Report: Injury blow as Gillingham pick up first point

Gillingham worked hard for a point at Fleetwood but picked up what could be another serious injury.

Will Goodwin came closest to scoring for Gillingham in a goalless first half and Ronan Hale hit the woodwork in the second as the game at Fleetwood finished without a goal.

Goodwin found the outside of a post in stoppage-time as the Gills once again failed to find the net.

It was a first point of the season for the Gills but they will be hoping Kadeem Harris’ injury isn’t a bad one after he was stretchered off midway through the second half.

The Gills were looking for a positive result after back-to-back 3-0 losses, in the League Cup and their opening League Two outing. Hosts, Fleetwood, had won their opening games 1-0, both against Chesterfield, and both won with a goal from their captain Ched Evans.

With no new additions for the Gills ahead of the weekend, Logan Dobbs was chosen to replace injured Liam Gordon in the centre of defence, making his first league start for the club.

The other change for the Gills saw Robbie McKenzie replace Armani Little in midfield.

With injury issues continuing to impact the Gills in the early weeks of the season, they named a young bench. The average age of the substitutes was just 20. Cameron Antwi was named among them - the most senior player at 24.

Harry Waldock, Sheldon Kendall and Sullivan Booth were added to the squad.

Goalkeeper Ollie Wright remains injured and that led to another start for Sheffield Wednesday loan man Ashley Maynard-Brewer.

The opening half at Fleetwood saw the Gills have the only two on-target efforts and they should have scored off the first.

Those two chances came within the space of just a few minutes, with Nick Freeman with both crosses.

The first chance for Goodwin should have been converted. The Gills striker got away from his marker, and with the whole goal to aim for, he headed at the keeper.

A more difficult chance followed moments later as the Fleetwood defence did their jobs in crowding the striker out, his header gathered again by keeper Jay Lynch.

Maynard-Brewer didn’t have a save to make in the opening half as Fleetwood created more but were unable to finish. They couldn’t find the target with any of the 10 shots they conjured up in the first 45.

Mark Helm put a couple of wide, Lewis McCann missed the goal with his chance, and Andy Cannon’s deflected effort also went wide of the mark.

Helm fired well over early in the second half as Fleetwood continued to struggle with their aim.

Hale came close to breaking the deadlock out of nothing, creating a yard of space out wide and crashing a shot off the near post.

Gillingham had been thwarted by the woodwork on several occasions the week before.

Goodwin found the arms of the home keeper with an hour gone.

Another injury blow followed for the Gills when left-sided wing-back Harris went down clutching his knee and after treatment was taken off on a stretcher.

Fleetwood got closer to scoring when McCann met a corner and was denied by the post. There were also calls for a penalty as James Brophy slid in the box while making a clearance.

A triple change for the home side had given them renewed belief and the pressure mounted on the Gills goal.

Maynard-Brewer denied home sub Crispin McLean at his near post before the Gills made some changes of their own. Cameron Antwi and Sheldon Kendall replaced Hale and Brophy.

Kendall dragged a shot just wide for the Gills with a minute left after running on Harry Waldock’s fine through ball.

Moments later Waldock delivered another quality ball forward, this time connected by Goodwin, who found the outside of the post as he slid in.

Gillingham: Maynard-Brewer, Beckles, Smith, Dobbs, McKenzie (Waldock 88mins), Albarus, Freeman, Harris (McManus 71mins), Brophy (Antwi 84mins), Goodwin, Hale (Kendall 84mins). Subs not used: Holtam, Webster, Booth.

Fleetwood: Lynch, Neal, Potter, Bennett, Cannon (McLean 73mins), Davies (Loupalo-Bi 73mins), Helm, McCann, Evans, Rooney, Cirino (Andrew 73mins). Subs not used: Pradic, Murphy, Costelloe, Dempsey.

Referee: Dale Baines

Attendance: 2,675 (336 away)