Latest / Blood, Sweat & Gills / Voice Notes: Gillingham 0-0 Newport County
Transcript
- Simon Head: Welcome to Jill's 365 Voice Notes. Please leave your message after the tone. It's just gone nine o'clock. I've woken up, had my first coffee. Cannot wait to drive up from Sussex as I usually do for today's game. And I'm absolutely convinced we're gonna break this October curse. This is a fantastic opportunity, just get it out of the way straight away. The players don't even know what it is, surely. I mean most of these players weren't around the per ⁓ the last three seasons. We have more than enough quality to be a sideline Newport, no disrespect to them. If we want to be doing anything this season, we should really be putting these guys away today. And I do think we will. You know, we've got some fantastic players. James Brothy's one the best players in the division this season. Jillingham two, Newport one, Tom Eves to score in the 91st minute. You heard it here first. Really looking forward to today's game. It's going to be a good test for a couple of reasons. We have to bounce back after defeat at York last weekend. And of course. We've done it once before, having lost on the opening day to Walsall, but the difference was we were the better side for 80-odd minutes in that game. It's fair to say we were distinctly second and even third best at times in the North of England last weekend. We'd also have to contend with another couple of reshuffles due to injury. There will be no Will Goodwin or Eli King. So who plays in the middle of the park and who starts up top? For my money, I think we'll go with Lamin Silla just purely because Tom Eves hasn't played competitive football match this season. And yeah, then the James Brophy conundrum. I'd like to see him more central. Do we operate with him as one of the tens? Or are we going to keep him at left wing back? That's for Gareth to decide. Gareth McCleary and Lamin Silla come into the starting eleven. There is a place on the bench for the returning Tom Eaves who wears number 39. ⁓ yeah, a couple of extras out warming up, Sully Boove and Cameron Answer, but they're not in the squad. So, yeah, the only remaining question is whether it's James Brophy or Gareth McCleary in the left wing back position. My gut feeling is it'll be Brophy and we'll have McCleary and Hale closer to Lamin Silla. And just on a side note, Hale himself is wearing a big protective mask over his face to protect a broken nose. But yeah, strong 11. Looking forward to this one. We're at Priestfield for Gillingham versus Newport County. The teams are in and Tommy's will be on the bench for the start of today's game. I wonder if we'll get to see him off the substitutes bench as the action plays out here on a pretty pretty grey day here at Priestfield. A couple of changes to the team. We've got Gareth McCleary is starting. And ⁓ Lamin Siller comes into the team. The interesting point here will be where McCleary plays. Would he play in that sort of 10 role with him and Hale, who is also in the side, playing in there behind Siller up front? Or will he put McCleary on the wing, that sort of wing back role on the left-hand side, and bring Brofi inside just to add a little bit more ball playing ability into the middle of the pitch? It's something that myself and Matt spoke about at length on the Blood, Sweat and Jills podcast this week. Do we need that little bit of extra quality on the ball in that middle area of the field? besides that, everybody else pretty much keeps their place. It's quite a positive team selection. So we've got Gareth McCleary, Lamine Silla, and Ronan Hale in the team for Gillingham versus Newport County. We haven't lost to them ⁓ for quite a while, it's like four or five games in a row that we have beaten Newport County. So let's see how we go. It's Jill's Newport County from Priestfield. And ⁓ we'll bring you some updates as the match progresses. Twenty-five minutes till kickoff just got in the ground after being in the fanzone, which I thought was another good experience again. Nice place to gather before the game, bit of live music. really busy today as well, so that bodes well, still decent weather. Hopefully long mat continue. on the game today, really looking forward to this. fancy us to win 2-0. Looking forward to the to the three up top or two just behind the the one up top, really attacking lineup and we've got strength on the bench as well, so prediction is a a two-nil win today. ⁓ in the Rainemens. And yeah nice to see that we've got eleven out of eleven on the prediction of the team lineup. I think it's gonna be a tight game today, possibly a one-nil win. I'm not completely convinced it's gonna be easy, but I just think we need to bounce back. after last week and just get victory by any means which we good. nice little trip to the fanzine pretty much was quite good and yeah, all good. feeling optimistic but I think it is gonna be a tough game today. Let's see what happens. himself it's gonna ⁓ well ten for handball wardlock's call it is then takes a shot himself ⁓ and it just goes past the left hand post ⁓ that's good work by Newport they've got a great chance of that's fantastic football Jills got to be careful here as you port get the shot towards goal and it's saved by right another