At last, it all clicks

Brophy brilliance, impressive debuts and a ruthless second-half display give Gillingham their first win of the season

David Tickner writes regularly about Gillingham Football Club on Substack. You can read, follow or subscribe for free at Gills Journal | David Tickner | Substack.

Rochdale 1Tasker 87

Gillingham 4 Brophy 33, 68, Beckles 53, Sillah 56

For four and a half league games, Gillingham’s new season had promised but frustrated. There had been the late defensive collapse against Walsall, repeated encounters with the woodwork, chances created but not taken and a growing injury list that already included key summer signings Liam Gordon and Kadeem Harris.

Then, in the space of an extraordinary second half at Spotland, almost everything clicked. Manager Gareth Ainsworthdescribed his side as ‘absolutely boss in the second half’ while also insisting: ‘We can get better than that. We really can.’

Gillingham scored three times in 15 minutes to turn a narrow half-time advantage into an emphatic 4-0 lead before eventually running out 4-1 winners against ten-man Rochdale. It was their first League victory at the fifth attempt and, including the League Cup defeat by Luton Town, their first competitive win of the campaign.

James Brophy provided the headline moments with two quite different but equally memorable goals. Omar Beckles and Lamin Sillah both opened their Gillingham accounts, while deadline-day signing Eli King produced an eye-catching debut after being called into action far earlier - and for far longer - than Ainsworth would have intended.

The victory came against a Rochdale side that had finally found some momentum in midweek with a 3-0 home win over Shrewsbury Town. Although Ian Watson's team arrived at Spotland with injury concerns of their own, particularly in defence, and had lost captain Ethan Ebanks-Landell during that victory, this was far from a patched-together side assembled at short notice. Dale had coped impressively with those absences four days earlier. By 5pm on Saturday, however, they had been comprehensively dismantled by Gillingham.

New faces — and yet more injuries

Ainsworth made two changes from the side that had drawn 1-1 at Chesterfield four days earlier. Will Goodwin returned to the starting line-up while Zech Obiero was handed an immediate debut following his deadline-day loan move from Leyton Orient. King, signed permanently from Cardiff City on the same day, was among the substitutes.

If the intention was to ease both newcomers into life at Gillingham, that plan lasted barely a quarter of an hour.

Obiero went down injured and Goodwin was also unable to continue, forcing Ainsworth into a double substitution after just 18 minutes. King replaced Obiero who was stretchered away while Nottingham Forest loanee Sillah came on for Goodwin.

The latest setbacks were particularly cruel. Obiero's Gillingham debut had lasted only a matter of minutes, while King had arrived with his workload expected to be carefully managed following the ACL injury that had kept him out for most of the previous year.

King quickly established a commanding presence in midfield. The manager admitted afterwards: ‘I didn't want to start him, because I don't want to take the risk of him getting injured.’ Yet circumstances dictated otherwise, and King responded impressively. ‘Eli came on and showed his class,’ said Ainsworth. ‘He's going to get fitter and fitter.’

Using the ball intelligently, King brought stature and composure to midfield. His diagonal delivery created Gillingham's third goal and he remained influential right through to stoppage time, when his shot from the edge of the area flew narrowly off target.

For a player whose return to full competitive fitness was supposed to be managed cautiously, this amounted to a considerably more demanding debut than anticipated but nevertheless a very encouraging one.

Injuries nevertheless remain an unwelcome subplot to the season. Obiero was subsequently reported to have suffered a hamstring problem and now awaits the results of a scan while Goodwin picked up an ankle injury.

Ainsworth admitted afterwards that he could offer little explanation for the extraordinary run of injuries. ‘I honestly don't know what's going on there,’ he said. However, he was reluctant to dwell on the issue, stressing instead the need to adapt while expressing sympathy for the players sidelined by the latest setbacks. ‘I don't feel sorry for myself. I put another team out and I get on with it. I feel for the boys.’

Brophy provides the breakthrough

Rochdale created the first opening of note after 13 minutes when Ed Francis' corner found captain Mani Dieseruvwe at the back post. He beat his counterpart Beckles in the air, but his header struck the outside of the upright.

Otherwise, the opening half-hour contained relatively little quality from either side. That changed spectacularly in the 33rd minute.

Andy Smith helped regain possession in midfield before King moved the ball wide to Nick Freeman who waited for support before finding Brophy just outside the Rochdale penalty area. Brophy cut onto his left foot and curled a superb shot beyond goalkeeper Nils Ramming and into the far top corner.

It was Freeman's second assist in a week after his cross had created Conor McManus' opener against Northampton the previous weekend. This time, Freeman’s patience and awareness gave Brophy the platform to supply the finish for his first goal for The Gills.

Brophy almost produced something even more spectacular before half-time. Having intercepted possession inside the Rochdale half and spotted Ramming off his line, he attempted an audacious left-footed chip which dropped just over.

This weekend, McManus endured a difficult opening period on the left and was booked after nine minutes leaving him walking a disciplinary tightrope. Ainsworth replaced him at half-time with Robbie McKenzie.

Gillingham went into the interval only one goal ahead. They would not have to wait long to make the scoreline considerably more comfortable.

Three goals change everything

Within eight minutes of the restart, Gillingham had doubled their advantage. Brophy's corner from the right was cleared before King recycled possession back towards him. Brophy's second delivery caused confusion inside the six-yard box and, when Rochdale failed to clear, Beckles reacted quickest ramming a sharp right-foot finish beyond the Rochdale keeper.

