Byfield hits hat-trick as Gills win final warm-up

Last updated : 30 July 2005 By Simon Head

Byfield: In goalscoring form with the season just around the corner

Byfield's first goal came in the 12th minutewas a well-taken finish when he controlled a Mickey Flynn cross and slotted past the outrushing keeper.

His second goal was a well-struck second half penalty after he had been pulled back (ever so slightly) by Barnet skipper Ian Hendon.

But his third goal was worth the admission money alone - and capped off a superb performance from the striker. Taking possession just outside the box, he shimmied left, then right before sending a curling, dipping effort past the goalkeeper and into the top right hand corner of the net.

Byfield's contribution was full of running and he looked lively throughout. If he can continue this sort of form into the season, he is going to be a major player for the Gills this season.

But what of the other participants? Ian Cox and Chris Hope both looked comfortable, while Danny Jackman had a sound performance at left back. At right back, Richard Rose looked shaky, which may be cause for concern for Neale Cooper, who may feel we need a more solid option in the right back position.

Cooper may not have to look far, however, as we may have unearthed one, although he didn't play there today. Trinidad & Tobago international Brent Sancho looked composed, confident on the ball and very quick. He was the pick of the trialists on show at Priestfield - and although he played as a second half replacement for Chris Hope at centre half, he would stroll into our starting lineup at right back.

We missed Alan Pouton, Matty Jarvis and Danny Spiller today - and in their absence we looked light in midfield, which demonstrated the lack of strength in depth in the squad at present. Mark Corneille looked a good prospect, showing plenty of energy and enthusiasm, but the two best midfielders on show were the two most likely to feature in the starting lineup this season, Michael Flynn and Andy Crofts. Sadly Andy Hessenthaler looked slow and off the pace, even against a vastly inferior Barnet side in a pre-season game. Whether he'll feature much in the first team this season is now open to much doubt.

The game showed a few glaring holes in our team - and no doubt Neale Cooper will be working hard to bring in one or two more players to bolster his side before the season kicks off next Saturday. But now the phoney war is over. Next up, it's League One, it's Colchester United - and there are three points on offer. Let's hope we can start the season with a bang - and a deluge of goals!