shot on it's into the side net and I've got to say that is fantastic pass the movement from Newport hand side they're gonna launch it into the box just with defensive work as it goes to the back post and this might be dangerous for Jills and it's hit the crop with a crossbar and Newport should have gone 1-0 up there through doid doid Doyga is it Is that how you say his name? It's half time, it's nil-nil and it's really disappointing so far for Gillingham I'd say we've played about 40 minutes worth of square passes, not a lot, not a lot of proper incisive forward play, not a lot of movement up front. Lamine still has been very disappointing as the spearhead, but absolutely should have done better at the back post after a great a great cross from Harry Waldock. Silla's there in the back post, he has to gamble on that. He has to attack it. Instead, he just stands on his on his heels basically and just watches the ball whiz past him. It is an absolute sitter. If he moves, he doesn't move and the chance is gone. Other than a speculative effort from range from from from Nick Nick Goodwin out sorry Nick Freeman out wide, we really haven't offered too much in attack. It's been very disappointing. Ronan Howe's barely had a look in. As I say, Silla's not done too much. McCleary's been disappointing. And we haven't really been putting any any passing play together going forward in that first half. Something needs to change. Maybe go a bit more direct. Get Tom Eves on at the hour, Martin Payneby. But yeah, disappointing first half. Viewport have been the team more likely to score, but they don't look very good. So we'll just have to see. We turn it up a little bit, put them under a bit of pressure. This game's there for the taking, but we've just shown no quality in that first half. We show even a little bit in the second half we'll win this. But it's half time and it's nil-nil. Half time, still goalless, certainly not been a classic. We've created very little, probably massive gaps in central part. We'd probably love we'd still be goalless. Beckles has been fantastic, freedom solid. How Beckle's got away with the challenge to the end in the first half, I don't know. He was laughing. Guy he picked up was also laughing. As an Upr, they brought one of really good songs out of Ollie Wright. Rebound inside and then they had a header go just over the net. So he's not been a classic, ⁓ not been a great watch either, but hopefully it's all set up for a Tommy's winner second half. So half time, nil nil. ⁓ not the greatest spectacle in the world. We are struggling. the midfield I'm not really sure what we're doing there. ⁓ Robbie comes deep, but at the moment Harry Warlock is just running off up front and getting marked. That leaves us with little to no options. And yeah, we're looking a bit exposed. if anything Newport probably should be the team ahead, although ⁓ they've not been ruthless enough. yeah, I'm not I I don't think Gareth will give us too much longer before he looks to change things. but it's what can he change it with? That Eli Keen injury is a massive blow to us. Because we just don't have that player who can do that. Like take the ball and turn under pressure. so yeah, frustrating. I think we just gotta try and, as I said, just get a win no matter how it comes today. so we just need to show up a bit more at the back. in positives, OL Beckles has done well, got us out of jail, although that probably was a foul when he did get us out of jail. other than that Not too many other real positives, although Nick Freeman's looks okay. So yeah, let's hope we can get more a better improvement second half. Half time here at the priestfield and it's currently goalish and I think it's fair to say that the visitors have probably had the better of it just in terms of territory and in terms of creating chances. Oli Wright had to be alert to keep one effort out. They've had a couple of crosses into the box that have been dangerous. At the other end, I think we've had one half chance. I think it was Hale that flushed the ball across the box and McCleary didn't quite make enough contact with it. But I'd have to look at that on the highlights. But yeah. It's not been great, but is it as bad as we think it was if it was in September and not October? Good thing from a positive perspective is that look at the names on the bench that we can call on Eaves, Dak, ⁓ Kendall. So there are plenty of options from an attacking and defensive standpoint, depending on how this second period goes. But yeah, definitely need to be better. Got two centre forwards on a yellow card. Is it written in the stars? Well. half time here and to be honest I think we're quite fortunate to be going in goalless at a break. Newport have had a fair few chances now and it seems only a matter of time before they take one. ⁓ we've looked really poor so far. The only effort of note we've had is a wall wardock effort that ⁓ was curled just wide. ⁓ they've had two decent headers from set pieces, one that narrowly went over the bar. Wright's got the download to his left to make a save. yeah, and it's just not really clicked for us today for some reason. The other concerning thing is two of the three are on cautions. Silla's had a a few fouls since, so that's something to keep an eye