Gillingham 1

Bristol Rovers 0

Gillingham substitute Simeon Jackson scored a last minute winner to deny Rovers a point at the Priestfield Stadium.

It was rough justice on Paul Trollope's side, who couldn't be faulted for effort or commitment, though they created very little going forward and were under pressure for much of the second half.

The manager was forced to make four changes to his starting lineup, due to injury and illness.

Goalkeeper Mikkel Andersen had been ill since the Charlton game and wasn't fit enough to start, though he had recovered sufficiently to take his place on the bench. Rhys Evans took his place between the posts.

Danny Coles, Chris Lines and Jo Kuffour were all ruled out through injury, and they were replaced by Aaron Lescott, Charlie Reece and Andy Williams.
Lescott came in at right back, allowing Byron Anthony to move back to his favoured position as a central defender, where he lined up alongside Steve Elliott, while Reece played on the right of midfield and Williams partnered Paul Heffernan up front.

The two players to miss out on a place in the squad, from the party of twenty who travelled to the Priestfield Stadiium, are Neikell Plummer and Ollie Clarke.

On loan defender Daniel Jones got forward early on for Rovers, but his cross came to nothing and was easily cleared by the home defence.

Gillingham might have taken the lead on seven minutes when the ball reached Renee Howe, in space on the edge of the area, but the striker inexplicably rolled a gentle pass straight to a grateful Rhys Evans.

It was to be the Gills only effort on target in the opening period.

Steve Elliott did well to dispossess former Rovers loan striker Dickson, while Charlie Reece hit a hopeful shot high over the bar at the other end.

Jones again got forward and fired in a ferocious left foot drive that was just wide of the target.

There were two good chances for the home side in the final five minutes of the half, and Dickson was wide of the mark with a snap shot and the striker then turned provider, as he got in behind Rovers' defence and cut the ball back to Howe.

However the striker squandered the chance of a goal, ballooning the ball high over the bar from six yards out.

Andy Williams saw his cross shot drift wide of the upright early in the second half while Howe hit a long range shot over the bar at the other end.

Adam Miller and Barry Fuller also hit shots wide of the target before Rovers went close through Williams, who headed over from Paul Heffernan's cross.
Dickson, desperate to score against his former club, hit an ambitious overhead kick well wide of goal and then glanced a header wide from Jackson's free kick.

Eliot Richards, making his Rovers debut as a second half substitute, was denied a shooting opportunity by Darren Dennehy and the same player then blocked a Steve Elliott volley.

Jackson hooked a shot over the bar and was denied a goal with a minute to go when Evans somehow managed to touch his ferocious drive on to a post and behind for a corner.

The striker managed to have the last laugh, though, as he beat the keeper from 18 yards with a low right foot shot to give his side all three points.

Team: Rhys Evans, Aaron Lescott, Byron Anthony, Steve Elliott, Daniel Jones, Charlie Reece (Ben Swallow, 73), Dominic Blizzard, Stuart Campbell, Jeff Hughes, Paul Heffernan, Andy Williams (Eliot Richards, 73).

Substitutes: Carl Regan, Mark Wright, Charlie Clough, James Tyrrell, Mikkel Andersen

Yellow cards: Anthony, Hughes

Gillingham: Alan Julian, Barry Fuller, Garry Richards, Darren Dennehy, John Nutter, Danny Jackman, Kevin Maher (Simeon Jackson, 58), Adam Miller, Curtis Weston (Andy Barcham, 84), Renee Howe (Dennis Oli, 58), Chris Dickson

Substitutes: Simon Royce, Chris Palmer, Josh Gosling, James Walker

Yellow cards: Nutter, Fuller

Referee: Mr D S McDermid

Attendance: 5,302
Rovers fans: 284