and sit in a quiet corner where we can work out our play-off possibilities. It's clear that we still have work to do and games to win. Gillingham had chances to score a second goal and go ahead, but once they were missed with we resumed the control we had shown in the first half, and with well-timed substitutions, we played magnificently for the last half hour and with renewed energy to pull off a superb victory. This performance has surely got to give our squad great self-belief for our remaining fixtures. What is certain is that our season is alive and well again.

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