Rage Online

Surely not....

Is it... on?

I mean, I know teams around us have games in hand but we are hitting form at exactly the right time. And today’s result was the sort that makes you think it could be Your Year™.

Imagine the flipping limbs (as I believe the youth call it) if there had been a crowd in today. And oh how I laughed when thinking how cross Convicted Fraudster Steve Evans must be.

Unbelievable stuff. I thought we started ok against a 'difficult' opposition, and for the first half hour it looked like being a tight game with one goal likely to settle it. But once we conceded out heads went, we went into our shells and got very sloppy. The second goal became inevitable, as was the resulting defeat, and puncturing of all our fanciful dreams. But no! What a smash and grab, from a game in which we had barely deserved anything - although our resilience and refusal to give up even when well under par has to be admired.

A result very reminiscent of Shrewsbury (a) last March, which snuck us into the play-offs. IF we beat Wimbledon on Tuesday, I will start to seriously believe...

Got to disagree about the idea of an OK start - we were seriously second best in the first half, and the first 15 minutes were far worse than in either of the two previous slow-starting matches. At least they didn't score during those opening exchanges. But hate him or loathe him, Evans got the tactics right and they deserved their lead. And giving our full backs so little space seriously curtailed our attacking options.

In the second half I was (pleasantly) surprised that the Gills game management never went beyond what I, with my very low tolerance for such antics, would say was acceptable (unlike the first half - well, apart from the advertising hoarding buffoonery). I also thought that our players' ball-boy service was genius - it said so much without a word being spoken. But nothing could have prepared me (anybody?) for those last 20-odd minutes. How the momentum of the game shifted I cannot understand having never played to any level, but it showed just how we can get at teams psychologically when we go at them physically and with skill. Evans blamed the defeat on their individual errors, but I thought that they fell apart collectively.

I am very glad that Posh are pressing Hull, because the latter have got to play Sunderland, Lincoln and Charlton and with Posh on their tails have every incentive to beat teams around and above us. Equally, Posh have got to play Donny twice, Lincoln and Charlton. I think these are, overall, the best two sides in the Division and should go up automatically. They could could also give us a big hand into the play-offs. Then again the Wombles have found some form...

What a result. And I had £2.50 on Long to score at 7/1 , and £1 on a brace at 125/1.

I don’t like Gillingham for several reasons.
That temporary stand that will never get finished and manages the worst of both worlds of being seated and uncovered.
That the club owners got the stadium back from the bank by writing off a £15M loan for £1M having enjoyed a few seasons in the Championship.
And Steve Evans.

So our season stays alive for at least another match.