Gillingham vs Luton Town FC (24th Nov 2018)

GILLINGHAM 1 HATTERS 3

Seventh win in nine league games lifts the Town up to fourth spot

The Hatters moved up to fourth in the Sky Bet League One table - level on points with third-placed Barnsley - with a 3-1 win at Gillingham this afternoon.

Elliot Lee moved to the top of the goalscoring charts with a brace taking him to eight for the season, after Andrew Shinnie had set Nathan Jones' side on their way to a seventh win in nine league games with a superb 25th-minute opener.

Jones had names an unchanged side for the third game in a row as the Town travelled to Kent looking to make it six games unbeaten in the third tier, with the defeat at Oakwell last month their only defeat in 12.

James Shea was named in goal, behind a back four of Jack Stacey, Matty Pearson, Sonny Bradley and James Justin. Captain Glen Rea anchored the midfield alongside Shinnie and Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, who was making his 175th appearance for the club.

Lee lined up at the tip of the diamond, with Harry Cornick and James Collins -who was the top scorer on seven goals following his hat-trick against Plymouth last week - up front.

It took six minutes for the Town to fashion the game’s first opening, Justin raiding down the left and, together with Mpanzu, setting up Lee to wriggle his way into the area and crack a low shot straight at Tomas Holy in the Gills’ goal.

Gillingham’s first sighter came in the eighth minute when Tom Eaves latched on to Elliott List’s flick on, but his right-footed 20-yarder never looked like troubling Shea.

Bradley headed wide from a Justin corner on the quarter-of-an-hour mark, then Josh Rees did likewise at the other end after getting on the end of a long throw.

The breakthrough came in the 25th minute, and it did so after a trademark passing move down the left that started with a triangle on the edge of the Town’s own box between Bradley, Shinnie and Justin, and concluded with the Scotsman playing a deft one-two with Cornick at the other end before giving Holy no chance with a right-footer from 18 yards out.

The travelling fans thought the lead had been doubled three minutes later when Mpanzu sent in a left-wing cross that Collins met at the far post with a thumping header, but referee Kevin Johnson ruled it out for a push by the Town striker.

A scrappy period followed before the Town had strong appeals for a penalty turned down just before the break when Bradley appeared to be dragged to the ground by home captain Gabriel Zakuani as he tried to get on the end of a Justin corner.

The advantage was doubled ten minutes into the second half when Collins did well, twice, on the right side of the penalty box to keep his composure – and the ball – receiving an intelligent touch from Rea and the trading passes with Shinnie before crossing low for Lee to fire into the roof of the net.

Byrne hit a volley at the far post on the hour, but it was comfortable for Shea, before he sliced a 25-yarder well wide five minutes later, with Gills boss Steve Lovell having made a triple substitution in between.

The third came in the 68th minute and although it was Lee who tucked it away, the goal belonged to Cornick who carried the ball down the left touchline, going off the pitch Gareth Bale-style at one point, from deep inside his own half before outpacing three defenders and slipping his shot low past Holy.

Unfortunately for the flying forward, the ball rebounded back off the foot of the post but, thankfully, into the path of Lee who gleefully rammed home his second of the game and seventh of the season from six yards out.

Jones immediately brought skipper Alan Sheehan on in place of the excellent Shinnie, but the hosts grabbed a goal back in the 72nd minute when top scorer Tom Eaves volleyed home.

Shea had to be alert to keep out a Luke O’Neill free-kick from the edge of the area with just over ten minutes to go, before List fired over the bar and Eaves sent a header into the home fans in the final minute of normal time.

But the Town never looked in trouble, with the rock-like Pearson and Bradley seeing the game out comfortably with Sheehan helping stem the tide of the Gills' aerial bombardment late on.

TOWN: Shea, Stacey, Pearson, Bradley, Justin, Rea (c), Mpanzu, Shinnie (Sheehan 68), Lee (Jones 90+1), Cornick (Jarvis 84), Collins. Subs: Potts, McCormack, Grant, Stech.

Goals: Shinnie 25, Lee 55, 68

Yellows: Rea, Bradley

GILLS: Holy, O'Neill, Ehmer, Zakuani (c), Parrett (Oldaker 61), Eaves, Fuller, List, Bingham (Garmston 62), Rees (Parker 61), Byrne. Subs: Hadler (GK), Reilly, Mbo, Ogilvie

Goals: Eaves 72

Yellows: Eaves

REFEREE: Kevin Johnson

NATHAN JONES ON THE 3-1 WIN OVER GILLINGHAM

Town boss Nathan Jones was pleased to take all three points at Gillingham today, but felt his side could have been more comfortable in their victory after having a goal disallowed and a big penalty claim turned down.

Andrew Shinnie gave the visitors the lead when he expertly fired in from the edge of the box after a well-worked one-two with Harry Cornick midway through the first half, before Elliot Lee converted from James Collins' cross ten minutes after the restart.

Cornick nearly netted an outrageous goal after he went on a 70-yard run, going past two Gillingham players before seeing his low effort hit the post, but Lee was there to follow up for his eighth goal of the campaign and the Town's third on the afternoon.

