Searching for a response on the Fylde Coast

Fleetwood Town away preview

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

Gillingham face their first lengthy away trip of the season this weekend as they head to the Fylde Coast looking to put a difficult start behind them.

A difficult start

The Gills have conceded six goals in their opening two matches, suffering consecutive 3-0 defeats at Priestfield against Luton Town in the League Cup and Walsall in last weekend's League Two opener.

Against Walsall, Gareth Ainsworth's side dominated long spells of the contest, registered 17 shots and struck the woodwork three times, yet were unable to find a way past visiting goalkeeper Jed Ward.

With the game still goalless entering the final ten minutes, Gillingham appeared to be heading for a least a point. Instead, a dramatic late collapse saw Walsall score three times from the 81st minute onwards, turning a competitive encounter into a result that flattered the visitors and revived concerns over the defensive fragility that troubled The Gills throughout much of last season.

Despite the result, Ainsworth took encouragement in what he saw from his side. ‘That performance for me was going to be good enough in most games this season," he said this week. His assessment was simple: ‘The performance, yes, the result, no.’

Injury concerns and squad changes

As if the result itself was not damaging enough, Gillingham also lost both their current and former captains to injury before half-time. Armani Little was forced off after appearing to suffer a recurrence of the injury from which he had only recently returned, while new signing Liam Gordon landed awkwardly and sustained a knee injury that initially raised fears his season could be over before it had really begun.

However, speaking ahead of the trip to Fleetwood, the manager offered a more encouraging update on both players. The updates suggest Gillingham may have avoided the worst-case scenario although neither player is expected to return immediately.

On Gordon, he admitted the club had initially feared the worst but reported that the outlook was now more positive. ‘We feared the worst and I don't think we're getting the worst,’ he said. ‘It's not as bad as we thought.’

Ainsworth was equally encouraged by what he saw from Little before his withdrawal. ‘On the pitch, I thought we saw the old Armani, said the Gills boss. ‘He's a good player when he's on it, and I thought he made a good impact.’

Gillingham will also be without striker Seb Palmer-Houlden, who has joined Scottish Premiership side Motherwell for a fee estimated to be around £200,000. The forward's departure leaves Ainsworth short of another attacking option, although the transfer provides funds that can be reinvested into the squad before the transfer window closes.

The 22-year-old joined Gillingham in May 2025 from Bristol City after loan spells at Newport County and Dundee. He played 37 games and scored five goals for The Gills. Ainsworth paid tribute to the departing striker, saying: ‘Seb has given me everything. Absolutely everything.’ The manager also acknowledged the wider benefit of the transfer, describing it as ‘a good deal for the club’ that would help strengthen the squad before the window closes.

The manager has already indicated that further business is likely before the transfer deadline. ‘Centre-half's going to have to be a priority,’ he said, while also revealing that he would like to add another attacking player. Ainsworth believes ‘there could be three new faces coming in before the end of the window.’

Palmer-Houlden wasted little time making his debut for The Steelmen, coming off the bench in Thursday night's 3-1 home defeat to Freiburg in the UEFA Conference League. He replaced another familiar face, former Gills forward Regan Charles-Cook, who had given Motherwell an early lead with a goal after just two minutes.

Ainsworth has also updated that Ollie Wright remains ‘very close’ to a return and Sheldon Kendall is back training. In the meantime, the emergency loan of goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer has been extended, making him eligible for the trip to Fleetwood.

Fleetwood flying out of the blocks

In contrast to Gillingham's difficult start, Fleetwood have begun the season with back-to-back victories. Unusually, both wins have come against the same opponents, Chesterfield, with veteran striker Ched Evans proving the difference on each occasion.

Evans, 37, scored the only goal as Fleetwood secured a 1-0 victory at Highbury Stadium in the first round of the League Cup, earning a second-round home tie against Shrewsbury Town. A week later, Matt Lawlor's side repeated the feat at Chesterfield's SMH Group Stadium, Evans once again finding the net in another 1-0 success.

Two games, two wins, two clean sheets and two goals from their experienced frontman have given Fleetwood an ideal start to the new campaign and provide a sharp contrast to Gillingham's opening fortnight.

Fleetwood's pre-season results were also encouraging, with their only defeat coming in a 1-0 loss at Hartlepool United in their final warm-up fixture. Along the way, they recorded an impressive victory over League One side Huddersfield Town and held Championship newcomers Bolton Wanderers to a draw.

