Royal Engineers 3-2 Gillingham - We had plenty of chances but didn't take them, says Mark Patterson

ROYAL ENGINEERS  3-2  GILLINGHAM
Pre-Season Friendly – 130^th Anniversary Trophy
Sunday 22^nd July 2012
Stephen McCartney reports from Maidstone Road

GILLINGHAM youth development coach Mark Patterson rued several missed chances as his youngsters crashed to a shock defeat to Royal Engineers at the halfway stage of Chatham Town’s 130^th anniversary celebrations.


 


Royal Engineers had just come of the pitch and suffered a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of hosts Chatham Town and only had 30 minutes to pick up deflated confidence ahead of the day’s second match at a sunny Maidstone Road.

Royal Engineers made just one change from the first game, Rob Ridley coming in to the middle of the park to give Sean Prince a breather.

Gillingham started the game on the front foot and opened the scoring inside the opening eight minutes through first team squad member Ashley Miller.

But the Gills squandered numerous chances to rattle up a cricket score, before Ridley hooked home a shock equaliser in the 25^th minute, before they stunned the League Two outfit by going into the lead 2-1 up through Alan Taylor’s strike.

Gillingham, however, restored parity by equalising through Charlie Webster, but the points went the Engineers way as substitute Scott Roy converted a late penalty after Ollie Lee gave away a penalty.

Patterson said: “We had plenty of chances and didn’t take them and ultimately lost the game to a penalty, which is a steep learning curve for some of the younger players.

“If you don’t take your chances and you let a sloppy one in at the other end then you’re up against it.

“It’s part of the learning for the lads and I’m sure they will surely learn from that.

“We had enough chances to win the game, but we didn’t take them and that’s the way it is. If we take our chances we probably run out comfortable winners.

“Our decisions weren’t quite clear enough. We weren’t quite switched on to the situations.”

Gillingham wanted to impress everybody in the 135 crowd and they should have opened the scoring when Jack Parter whipped in an excellent cross from the right and striker Ben May planted his header towards goal, which brought a fine save from keeper Dean Love, who tipped the ball over.

And from the resulting corner, Alex Brown cracked a right-footed drive straight at Love, which stung the keeper’s fingers who did well to juggle the ball into the safety of his gloves.

Patterson believes Miller, 18, can go a long way in the professional ranks, especially if he scores the goal he did in League Two this coming season, cracking a right-footed drive from 30-yards, which flew past Love despairing dive to find the bottom right-hand corner.

He said: “Ashley’s been bright in pre-season.  We all know about Ashley’s talent. He got into the first team squad last year and he had half a dozen games and actually scored. He’s still only a young man.

“He’s only eighteen, so it’s a big learning curve for him and he’s been involved with the first team on a regular basis. When he plays in these development games it’s up to him to show everybody that he shouldn’t be with us, he should be in the first team.  He’s a bright prospect like many in there, who are bright prospects, but it’s up to us to develop them and give them the right opportunity we can.”

Love was relieved to see George Humber’s shot bounce just past his near post and then Alfie Coates shoot over his crossbar after Miller used his pace down the right flank.

Gillingham were running their tired looking opponents ragged early on and Humber was put through on goal after beating the offside trap but he was denied by a fine block by Love’s legs as he advanced off his line.

Royal Engineers showed signs of recovery halfway through the first half when Alan Taylor floated over a cross from the right and Mark Green – their best player over the two games – looped a right-footed volley over Dan O’Neill’s crossbar.

O’Neill’s best contribution arrived when he thwarted Green from scoring with a powerful header from 14-yards after the striker met a precise cross from impressive right-back Dean Ellis.

Royal Engineers equalised in the 25^th minute when Alex Stacey swung in a corner from the right and James Hubbard knocked the ball down and Ridley hooked the ball into the net after O’Neill flapped at the ball.

Royal Engineers sensed a giant-killing was on the cards when they took the lead within three minutes when Green released Hubbard through on goal and his initial shot was blocked by the Gillingham keeper but the ball ricochet off Hubbard and bounced into Taylor’s path, who slammed the ball into the Gillingham net from eight-yards.

