Gills could welcome back George Lapslie to the team as the curtain falls on the 2023/24 League 2 campaign.
The Gills welcome Doncaster Rovers to Priestfield this Saturday for the final fixture of the 2023/24 Sky Bet League Two campaign.
Although the promotion Play-Off positions are now out of reach for Stephen Clemence’s men, a victory in front of the Priestfield crowd on Saturday would at least see out a season of highs and lows on a positive note.
Gillingham v Doncaster Rovers
Priestfield Stadium
Sky Bet League Two
Saturday 27th April
Kick-Off, 3pm
Team News:
George Lapslie returned to training on Thursday and could potentially be available for the visit of Donny this weekend. The midfielder was unavailable for selection at Mansfield having suffered a muscle strain the previous week.
Jorge Hurtado remains unavailable for selection; the forward having suffered a knee injury early in his loan move to the Gills. He continues his recovery with his parent club, Watford, and will remain with them until his loan deal expires.
As for Doncaster, their midweek win at Colchester has all but sealed a play-off place. However, a point at Priestfield on Saturday will secure a top seven finish. Grant McCann has no fresh or injury concerns ahead of the game.
Manager Comments:
Stephen Clemence: “We were disappointed after the game (Mansfield) to let in two goals in the last twenty minutes. I thought the lads really played well in the first half, but Mansfield really got on top of us after that and showed the quality they’ve got. It did show us a bit of a benchmark, that’s where we need to be at to be successful in the league.
“There’s a lot of frustration around the football club, and I really do get it.
"To finish where you want to be in this division, you’ve got to be scoring goals. We need to make sure that we fix that problem going forward. That is the aim, and we (the club) are working hard on that at the moment.
"We want to go into this game and win.
"We want to make sure we send our fans home happy this summer, with a positive result.”
Grant McCann: "I'm really looking forward to the game and the challenge of playing against Stephen Clemence's team. He's done a good job since going in there so it will be a tough game.
“It will be tough because they’re a team that are really experienced and they’re strong at home, where they’ve picked up some really good wins."
Previous Meeting:
The reverse fixture of the current campaign saw the Gills make the trip to South Yorkshire all the way back in September 2023. Coming into the fixture second in the table as it stood, Gillingham were looking to carry on the strong start to their season.
Ben Close gave the hosts the lead from a clever free-kick with 12 minutes on the clock, before Conor Masterson levelled the score in the 42nd with a trademark header at the far post.
Both teams had their chances to take the lead in the second-half, but it was Donny who found the winner with a spectacular Ben Close strike from range.
It ended 2-1 to the hosts.
Head-to-Head:
Gillingham – 37
Draw – 20
Doncaster – 16
The Gills have a long history with Doncaster Rovers, stretching back to the first ever meeting between the clubs in the 1959/60 old Division 4 campaign. Doncaster took the first win, 3-0 on the day.
There have been two meetings in cup competition, once in the 2019/20 FA Cup where the Gills claimed a 3-0 win at Priestfield.
The clubs also met in the 2005/06 League Cup, where Doncaster progressed with a 2-0 win at the Eco-Power Stadium.
Ticket Information:
Tickets are available to purchase through the official club website via the link below:
BUY TICKETS | GILLS V DONNY
Tickets will also be available to purchase on the day. Please visit the Ticket Desk located in the club shop.
Odds:
Gillingham Win – 11/4
Draw – 13/5
Doncaster Win – 17/20
Special Bet: Dom Jefferies to score at any time – 9/1.
Match Officials:
Referee – Alex Chilowicz
Assistants – Garry Maskell & Michael Webb
Fourth Official – Ben Atkinson
Sat Nav: ME7 2PE