Walsall 4 Gillingham 1: Interim manager Keith Millen sent off in League 2 defeat for managerless Gills at the Poundland Bescot Stadium | Hat-trick for Isaac Hutchinson
Gillingham’s poor form on the road continued with a heavy defeat at Walsall on Saturday.
Managerless Gills had interim boss Keith Millen sent off early on for tripping a Walsall player as he went to take a throw and things went from bad to worse on the pitch.
Gillingham’s poor form on the road continued with a heavy defeat at Walsall on Saturday.
Managerless Gills had interim boss Keith Millen sent off early on for tripping a Walsall player as he went to take a throw and things went from bad to worse on the pitch.
Captain Shaun Williams was back for the Gills, one of several players making a return to the side, as the club’s injury problems eased.
The Gills struggled to keep possession early on and it needed a last-ditch challenge from Shad Ogie to stop Tom Knowles getting in on goal. Moments later he got the better of Freddie Draper, with the Walsall man ending up 10 yards away after bouncing off the Gills defender.
Gillingham started to settle and Tom Nichols went close when Ogie’s throw was flicked on.
Things took a turn for the worse when Millen was sent to the stands by referee Charles Breakspear, tripping over a Walsall player as he looked to take a quick throw. The official was quick to pull out his red card.
It left goalkeeper coach Deren Ibrahim to direct things from the dugout, with youth boss Mark Moss assisting.
Shortly after the dismissal, the Gills conceded. Walsall scored twice in five minutes as Gillingham failed to make a decent challenge around their own box.
Hutchinson got away from Shaun Williams to score the first from the edge of the box in the 34th minute.
The second goal wasn’t a good look either, Hutchinson once again getting away from the Gills captain and playing a ball to his left where Draper was in space to fire home.
Gillingham were unlucky not to have got on the scoresheet themselves. A free-kick from Conor Mahoney hit the woodwork and later in the half keeper Owen Evans made a double save to deny Macauley Bonne and Ethan Coleman after Max Clark whipped a ball into the box.
Max Ehmer was on at the break for the Gills as they went to a back five. He conceded a free-kick shortly after the restart and was grateful to see Jake Turner to make the save after Tom Knowles’ effort beat the wall.
Gillingham introduced Jayden Clarke for Shaun Williams with less than an hour played, looking to try and give themselves more of an attacking threat.
Shortly after Williams was taken off the Gills conceded a third as once again Hutchinson evaded the defence. From just inside the box he shimmied his way past Ehmer and beat Turner with a low shot into the bottom corner to make it 3-0, with 58 minutes played.