Gillingham's top scorer Tom Eaves got a goal back with 20 minutes to play, but a late bombardment from Steve Lovell's side was well weathered by the Hatters.

Jones said: "I'm delighted with the three points, any three points is a good three points.

"I thought it's not the best, most picturesque game, most fluent game, because of how they play, they restart everything and go into Eaves, so it's a real disjointed game. But the game should have been over by half-time.

"We scored, we had perfectly good goal disallowed and we should have had a penalty on 45 minutes, absolute stonewall, no question about it, not even debatable, it should have been over at half time.

"I don't want to get myself in trouble, but what a great ball in and a great leap, bang, a good goal, old striker's goal. It's really disappointing because it could have been a lot easier afternoon and I'm having to make changes to make sure we see the game out.

"It should have been 3-0 at half time, or 2-0 at half time and a chance on 45 minutes to have a penalty from 12 yards to make it 3-0 and game done."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98qG_7_fu2Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIlYCEUV5i0

Lee at the double as Hatters defeat Gills

League One: Gillingham 1 Luton Town 3

Elliot Lee's second half double saw Luton cut the gap on the automatic promotion places to just two points with a comfortable triumph at struggling Gillingham this afternoon.

With Town 1-0 to the good going into half time, Lee struck twice from close range after the interval to make it seven wins from nine games, as the Hatters inched even closer to Sunderland, the Black Cats drawing 2-2 at Walsall.

Able to name an unchanged side for the third game, the game had begun fairly scrappily for the visitors, although Lee did trick his way into the area, shooting straight at Tomas Holy.

Gills leading scorer Tom Eaves then showed his threat for the first time on eight minutes, getting the better of Matty Pearson, cutting on to his right foot, only to fire wide of the target, Josh Rees looping a header behind as well.

Despite the untidy nature of the opening exchanges, Luton then took the lead with a goal of real class after 25 minutes.

Andrew Shinnie picked up possession from deep, drove forward, exchanged passes with Harry Cornick and from 20 yards, unleashed a perfect first-time effort beyond Holy and into the corner of the net.

James Collins thought he had immediately made it 2-0, rising to head Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu's cross into the roof of the net, only to see his effort disallowed by referee Kevin Johnson for what he perceived was climbing on his marker.

The official didn't give another far clearer infringement on the half time whistle though, home defender Gabriel Zakuani clearly hauling Sonny Bradley down as he went for a corner.

After the break, Town had their second just 10 minutes in when after a concerted spell of pressure, Glen Rea, Collins and Shinnie combined for Collins to drill across goal, where Lee turned the ball over the line via the underside of the bar.

Underfire home boss Steve Lovell made a triple substitution for the hosts, as Mark Byrne sliced wide from 25 yards, but Luton appeared to make the game safe on 68 minutes.

Well inside his own half, Cornick picked the ball up and with shades of Gareth Bale, just took off, going on the outside of two opponents, easily beating them for pace, speeding into the area.

Faced Holy, he was desperately unlucky to see his effort strike the inside of the post, but it mattered not as Lee was lurking in the perfect position to sidefoot into the empty net for his eighth of an increasingly prolific season.

Boss Nathan Jones took off Shinnie for Alan Sheehan, going to three in defence, and the hosts had a way back into the game with 19 minutes to go, top scorer Eaves left unmarked at the back post, volleying into the bottom corner.

Luke O'Neill's free kick was easy for Shea, while Gills had some moments of pressure in the final 15, Darren Oldaker's shot drawing a good block from Collins, while Elliot List sent a volley into orbit.

Luton could see out the win fairly comfortably though and had they made more of a some late breaks, might even have left with a bigger margin of victory.

Gills: Tomas Holy, Luke O'Neill, Max Ehmer, Gabriel Zakuani (C), Dean Parrett (Darren Oldaker 60), Tom Eaves, Barry Fuller, Elliot List, Billy Bingham (Bradley Garmston 62), Josh Rees (Josh Parker 60), Mark Byrne.

Subs not used: Tom Hadler, Callum Reilly, Noel Mbo, Connor Ogilvie.

Hatters: James Shea, Jack Stacey, James Justin, Matty Pearson, Sonny Bradley, Glen Rea (C), Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Andrew Shinnie (Alan Sheehan 69), Elliot Lee (Lloyd Jones 90), James Collins Harry Cornick (Aaron Jarvis 84).

Subs not used: Marek Stech, Alan McCormack, Dan Potts, Jorge Grant.

Booked: Rea 35, Bradley 57, Eaves 65, Ehmer 90.

Referee: Kevin Johnson. Attendance: 5,671 (1,282 Hatters).

Luton boss felt he was back in League Two during Gills win

Hatters boss Nathan Jones admitted it felt like was back in League Two again yesterday with the manner in which his side closed out their 3-1 win at Gillingham.

After leading 3-0 through Elliot Lee’s double and Andrew Shinnie’s strike, Town were pegged back when Tom Eaves netted with 18 minutes to go.