on. But ⁓ we definitely need to Up our game. Second half. Even in defeat in other games, we we seem to have played better than what we've played so far. Just need to get the ball down. Mackenzie's looked all right on the ball, looks like he's coming short. He's having a decent game, but there's too many average performances so far out there. Beffles and Smith look ⁓ the more stronger of the central three at the moment. ⁓ but definite work to do, second half. Lumble over the top here, and Eaves might be able to beat the goalkeeper, and ⁓ surely the goalkeeper's handled that one, and the referee's giving a free kick to the to Newport. ⁓ I'm not sure about that. I want to see the replay that one more time because I thought the keeper had the interference of play in the first instance before Eaves went into him. I was gonna blow for something, but he didn't. But it's back in the box one more time. There's a chance of a chance to loop in. Hello! It's at the roof of the net! ⁓ it's thought it was dipping in as well. It's one of those where I thought we might have just nicked it. Full time, nil-nil, at half time. really poor game to watch to be fair. We didn't really offer much other than the last five minutes where we had the that header that hit the roof of the net. second half was better than the first but obviously the There wasn't much of a bar to reach based on the first half performance. Defensively I think we'd done alright to be fair. Newport didn't offer us too many issues and we dealt with them, it did come our way. I'd say man of a match for us is Ollie right. He's made a a few saves ⁓ over both halves. And I don't remember the keeper making a save at all, in all honesty. I think the other kind of half chance was the the cut back to Hale that was blocked. ⁓ but yeah not not really much to shout about in an attacking sense. Good to see Tom Eaves back. I think he's gonna offer us experience and quality as well, but I think if you asked me at the start of the day I'd say it's two points definitely dropped. You asked me at half time. And how that second half went, I'd say it's probably not a bad point to pick up, ⁓ albeit not playing great. Frustrating that one. ⁓ yeah, Newport, as I said at half time, probably shaded the first period, we probably shaded the second. Did either team do enough in their forty-five minutes on top? Probably not. So I suppose we have to take the nil-nil, take the point and move on. Dakie nearly won it late on, but we've not extended their keeper enough. But another week on the training pitch, another week to get Bradley Dak up to speed, another week to get Tom Eaves up to speed, Armani Little up to speed. I'm not going to sit here and say this is going to be exactly the same October as before, because that, last season, the season before, dare I say it, is a football match that we lose. Full time, second half carried on the same range of first. Two sides not really at it today. We offered little but I think they were slightly better. Ollie Wright made one good save second half. As far as we're concerned, we didn't offer a great deal, lots of balls into blocks, no end product. That goes close at the end for our flickerheader over the keeper but other than that I think it's a point we take, move on. ⁓ that was a bit of a frustrating tough watch. Great performance and you always want to win but just don't lose at home. I don't think the referee helped the game. real team's kind of got any momentum to build up because the referee would pull it back for a ridiculous supposed foul or silly decision. There's no doubt. ⁓ that team we had the first eleven, it was quite it was a bit disjointed. There's no fluidity. We had to play and keep Brofi and free memory as the wingbacks because we've got no other real options who can play wing back. ⁓ I certainly don't think a thirty-nine-year-old Gareth McCleary can play wingback. it was what it was. ⁓ I always felt we're gonna need to nick a win. Key thing is I I ⁓ I feel is that we we you know, we'd have lost that game again last year. would have toiled, we'd have chased the game, and then we'd end up losing it through silliness. later on I wanna win every game if we can, but that's not league to football. That's not even any standard level of football unless you're a a team that cheats its way to league titles. so I think it's just a just a frustration ⁓ that we just take it on the chair and we move on, get the point and hopefully can get a win at Rotherham next week, maybe. yeah, I think that ⁓ we'll be okay in the long run. And it's again it's all part of the growth of the team. I think Dobbs and Waldock probably had their worst games so far this season, maybe. ⁓ Waldock got better as the game went on, but I felt You know, the youngsters they're they're not gonna have great games every time. So they're all part the learning curve ⁓ for everyone. ⁓ the sooner we get a a squad that's fully fit. So we've got those real fresh options and alternatives that fully fit off the bench, I think, the better. It'll be good to have McManus back next week, get bro feedback in that middle, get that energy and a bit of quality in the middle of the park. to us. So for me, we take the point, we move on. just keep taking along, keep accumulating points. That's the best thing to do.