Matchday Guide | Gillingham (A)

21 March 2023

Crewe Alexandra make the long journey down to Kent to take on Gillingham tonight (Tuesday, 7:45pm).

Lee Bell’s side will aim to get back on track having suffered consecutive 1-0 away defeats to promotion-chasing clubs, though will face a tough task against a side who have taken 24 points since the turn of the year.

The Opposition

Gillingham lie 20^th in League Two on 38 points, seven clear of 23^rd-placed Hartlepool, with a game in hand on the North-East side.

Recent form has been a concern of late for the Southern side, winning one of their last five fixtures. But the Gills have won five of their last six at home.

The Gaffer

Neil Harris took over at Priestfield Stadium in January 2022, signing a two-and-a-half-year deal with the Kent side.

A high in his managerial career came in the 2016-17 season, when he guided Millwall back to the Championship, after winning the League One Play-Off Final thanks to a late Steve Morrison winner.

Fighting Talk

Glenn Morris (Gills keeper): “On Tuesday we’ve got a chance to put it right at home. It’s a big game, nothing is done and dusted yet this season. We’ve got to make sure that we pick up results and climb away from the bottom of the table as quickly as possible.”

Lee Bell: “It is going to be a tough game with depleted numbers, but we have to go there and stand up and be counted”

Team News

Gillingham will assess the fitness of Robbie McKenzie, Lewis Walker and Callum Harriott for Tuesday’s encounter, though Scott Kashket and Ben Reeves are sidelined.

Crewe will assess Sean Robertson, who missed the last game through injury. Rod McDonald, Ryan Finnigan and Tariq Uwakwe are sidelined after picking up injuries, whilst long-term absentees Christopher Long and Zac Williams remain out. James Beadle (England), Connor O’Riordan (Republic of Ireland) and Lachlan Brook (Australia) have been called up on international duty in their respective age groups.

Head-to-Head

The Alex hold the upper hand in past meetings, winning 23 of the 54 meeting between both clubs compared to the Gills’ 22 wins.

Earlier on this season, both sides played out a 1-1 draw at Mornflake Stadium, with Dan Agyei cancelling out Scott Kashket's early strike.

Officials

James Oldham will take charge of proceedings, having last officiated The Railwaymen in November 2021 - a 2-1 away defeat against Ipswich Town.

He will be assisted by Stephen Brown and Stephen Finch, with Paul Kelly appointed as fourth official.

Ticket Details

Brian Moore Stand	Price
Adult	£22
Senior	£19
U18/Student	£10
Under-14s*	Free

*Free with accomplished adult

Travel Advice

For details of how to get to Priestfields Stadium click HERE.

Elsewhere in League Two

(Tuesday): Bradford City v Carlisle United; Crawley Town v Doncaster Rovers. (Wednesday): Mansfield Town v Grimsby Town.

Can't Make The Game?

Crewe fans in the UK and around the world can watch the clash with Gillingham live on iFollow.

An iFollow match pass for Crewe fixtures includes graphics and replays – all for just £10 (or local equivalent).

The action is complemented by commentary from the BBC Radio Stoke team of Graham McGarry and Peter Morse.

Click here to secure your iFollow match pass today and make sure you don’t miss a minute of the contest.

Alternatively, you can listen to LIVE commentary on iFollow - CLICK HERE to purchase an Audio Match Pass for just £2.50!

Match Previews

Match Reports

Match Report | Gillingham 2 Crewe 1

21 March 2023

Railwaymen suffer third straight defeat on road
Ainley stunner made it 1-1 just after the hour
Crewe remain 18^th in League Two table

Crewe Alexandra went down fighting at Gillingham on Tuesday.

After Tom Nichols gave the home side the league, the Alex responded well and levelled through a Callum Ainley stunner.

But Aidan O’Brien grabbed a winner for Gillingham, as Elliott Nevitt and Matus Holicek went close to equalising at the death.

It was tough on Lee Bell’s side, who were short of numbers, and they were the better side for large parts of the evening.

But the defeat means they stay 18^th in League Two.

With three players missing due to international duty, and Charlie Colkett joining the injury list, Lee Bell made five changes to the side that lost at Northampton.

Dave Richards, Conor Thomas, Regan Griffiths, David Amoo, and Nevitt, were recalled to the starting line-up. Courtney Baker-Richardson was the senior member of a very youthful subs’ bench.

Scholars Owen Lunt, Ty Webster, and Zak Kempster-Down were named on the bench for the first time in a league fixture.

With Rod McDonald also unavailable through injury, Thomas lined up alongside skipper Luke Offord in the heart of defence, as Crewe started in a 4-2-3-1 shape.

Joel Tabiner fired over from range early on, and Rio Adebisi screwed one wide after Crewe’s first corner caused the home side problems.

Neither keeper had much to do in the first half, but it was Crewe on top for the most part.

Dan Agyei cut inside and shot wide on 44 minutes, but the half ended goalless.

Robbie McKenzie raced forward but blazed wide early in the second half, and on 56 minutes it was 1-0 to Gillingham.

They won possession high up the pitch, and Alex MacDonald crossed foer Nichols to steer home from close range.

Adebisi’s cross-shot bounced off the top of the bar as Crewe looked to respond, and it was 1-1 on 62 minutes.

The Alex kept the pressure on and when the ball fell to Ainley he smashed a stunner into the top corner from an angle.

The Gills hit the front on 71 minutes when sub O’Brien arrived on the end of a cross and found the net despite the best efforts of Richards.

George Lapslie saw a close-range header well saved by Richards, and also held a strike from O’Brien, as space opened up in the final 10.

Gillingham manager Neil Harris was shown a red card for complaining when Ollie Hawkins had a goal chalked off for a foul.

In stoppage time, Nevitt saw a shot blocked and sub Holicek was denied by a point-blank save from Glen Morris, as the visitors ran out of time.

Gillingham (4-4-2): Morris; Alexander (Tutonda, 90), Ehmer, Masterson, McKenzie; Williams, Jeffries (O’Brien, 67), McDonald (Wright, 90), Dieng (Lapslie, 67); Hawkins, Nichols (Coleman, 77).

Subs not used: Holtam, Abrahams.

Booked: MacDonald, Ehmer.

Crewe (4-3-3-1): Richards; Offord, Adebisi, Thomas, Mellor; Griffiths, Tabiner; Agyei, Ainley (Holicek, 84), Amoo (Baker-Richardson, 68); Nevitt.

Subs not used: Lawton, Lunt,

Booked: Offord, Robertson, Finnigan.

Referee: James Oldham.

Attendance: 5,796 (72)