For the second week running Rovers failed to find the back of the net on their travels and returned from Gillingham with nothing to show for their efforts from a below par performance.
Manager Steve Evans made there changes for the game and the three incoming players, Ellis Harrison, Ciaran Kelly and Jack Aitchison, were all making their first league start of the season. In fact, Kelly and Aitchison were making their first league starts for the club.
The players to make way for this trio were the suspended Tommy Leigh, the injured Riley Harbottle and striker Fabrizio Cavegn.
Although they began the game brightly, Rovers soon faded and the home side looked well organised defensively, meaning there were few goalscoring opportunities for Rovers to test home goalkeeper Ollie Wright.
Bobby Kamwa might have done better with a fourth minute opportunity but hit his shot wide of the upright while Wright comfortably saved a tame effort from Shaq Forde.
Gillingham hit back strongly and Kofi Balmer was on hand to intercept a dangerous looking Harry Waldock ball into the box and Brad Young made a superb save to deny Ronan Hale while Robbie McKenzie should have made more of the opportunity that came his way but managed to head over the bar when well placed.
The home side made the breakthrough with 55 minutes on the clock when a cross from Waldock reached James Brophy just inside the area and he curled a right foot shot beyond the reach of Young and into the net.
The response from Rovers was disappointing and they posed very few threats for the home side who grew in confidence following the goal.
It was left to on loan Millwall teenager Sheldon Kendall to seal all three points for Gareth Ainsworth’s side as he stepped off the bench in the 83rd minute and managed to score twice in the seven minutes he was on the pitch.
The first came with his first touch as he volleyed home after Nick Freeman’s cross from the right and with a minute to go he saw his first attempt from Will Goodwin’s ball into the box was saved by the outstretched legs of Young, but the rebound fell to him and he knocked the ball into the net from close range.
There was still time for Young to prevent a fourth Gillingham goal as he did well to keep out Goodwin’s late effort.
WHAT WAS SAID
‘We never saw the second half coming, did we? I think we probably edged the first half with more possession and more opportunities in the final third without really taking advantage of them, and then we seemed to go to pieces after the goal. It’s a simple error — a simple header away — and we miss the header, and the same player sends someone inside. Then we’re 1-0 down, and you’re having to fight here because this is a decent Gillingham side, as we know, with big investment, so we’re having to work ourselves back into the game.
‘The second goal is a simple one two in the middle of the park, a cross, and a finish. He’s off our centre backs and scored. I’m not concerned afterwards because we’re having to throw caution to the wind and throw players forward. But we need to learn, and learn very quickly, that if you don’t do the basics right in League Two, you’re staying in League Two.
‘It seems to me that after that four game winning run we had, some individuals have lost the humbleness. The first thing you need to remain is humble in this game. The minute you think you’re a little bit above it, it bites you. I’m splitting it into two halves today because I think the first half was a competent away performance in a difficult place to come. Perhaps you’d maybe turn a goal in front, but we don’t, and we’re paying the price for individual errors.’ Rovers Manager Steve Evans
‘It’s disappointing, isn’t it? Away last week, we got beat; away this week, we got beat, and we’ve got higher standards than that. So, yeah, everybody’s a bit deflated, but it’s the start of the season. We’ve still got a long, long season to play. In the first ten minutes, I had a feeling that we could go and win by two or three. I felt in the first half we won the first ball, second contact, and in the second half we did none of that. You’ve seen it before at Grimsby; you’ve seen it at York, and that’s when we get beaten.
‘I’m really pleased to have made my first league start, but I’m disappointed not to play more. Tommy Leigh has been bright, and I think he’s been one of our better players, and we missed him a bit today, to be honest. But yeah, happy to come in and hopefully next week I’ll play, but that’s up to the gaffer. I feel like it’s a bit of a different feel at home. I felt our away fans today were good as well, and it’s a long journey, so we appreciate the travelling. We know it’s not easy, so we always appreciate the away fans as well.
‘We want to be at the top. I’ve been promoted before winning this league, and we know it’s not easy. We know at the start of the season it’s not easy, and at the start of the season you would have taken the position we’re in. But as I said, we have higher standards in the squad we’ve got, and we should be at the very top.’ Rovers midfielder Jack Aitchison
‘I am really pleased as a manager, but I know this game as well, so I have to be very wary of feeling too good. Like I said last week, there are highs and lows. You have to keep working on the process because the process is improving, and I know that we are on this path, but there are some pitfalls on this path. There are some traps and holes that you can fall down, so I have to keep everyone grounded.
The defenders deserve as much credit as anyone today. We absolutely controlled our own penalty area. I don’t think that there were many shots on target for Ollie Wright to save today. He was coming for things; his kicking was superb, his safe pair of hands catching. I think that we have got something special at the moment. We look fit and strong, and we are going at the end.
‘I said to the boys at half time that we were the better team in the first half and we should take our chances. Robbie McKenzie had the one in the wind, and I feel for him, because it is a difficult one to head in, but we had a couple of chances where we could have scored. You are seeing a different style than you have for a few years here, but that is the way that I like my teams to play.’ Gillingham Manager Gareth Ainsworth