Three minutes later, it was three. King supplied a diagonal ball towards the back post where Smith rose strongly to head it back across the penalty area. Sillah read the situation, peeling across defender Kaiden Wilson before directing a header towards goal. There was a touch from Wilson as the ball travelled beyond Ramming, but the goal was credited to Sillah. It was his first senior goal and a reward for the anticipation and movement.

Two goals in a matter of minutes had transformed the game and it was about to get worse for Rochdale. Francis, booked shortly after half-time, collected a second yellow on the hour after pulling back Ronan Hale away from the ball in front of the dugouts. Rochdale were reduced to ten men with half an hour still to play.

The sending-off should not obscure what had happened before it. Gillingham were already 3-0 ahead. The contest had been decided while both teams still had eleven players on the pitch.

Wright answers when required

Even against ten men, Rochdale reminded Gillingham that the job was not quite done. Zain Silcott-Duberry burst down the left and fired a dangerous ball across the six-yard box. Dieseruvwe looked well placed to score, but Logan Dobbs produced a superb sliding block before Ollie Wright reacted sharply to deny Luke Hannant from the rebound.

It underlined the importance of maintaining concentration. Shortly afterwards, the impressive Dobbs made way for Jack Daley, allowing the recent Middlesbrough loanee to make his Gillingham debut.

Brophy saves the best until last

If Brophy's opening goal had been impressive, his second was superlative.

Collecting possession around halfway on the left, he drove directly at a Rochdale defence struggling to contain him. One defender disappeared behind him, then another. Entering the penalty area, Brophy continued to weave through blue shirts with the ball attached to his feet. Having done all the difficult work, he still had to apply the finish with his supposedly weaker foot. ‘I don't really like using the right foot,’ he admitted afterwards. On this evidence, perhaps he should reconsider. He calmly slipped the ball underneath Ramming to complete a remarkable solo goal. 4-0.

Ainsworth was determined that the quality of the finish should not be diminished simply because it came in League Two. ‘I hope it gets the credence and I hope it gets the gravity it deserves, because at any level, that is a super goal,’ he said, before likening it to John Barnes' famous solo effort against Brazil at the Maracanã in 1984.

Perhaps as telling as the quality of Brophy's second goal was the celebration that followed. Even Wright made the journey from his own penalty area to join the celebrations. Brophy felt the moment said much about a squad assembled largely over the summer. ‘We're a really new group. We've had a high turnover. There's a lot of new players. It shows the bond that we've managed to create in a short time.’

At 4-0, Gillingham could even afford the irritation of losing their clean sheet. Substitute Glenn Middleton's corner in the 87th minute was met by debutant Charlie Tasker whose looping header dropped beyond Wright into the far corner.

More than just three points?

There is an obvious danger in drawing sweeping conclusions from one victory, particularly against opponents who played the final half-hour with ten men.

Gillingham are still only five league games into a substantially rebuilt squad's season. Until Saturday, performances had contained fragments of encouragement without providing results to validate them. Against Walsall, Gillingham created chances before collapsing late. At Fleetwood they defended well but could not score. Northampton and Chesterfield produced some further signs of progress but only two more draws.

At Rochdale, the different components finally appeared in the same performance. Brophy supplied the individual brilliance. King offered an immediate glimpse of what his quality could add in central midfield. Sillah gave Gillingham pace, movement and a goal from the bench. Freeman was influential again. Beckles led from the back and scored. Smith contributed at both ends. Wright made the saves when they were required.

16 attempts at goal, six on target and four goals represented a considerable change from the frustrations of August. Gillingham finished the weekend 13th with six points from five league games and, after beginning September without a victory, suddenly have something on which to build.

There was even an unlikely historical symmetry to the scoreline. The last time Gillingham had scored four goals away from home in a league match was in December 2020. The opposition? Rochdale. The score? 4-1.

Ainsworth was rightly pleased. His side must now prove this was a beginning rather than a one-off. With unbeaten Tranmere Rovers and table-topping Bristol Rovers next up at Priestfield, sterner examinations will follow.

For one Saturday afternoon at Spotland, though, after weeks when Gillingham could scarcely buy the break they needed, almost everything finally fell into place.

Teams

Rochdale (5.89) 4-2-3-1 N Ramming 5.3 – C Tasker 7.3, D Moss 5.6, K Wilson 5.9, K Taylor 5.7 – E Francis 4.4 (red card 60), B Adeeko 5.1 – L Hannant 6.2 (J Smith 81, 6.1), D Brown 5.8 (G Middleton 81, 6.7), Z Silcott-Duberry 5.8 (H Gilmour 66, 6.2) – E Dieseruvwe* 6.3 (I Henderson 88, 6.0)

Booked Francis   

Gillingham (7.02) 3-1-4-2 O Wright 6.5 – A Smith 7.2, O Beckles* 7.4, L Dobbs 6.7 (J Daley 64, 6.2) – Z Obiero 6.2 (E King 18, 7.7) - N. Freeman 7.7, J. Brophy 9.1, H Waldock 7.4 (S Kendall 73, 5.9), C McManus 6.5 (R. McKenzie 46, 6.5) – W Goodwin 6.1 (L Sillah 18, 7.5), R Hale 7.6

Booked McManus

Referee Jamie Robinson Attendance 4,003 (388)

Player ratings by WhoScored.com