Patterson said: “2-1 down, again very similar goals. We lost possession of the ball in decent areas and the second goal especially, it was a good save from young Dan.  The first goal was off a corner, which we didn’t defend particularly well.

“The one advantage the teams had over us was they were bigger than us. The height advantage was a big significance.  The cross came in and the ball was headed down and we had one or two people around the ball and didn’t react quickly enough and their player just nipped in and finished into the back of the net so we kind of shot ourselves in the foot a little bit.

“The second one was one where we should’ve done better. It was a good save initially from Dan O’Neill and the ricochet fell to their player and we’re 2-1 down at that part and we’re huffing and puffing. We seemed to, not lose our way, but we were finding it hard work because our decisions weren’t clear enough, our decision making wasn’t as good as it should’ve been.”

Gillingham made six substitutions at the break and Darren Hawkes took his place in between the sticks.

Gillingham almost equalised when Alex Brown teed the ball up for Miller, who cracked a right-footed drive from 25-yards which crashed against the crossbar and Ben May followed up and looped his header over.

Green’s shot on the turn – after Ellis’ low cross form the right – rolled just wide of the left hand post, before Gillingham equalised in the 43^rd minute.

Tom Brunt and Brown played their part in the move on the very edge of the penalty area and the ball fell nicely into Webster’s feet, who swept a fine shot past Love to find the bottom right-hand corner from 18-yards.

Patterson said: “He did well Charlie, a first year apprentice. He’s only been with us a few weeks.  Charlie is very, very quick.   He’s direct and he scored a couple of good goals today and he could’ve had a few more as well.  He missed two or three chances where you’d expected him to score.

“It’s nice for the club these young men are coming through and playing in these games because some of them haven’t played senior players like these lads here today.  What the Engineers’ fellas have got is plenty of heart and they weren’t pulling out of tackles so they were knocking our boys around, which is great.”

Gillingham substitute keeper Hawkes made a fine save to thwart Green in the final fourteen minutes after he was put through on goal after Brown gave the ball away inside Gillingham’s half and all Sammy Lawson could do was blast the loose ball over.

And the other end Love used his legs to deny Brown scoring with a right-footed drive, before Royal Engineers snatched victory in the final four minutes.

Roy launched a long throw into the penalty area and Gillingham defender Ollie Lee was adjudged by referee Mr Tim Burman to pull down Hubbard inside the penalty area.

Roy stepped up and kept his composure to smash his right-footed penalty over the diving Hawkes to find the left-hand corner.

When asked his thoughts on the incident, Patterson said: “We couldn’t see it clearly but the referee said he had his arms around him.  Again, that’s something Ollie has got to get out of his game because in this day and age any centre forward worth his salt as soon as he gets touched in the box will go down now whether if it was or wasn’t, they’re not going to worry about that.

“Ollie has got to learn to keep his hands off, not just in the penalty area, but in general play because a lot of young players now tend to get a hold of other players and hold on. You can’t do it because it’s a foul so it’s something he has to get out of their games.  Whether it was or wasn’t that was the ultimate price to pay.”

Gillingham squandered a gilt-edged chance to share the spoils but substitute Aaron Millbank smashed a volley over the crossbar from six-yards after Miller caressed the ball into the danger area.

Royal Engineers: Dean Love, Dean Ellis, Justice Glover, Alan Brown, Gerwyn Griffiths, Alan Taylor, Rob Ridley, Alex Stacey (Scott Roy 31), Sammy Lawson (Mitch Brown 49), James Hubbard, Mark Green.

Goals: Rob Ridley 25, Alan Taylor 28, Scott Roy 56 (pen)

Gillingham: Dan O’Neill (Darren Hawkes 31), Jack Parter, Joe Carter (Frankie Beale 52), Tom Brunt, Ollie Lee, Josh Maughan (Josh Hare 37), George Humber (Aiden Blanchard 40), Alfie Coates (Kane Haysman 37), Ben May (Aaron Millbank 52), Ashley Miller, Alex Brown.

Goal:  Ashley Miller 8, Charlie Webster 43

Attendance: 135
Referee: Mr Tim Burman (Greenhithe)
Assistants: Mr Chris Myatt (Dartford) & Mr Valentine Anekewe (Bromley)