However, Luton dug in to ensure a seventh win from nine games, as Jones said: “I don’t want to be disrespectful but they were pretty one dimensional.

“As long as you can win your headers, it was like a League Two game where we had to defend.

“They’re putting big sizes in there, Tom Eaves is a threat and they use him very effectively, everything went into him and then you’ve got to win your second balls.

“It’s a sporadic threat they have, but I think we saw it out on the whole as we scored three and they scored one.

“You can’t say that our keeper was any busier than theirs, and I’ve already mentioned about the first half opportunities.

“We had a few hairy moments as they went even more direct, brought a even more physicality on and we had to see out the game and I thought we did that.

“We had to use all our physicality and all our size to see out the game and I don’t think we saw it out with aplomb, but we saw the game out and if someone said you’d come to Gillingham and win 3-1, I’d be delighted.

Town had given themselves real breathing space in the second period thanks to Lee’s double strike on 55 and 68 minutes, putting them 3-0 in front.

It was all part of the plan according to Jones, as he continued: “We said about these, we looked at stats, they either score or concede first 15 minutes (after half time).

“So what we didn’t want to do was allow them to score, as that would have given them a real lift, and a vociferous crowd behind them, then it might have been different.

“So we said, 'never mind if they’re going to come out and start fast, we start fast,' and I thought we did.

“I thought we started very well second half.

"A good little move that got us into that area as we could have scored just before it, but then a great ball across and Elliot’s there, which seems a simple enough tap in, but no, with the ball coming at that pace, showed real good quality.”

His second was even easier, but came after a quite superb run from Harry Cornick, outsprinting two markers to hit the inside of the post, Lee tucking home.

Jones said: “It was a fantastic stretching run and that’s what Harry’s in the team for.

“A real good stretching run, a shame he couldn’t finish it off, but I don’t really care who scores.

“Elliot’s on hand to tap in like all good scorers do, so very, very pleasing and effectively the game was over then.

"We're disappointed we didn’t keep a clean sheet because the last two now, teams have nicked a goal against us when we’ve been pretty much out of sight.

"So that’s the only disappointment but it sets us up beautifully. We've got a home game on Tuesday night, which hopefully we can finish the month off well."

Town had been set on their way Shinnie's excellent finish midway through the first half, the midfielder beating home keeper Tomas Holy from 20 yards.

Jones added: "It’s probably the one and only time first half that we were brave enough to get it down.

"It’s difficult when you come to places like this, these are scrapping for their lives, they’re a very direct side, they match us up with the diamond, so it’s about difficult to find spaces and we are the away team.

"But it was probably the only time we showed a real good bravery and a quality. We did that, and a wonderful, wonderful goal, but we still should be have been well out of sight at half time."

Jones not happy with refereeing calls despite Luton's victory

Luton boss Nathan Jones hit out at two refereeing decisions he felt prevented his side from having victory sewn up by the interval at Gillingham this afternoon.

The visitors led 1-0 through Andrew Shinnie’s excellent strike on 25 minutes, before James Collins saw a goal ruled out for what was deemed as a push on his marker, and then Town didn’t get a penalty when Sonny Bradley was clearly hauled to the ground by Gabriel Zakuani when the pair challenged for a corner.

Although the Hatters went on to score twice more in the second period with Elliot Lee notching a brace, to triumph 3-1, Jones was still clearly annoyed by the officials' calls when speaking to the press afterwards.

He said: “I’m delighted with the three points, any three points is a good three points.

“It’s not the most picturesque game, most fluent game, because of how they play, they restart everything and go into Eaves, so it’s a real disjointed game.

“But the game should have been over by half time.

“We scored, we had perfectly good goal disallowed and we should have had a penalty on 45 minutes, absolute stonewall, no question about it, not even debatable, it should have been over at half time.”

When asked for his opinion on Collins’ disallowed goal, Jones continued: “Baffling, absolutely, baffling.

“I don’t want to get myself in trouble, but what a great ball in and a great leap, bang.

“A good goal, old striker’s goal, it’s really disappointing because it could have been a lot easier afternoon and I’m having to make changes to make sure we see the game out.

“It should have been 3-0 at half time, or 2-0 at half time and a chance on 45 minutes to have a penalty from 12 yards to make it 3-0 and game done.”

When pressed about the decision not to award Luton a penalty, Jones added: “We lost a play-off semi-final because of that.

"Scott Cuthbert did half of what Zakuani did (against Blackpool) and we got penalised for it.

“It is interpretation, but when the ball comes in and if you know Sonny Bradley, all Sonny Bradley wants to do is head a ball, because we’ve recruit him for it.

“Zakuani’s not even looking at the ball, he’s got his back to play, what more does he want? Apart from punching him in the face or donkey punching him, or karate kicking or literally hitting him with baseball bat, I don’t know what more he had to do?

“It’s a stonewall penalty, and it should have been over at half time.

“We’ve had to come out second half, got a good goal, so we’re pleased, that’s enough about the first half.

“Then second half we showed a clinical edge, we probably only had about four, five chances in the game and scored three, so it was a real clinical edge.”