The afternoon saw fans from both sides in good spirits as they entered a sun-bathed Priestfield Stadium. Many turned up in fancy dress which added to the superb atmosphere inside the ground. Batman and Robin whipped the Rainham End into a frenzy, leading the singing with the help of some huge banners, while the Medway Stand saw Jake Blues, the Vegas-period Elvis, plus two 70’s disco kings. For their part, the Cardiff support brought along a male nun, a priest and four Osama Bin Ladens!
After we had a brief chat with Sam Hammam at pitchside (he didn’t think his side were safe at the time – they are now) we heard the first airing of the latest Gills song, The Last Waltz, which went down a storm with the crowd. Paul Scally led the singing on the mic (don’t give up the day job, Paul!), before going out onto the pitch to address the Priestfield crowd. He thanked the fans, his wife, the players and staff of the club for 10 glorious years at Priestfield, just before the teams entered the arena.
Sadly, the match itself was pretty forgettable to be honest. Both teams seemed intent on lumping long balls forward to two pretty ineffective-looking forward lines. Both sides needed a result to secure their safety – and both seemed to know that the first goal would prove crucial. Defenders took no chances at the back, preferring to hoof clear rather than look for passes through midfield – and that meant the game was pretty dire to watch. Neither side played any attractive football whatsoever during the 90 minutes, which served to heighten the nervous tension around the ground.
Gills were unlucky not to be one-nil up at halftime when Henderson’s powerful header was brilliantly tipped away by Neil Alexander in the Cardiff goal. It was the only real chance of the half, as the ball just didn’t seem to bounce in favour of the attackers for either side.
The biggest highlight of the first half was a streaker, complete with his very own inflatable sheep. His antics on the pitch were perhaps a little unsuitable for some of Gillingham’s younger viewers, but they were very amusing nonetheless. The stewards slowly, but effectively, got him off the pitch and the match continued.
The second half was to prove as frustrating as the first. The labouring Michael Flynn was replaced with Matty Jarvis and all of a sudden Gillingham had something different out on the pitch. His direct running caused havoc among the Cardiff defence – and eventually brought Gillingham’s goal. He jinked past three players as he burst into the penalty area before shooting past Alexander. A deflection took a lot of the power out of the strike, but the ball made its way into the net, thanks to a combination of two Cardiff defenders and Nicky Southall. The stadium announcer gave the goal to Southall – but media sources have given the strike to Jarvis. At the time, it looked like that goal could prove priceless to the Gills cause. However, disaster struck with five minutes left on the clock.
Almost immediately after the goal, the Gills side seemed to become gripped with nerves – and started defending deep. Very deep. It’s a tactic which has cost us countless goals this season – and so it proved once again. The Gills sat deep and invited pressure – and Cardiff went for the jugular and broke the Gills hearts with a late equaliser. Substitute Paul Parry rose to head Neal Ardley’s right-wing cross into the top corner, past the despairing dive of Jason Brown.
The goal completely deflated the side. Mama Sidibe, who ran himself into the ground, was on his hands and knees, head bowed. Stan ran to the touchline and screamed at Mama to get up – and the team tried to bounce back. The Gills began to exert pressure of their own, earning a succession of corners. Darren Byfield’s diving header flashed wide of an open goal – and Chris Hope shanked a close-range effort wide when it looked easier to score. Cardiff also cleared two goalbound efforts off the goal-line as the Gills desperately tried to score an all-important winner. 
Sadly, that goal didn’t come – and the Gills now know that they need a result at the City Ground next Sunday against now-relegated Nottingham Forest if they’re to ensure survival. With Brighton winning and Crewe losing, there are various permutations which can keep the Gills up, but now, in a repeat of last season, Gillingham’s future goes down to the final match of the season.
If you’ve not got a ticket. You’d better get one quick! It promises to be a nerve-jangling finale. Can we do it on the last day once again?