Gillingham 0 - Scunthorpe 2

Following a hard day back at work on Thursday my clearer head meant Friday felt less onerous. That and the 'excitement' of an evening trip to Priesfield kept me brighter than the previous few days (some might say weeks). So off I shot at 5.30pm for the 18.12 train to Gillingham. In my carriage were a group of fellow Gills fans - drinking their cans of Stella and talking about the Scally Army and how their partners weren't happy at the number of stag do's they had been on. (These sorts of conversations make me wonder why women still try and deprive their men of their masculinity).

Got to my seat at 7.15pm and watched the sun as it set over the away end. The crowds began to filter in at 7.40pm and here we all were again. Except the twins were absent, the Pie family missing and my Dad was testing his mental mettle at a wine and wisdom.

Gills started brightly, a good early 10 minutes. We had several chances which we failed to convert. The rest of the first half looked like ours for the taking. But then Scunny exerted some pressure. A corner. A goalie with legs like goal posts and through the ball went. 1 nil down. The crowd were furious. Frustrated to yet again be behind despite playing the stronger for the majority of the time. So many of these games have looked as though whoever socres first will indeed sit on the lead and win it. Tonight suddenly seemed no different. The confidence ebbs away and the team start to make basic errors and worse stand off from the play. Goal 2 was therefore inevitable. Our defence were left stranded at the half way line. Half time came with lots of boos as the team went off.

Half time is usually lively - lots of movement as people go for their teas and chips. Tonight it was just very quiet. Disbelieving that we were not one but two down. Worse, knowing that there were few possibilities for us to get back into this. Then Ronnie took Pouton off. WHY?! He was going for an attacking formation but none of our strikers seems to have that killer instinct. Give credit where it is due - Randolph was top drawer second half saving us from a 5 nil drubbing. 'Grent' Sanchos battled through the second half and we had a few glimmers of hope. But this division breeds several traits - time wasting esp goal keepers (Scunny's got booked 5 mins from time which frankly was too late) and wanton rolling about in agony or squatting as if winded to distract the play. Needless to say there were no injuries this evening just blatant time wasting.

So as the second half wore on the core fans in the Rainham End started up their chanting. 'We want Scally out, we want Scally out' and the ironic 'ITV Digital' - the key reason apparently why we are in so much debt. Who do you blame? The chairman? The division? The football leagues generally? SKY? At the end of the day I could not blame the team - they do play in good spells but they lack the ability to move it forward and be fearless in the area. Decisiveness in the box please lads! As for the other issues - the fans will probably never know the true depth of the problems at GFC - until possibly it is too late. I feel at once helpless and angry. At times the only way to get through a game like this is to laugh. But it really isn't that amusing. The future seems all too flimsy.

UTG.