Stan Ternent’s influence was clear to see at Priestfield on Saturday. There was organisation at the back, steel in midfield and work rate up front.
The team now looks much more like a strong unit, with the two banks of four keeping their shape well and all eleven players demonstrating excellent work rate and teamwork. Only two games into the Ternent era and we already look a changed side.
Two players in particular, Mama Sidibe and Paul Smith, look revitalised under the new management and are playing much better than earlier in the season. The inclusion of Alan Pouton was a huge plus as well – with the former Grimsby man’s work rate, ball winning and effective distribution making a real difference to the centre of the Gills’ midfield.
The only sour point of the game was the performance, and general attitude, of referee Rob Styles. Inconsistency, poor positioning and baffling decisions were nothing new for a refereeing performance at Priestfield, but his reaction to what was some run-of-the-mill stick by the Medway Stand was quite amazing.
Having lost the plot during the game, Styles decided to exert his authority on the stewards and the fans instead. After waiting for an escort from the field at halftime, he then singled out one chap from the two to three thousand fans voicing their discontent at the referee and ordered the stewards to eject him. It was an act of unnecessary petulance and one which demonstrated the petty-mindedness of his overall demeanour during that afternoon.
Back to important matters, and Saturday provided a hugely important win for the club and optimism, both in the dressing room and in the stands, is rising after a solid, unspectacular but effective, performance. We mustn’t go overboard, however. It was a must-win game and we won it, but now it’s onto the next one. The old cliché of taking one game at a time is vital here. If we can go into the New Year on the back of some good results, we could find ourselves not just out of the relegation places, but also within striking distance of the mid-table sides. It only takes a run of a few wins to move us into a midtable position. If we can establish some consistency, we’ve got a pretty good chance. But first, it’s Brighton at the Withdean. Let’s hope we’ll be enjoying our left-over Turkey sandwiches after a good result on the south coast.