The Cod Army conceded just four goals in six pre-season matches while scoring 12 times. Evans and summer signing Kane Thompson-Sommers each netted three goals, with Ronan Coughlan adding two. However, Thompson-Sommers will play no part this weekend after suffering an injury last Saturday. The midfielder has since undergone surgery and is expected to be sidelined for up to four months.

While Evans has grabbed the headlines with both winning goals in the season’s opening two games, Fleetwood's success has been founded on a solid defensive platform. Centre-back Finley Potter, 22 has impressed at the heart of the defence. Northern Ireland youth international Lewis McCann, 25, has provided an outlet on the left side of midfield, and experienced goalkeeper Jay Lynch arrives at Saturday's game having kept clean sheets in both of Fleetwood's opening fixtures.

A club in transition

Fleetwood Town's modern history has been one of steady upward mobility. A decade ago, they were establishing themselves in League One and challenging at the upper end of the division. The past two seasons, however, have proved more difficult.

Relegation from League One in 2024 was followed by an inconsistent League Two campaign last season marked by managerial change. Pete Wild was dismissed in January after six defeats in seven games, with first-team coach Lawlor initially stepping up on an interim basis before being appointed permanently on a two-year contract in March.

Fleetwood eventually finished 15th in League Two last season, two places and eight points above Gillingham. There had been encouraging signs early on, with The Cod Army taking points off several promotion contenders. However, a run of just one win in ten League games through the winter effectively ended any realistic play-off ambitions.

Like Gillingham, Fleetwood enter the new season as a club in transition, hopeful that another summer of recruitment and a full campaign under Lawlor can provide the platform for improvement.

History favours The Cod Army

The two clubs have met 21 times in competitive fixtures since Fleetwood's arrival in the Football League. The Cod Army hold the upper hand with ten victories to Gillingham's four, while seven meetings have ended all square.

Highbury Stadium has been a particularly difficult venue for the Gills. Of the 11 previous meetings on the Fylde Coast, they have returned home with all three points just once.

That sole success came three days before Christmas in 2017 when, in front of little more than 2,000 supporters, first-half goals from Josh Parker, assisted by Scott Wagstaff, and Luke O'Neill secured a 2-0 League One victory over Uwe Rösler's side.

Since then, victories on Fleetwood's home turf have proved elusive, underlining the size of the challenge facing Ainsworth's side this weekend.

The most recent meeting at Highbury came last December, when a crowd of just over 3,000 saw Fleetwood claim a 2-1 victory after coming from behind. Gillingham made the brighter start and took the lead in the 14th minute through a deflected effort from Bradley Dack. However, a familiar second-half dip proved costly.

Fleetwood equalised eight minutes after the restart when Ryan Graydon scored his eighth goal of the season, before the contest swung decisively in the closing stages.

Jake Turner looked to have preserved the point when he saved Ched Evans’ penalty in the 82nd minute after the forward had drawn a foul from Sam Gale. Respite was short lived. Three minutes later, Evans crossed for second half substitute and former Gills’ loanee, Zech Medley, now at York City, to net the winner for The Cod Army. It was a frustrating afternoon for the visitors and continued Gillingham's long wait for a second league victory at Highbury Stadium.

The return fixture at Priestfield in March was equally frustrating. Gillingham appeared to be heading for victory after Palmer-Houlden's second-half strike gave the hosts the lead, only for Fleetwood to snatch a point deep into stoppage time.

Defender Shaun Rooney was the visitors' hero, rising to head home a last-gasp equaliser and earn Lawlor's side a 1-1 draw. It ensured Fleetwood took four points from the two league meetings between the clubs last season and extended Gillingham's wait for a first victory over the Cod Army since November 2018.

Verdict

Unfortunately for Gillingham, both recent form and the historical record point towards a Fleetwood victory. The Cod Army have made an excellent start to the season while The Gills are still searching for their first goal and first point of the campaign.

However, the performance against Walsall offered enough encouragement to suggest there are brighter days ahead. On another afternoon, Ainsworth's side could easily have taken all three points.

The squad appear determined to respond immediately to last weekend's setback. Will Goodwin admitted this week that the team had ‘caved in’ during the closing stages against Walsall but insisted: ‘We want to go there and take all three points.’

If Gillingham can replicate the attacking intent they showed against Walsall, improve their conversion rate and avoid the defensive lapses that have proved so costly, there is every reason to believe they can get off the mark on the Fylde Coast with at least a point which would be a positive step forward and provide a platform on which to build.

Prediction: Fleetwood Town 1–1 Gillingham