Match Previews

Preview | Gillingham v Fleetwood Town

17th April

Gills Captain may be available for the visit of Fleetwood Town.

Gillingham v Fleetwood Town

Sky Bet League One

MEMS Priestfield Stadium

Monday April 18^th

Kick-Off, 3pm

Team News:

Stuart O’Keefe is still a doubt after missing the draw with Cheltenham on Good Friday. He will require a late fitness test. Midfielders Ben Reeves and Olly Lee came off during the Cheltenham game with slight knocks, and Neil Harris is hopeful to have them both available to him against Fleetwood.

Josh Chambers should be back in the squad on Monday after missing Friday’s game. Dan Phillips will be available after playing the final 15 minutes in the draw.

Cian Hayes should retain his place in the starting XI after scoring his first Fleetwood goal in the 3-2 loss to Oxford. Ellis Harrison will lead the line for Stephen Crainey’s side, while Ged Garner is likely to miss the final few games through injury.

Alex Cairns will be available to start the game in goal after missing the defeat to Oxford through suspension.

Manager Comments:

Neil Harris - “The players will be ready and they will have a very calm manager who picks the team, hopefully the right team, the right tactics and the right formation, to play against Fleetwood and we’ll attack the game.”

Stephen Crainey - “The reality is it is in our own hands to stay up. But we need to take it into our own hands and win games of football and that’s what we need to do at Gillingham. We need to start on the front foot on Monday, we know it will be a tough physical battle, but we need to have the right determination.”

Previous Meetings:

Gillingham’s last home win against Fleetwood came back in November 2018, and it was done convincingly. Brandon Hanlan gave Gills the lead as he latched onto an under-hit back pass before rounding Alex Cairns and slotting into an empty net.

Tom Eaves doubled that lead seven minutes later as he did brilliantly to bring the ball down on his chest before finding the bottom corner with Cairns trying to close down the angle. Eaves grabbed his second and Gillingham’s third ten minutes into the second half as he headed home from inside the penalty area.

Another Gills win over Fleetwood at the MEMS Priestfield Stadium came in January 2018. Paddy Madden bundled Fleetwood in front during the opening 15 minutes of the game, and it took Gills until the 53rd minute to level as Tom Eaves managed to flick Luke O’Neill’s corner into the bottom corner.

Heading into the final moments of the game, Callum Reilly was tripped inside the penalty area, giving the referee no choice but to point to the spot. Eaves stepped up to score his second and the match-winner.