Gillingham manager John Coleman was left frustrated as his side failed to take full advantage of their dominance in a 1-1 draw against Fleetwood Town.
His biggest complaint, however, was the treatment of striker Oli Hawkins, who he felt was subjected to persistent fouling throughout the match. Hawkins made his first start under Coleman, leading the line alongside Joe Gbode. He put in a strong display, but his performance was overshadowed by what his manager saw as a lack of protection from the officials.
“I think he got one foul. There must have been eight or nine that could have easily been given. That goes with the territory of being a big target man.”
Despite his frustrations, Coleman acknowledged the referee’s reluctance to slow the game down but insisted that repeated fouls need to be punished with yellow cards.
Gillingham’s Attack Struggles Once Again
Gillingham looked dangerous in the opening stages, with Elliott Nevitt scoring his first goal in 20 games to put them ahead. However, their inability to push for a second proved costly, as Fleetwood equalised just before half-time.
“We’d stopped trying to score again,” Coleman admitted. “We had the lion’s share of the game up to that point and then we retreat and invite them on.”
Gillingham dominated possession and had twice as many touches in the opposition’s penalty area as Fleetwood. However, they managed just five shots on target—the same as their opponents—highlighting their ongoing struggles in front of goal.
Set-Pieces a Missed Opportunity
One of Gillingham’s biggest threats on the night came from long throws into the box, which caused Fleetwood significant problems. Despite this, they failed to capitalise on several good opportunities.
“They couldn’t handle the long throw,” Coleman said. “Ironically, we scored off a short throw, but how we didn’t score from at least three of them I don’t know.”
As the game wore on, Gillingham struggled to create clear-cut chances, with young striker Gbode still learning his positioning. Coleman acknowledged that the squad needs better decision-making in attack.
Time Running Out for Gillingham’s Promotion Hopes?
The draw leaves Gillingham needing a turnaround in form, particularly in attack. They have scored just five goals in their last 12 matches, a statistic that threatens to derail any hopes of a strong finish to the season.
Coleman’s frustration was evident post-match, especially as he believes his team was the better side. “They weren’t better than us, not by any stretch of the imagination,” he said.
Site Opinion
Gillingham are playing well in spells, but their failure to score multiple goals in games is a growing concern. Coleman has every right to be frustrated, but unless his side starts finishing chances, they could find themselves slipping further down the table. The officiating issue surrounding Hawkins is one thing, but their finishing needs to improve if they want to push up the league.
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