We look ahead to Tuesday's League Two fixture...
GILLINGHAM v EXETER CITYnpower League Two
Tuesday November 20 2012
MEMS Priestfield Stadium
Kick-off: 7.45pm
TEAM NEWS…
Tom Flanagan (fractured metatarsal) has returned to MK Dons for treatment and is expected to be out for eight weeks. Joe Martin (hand) remains sidelined for the Gills while Bradley Dack (bruised foot) is scheduled to get some match minutes under his belt playing for Mark Patterson’s development side in the Kent Senior Cup at Bromley which also takes place tomorrow evening.
Spaniard Guillem Bauza returned to the Exeter squad for the weekend trip to Bradford City having recovered from injury but Arron Davies (calf) again missed out.
TISDALE POST-BRADFORD…
On Saturday the Grecians won 1-0 at Bradford City thanks to Jamie Cureton’s 44th minute goal, the 37-year-old sweeping home a Matt Oakley nod down.
After the game City boss Paul Tisdale said "I happen to think one-nil is exactly what we needed and was better than a comfortable win because it shows to the players themselves that they can grit out 50 minutes of threatening football that we had against us in the second-half. It was terrific, and I am really pleased.
"That was us at our best when we are away from home. Bradford were entitled to change and the second half was never going to be the same as the first. They couldn't allow us that much space with Alan Gow, so they matched us up and we were stuck in our own half, but that's what happens sometimes. We went defensive, but I am not ashamed of that.
"It was the type of performance that we needed at Southend when we were 1-0 up with 20 minutes to go. We didn't get it, but the players need to believe in themselves. It's all very well proving to people we can do it, the players have to prove to themselves they can do it. We stuck it out, it wasn't pretty, but we did what we had to do and those performances are a big fillip for any team.
“Our physio is going to have a tough couple of days, we've got four or five players who are bruised and battered.
"But, if you want to be a successful team, you have to go to these places and meet the challenge. We have gone a long way to achieving some satisfactory points and it will be a big challenge at Gillingham."
THE GRECIANS SEASON SO FAR…
The result at the Coral Windows Stadium left the Devon club lying ninth in the League Two table having amassed 27 points (eight wins and three draws) from their 18 matches.
City have actually won more games on their travels than at St James Park, their five wins on the road coming at Accrington Stanley (3-0), Aldershot Town (2-1), Barnet (2-1), Oxford United (4-2) and now Bradford while another point was earned in a 1-1 draw at Dagenham & Redbridge.
LEADING GOALSCORERS…
Deon Burton’s injury-time winner against Morecambe at the weekend took his tally for the season to seven just four behind Danny Kedwell who has 11 to his name. The scorer of the opening goal, Lewis Montrose, improved his total to two for the season.
The aforementioned Jamie Cureton leads the Grecians goalscoring chart with 13 goals to his name. John O’Flynn comes next with six while Scot Bennett, Alan Gow and Arron Davies have all scored twice. The club’s other scorers were skipper Danny Coles and Guillem Bauza with one apiece.
THE LAST TIME HERE…
On the Grecians last visit in September 2009 a Simeon Jackson double and one from Luke Rooney saw Mark Stimson’s Gills ran out comfortable 3-0 winners.
The home side got off to a great start when Jackson converted a fifth minute penalty after Barry Fuller was tripped in the area by Richard Duffy.
Chances came and went at both ends before the Gills extended their lead just seconds into the second-half when Jackson moved onto a weak Duffy back-header to slide home his second.
Substitute Rooney delighted the majority of a 5,107 crowd whenhe marked his first league start with a fine 78th minute goal, finding the top corner of the net with a cracking drive.
Gills: Royce, Fuller, Gowling, Bentley, Palmer, Oli (Rooney 74), Weston, Jackman, Barcham (Nutter 74), McCammon (Maher 23), Jackson. Unused subs: Richards, Erskine, Julian, J Payne
Exeter: Jansson, Tully (Golbourne 61), Duffy, Russell, Taylor (Seaborne 61), Harley, Stewart, Dunne (Corr 61), Sercombe, Archibald-Henville, Fleetwood. Unused subs: Marriott, Cozic, Edwards, Stansfield.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS…
Overall there have been 100 previous meetings between the two sides in all competitions of which the Gills have won 34 and drawn 29.
The first of these dates back to a 2-1 defeat at St James Park in October 1920.
OFFICIALS…
Referee – Darren Deadman
Assistant Referee’s – Ryan T Atkin & Nicholas Cooper
Fourth Official – Dave Bushell
The Cheshunt official has taken charge of 14 matches previously this season in which he has issued two red and 48 yellow cards.
This will be the eighth time that he has refereed a game involving the Gills.