Richard Day looks ahead to the weekend visit of the Pirates
GILLINGHAM v BRISTOL ROVERS
npower League Two
Saturday September 15 2012
MEMS Priestfield Stadium
Kick-off 3.00pm
TEAM NEWS…
New signing David Wright comes into contention following his move from Championship outfit Crystal Palace and joins a fully fit squad from which manager Martin Allen has to select from.
Rovers suffered a blow earlier in the week with the news that on loan Leicester City defender Cian Bolger, who was sent off in the corresponding game last season, has been ruled out for around three months with a cruciate ligament injury. Better news however sees fellow defender Garry Kenneth nearing a return.
COLOURS…
The Gills will be wearing their usual home kit of red shirts with blue sleeves, white shorts and blue socks while the Pirates are expected to wear their change kit of all black with an amber trim.
SO FAR THIS SEASON…
The Pirates have not got off to the best of starts in League Two this season, they currently lie 23rd in the table having drawn two and lost two of their four games.
Their season started with a 1-3 defeat at Championship side Ipswich Town in the Capital One Cup, Michael Smith scoring, four days before Oxford United won 2-0 at the Memorial Stadium on the opening day of the campaign.
This was followed three days later by a 1-1 draw at Barnet where Matt Harrold was on target with a header.
Morecambe and League One Yeovil Town then inflicted 3-0 home defeats on Rovers in the league and Johnstone's Paint Trophy respectively.
Last Saturday Mark McGhee’s side earned their first home point thanks to substitute Fabian Broghammer who scored a 90th minute equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Aldershot, David Clarkson had earlier put The Gas ahead in the 10th minute.
RECENT FORM…
Rovers L L D A L L D
Gills W W W W L D L W
(All competitions)
THE LAST TIME HERE…
Rovers will want to forget their last visit to Priestfield on December 17 2011 as the Gills enjoyed a 4-1 romp in front of a 7,750 crowd.
Danny Kedwell netted twice from the spot while Lewis Montrose and Danny Jackman were also on target with Mustapha Carayol scoring the consolation for the visitors who had Cian Bolger dismissed.
The teams that day were -
Gills: Flitney, Lee (Fish 78), Richards, Frampton (Lawrence 40), Martin, Weston (Whelpdale 80), J Payne, Montrose, Jackman, Kedwell, Nouble Unused subs: Gazzaniga,S Payne
Rovers: Bevan, Sawyer, Woodards, Stanley, Carayol, L Brown, Anthony (Bolger 35), Anyinsah (Norburn 80), Richards, Zebroski (Harrold 78), Dorman Unused subs: Smith, Goddard.
OFFICIALS…
Referee – Gary Sutton
Assistants – Michael Blackledge & John Busby
Fourth Official – Robert Hodges
The Lincolnshire official has previously taken charge of three Gillingham games.
The first of these was the 4-2 home defeat by Barnet in April 2011 and that was followed last season by the home wins over Burton (3-1), when the Brewers had defenders Ryan Austin and Aaron Webster dismissed, and Morecambe (2-0).
So far this season he has officiated in four games issuing one red card, to Barnsley keeper Ben Alnwick, and 12 yellows.