By Stuart Kidson
October 5 2003

The Boing Boing Baggies travelled down to the banks of the Medway for the tie against Andy Hessenthaler's hard working Gills. Could the Albion continue the run of form which had seen 7 wins from 11 games ? Gillingham ( 0 ) v West Bromwich Albion ( 2 )
The Priestfield Stadium, Saturday 4th October 2003

A three minute period of the first half effectively settled this tie as the Baggies continued their run of form to take them back to the top of the table. Baggies boss Gary Megson stuck with the side that had produced probably the best football played by the Baggies this season during the first half against Millwall on Tuesday. The only changes were on the bench with Ronnie Wallwork and Adam Chambers replacing the injured Artim Sakiri and Sekou Berthe who started the game. Danny Dichio did not make the bench.

Gillingham were first to attack and put the Baggies under some early pressure. Player Manager Andy Hessenthaler sent over a cross within the first minute but this was blocked by Berthe. Hessenthaler was again provider minutes later when he found Marlon King with space but the Gills leading goal scorer rushed his shot which went wide of Russell Hoult’s left hand upright.

Gillingham’s Mali international Mamady Sidibe was next to try his luck when he connected with Nyron Nosworthy’s cross but the header never looked like causing the Baggies keeper any trouble. Albion looked to be disorganised in all areas as they struggled to contain the Gills, but Bernt Haas worked hard down the right and twice found his way around Wayne Brown but failed to deliver the final telling ball to the forwards.

James O’Connor was again at the heart of Albion’s midfield alongside Sean Gregan who seemed to be having a personal battle with a number of the Gills players and was booed by the home crowd everytime he touched the ball. Obviously some history dating back to his days at Preston that is remembered by the Gills faithful. It was O’Connor who sent Scott Dobie running towards goal when he managed to flick the ball into the strikers path. Dobie sent over a cross which Rob Hulse was racing into the box to get on the end of but Gills keeper, Welsh Under-21 captain Jason Brown dealt with it comfortably.

The Albion had settled into the pace of the game at this stage and were now working hard to find a way through the equally hard working Gills defence but it was the home side who had the next scoring chance. King unlocked the Baggies defence and crossed the ball into the area for Sidibe, but the ball travelled across the face of goal and the Baggies soon reorganised themselves.

Dobie was next to try and break the deadlock, when in the 28th minute he attempted a bicycle kick effort at the Gills goal but the shot was put out for a corner. The resultant corner kick fell to Thomas Gaardsoe and his shot was headed out for yet another corner.

Albion were now looking likeliest to score first and it was Dobie who sent the travelling fans Boing Boing barmy on the temporary scaffolding stand at the visitors end when he raced clear onto Phil Gilchrist’s long pass from defence to steer the ball under Brown in the Gills goal.

Three minutes later the away end was again in rocking violently as Neil Clement fired the Baggies into a two goal lead when he curled the ball over the defensive wall from 25 yards outside the area following a challenge on Hulse by Ian Cox.

Hessenthaler led his team superbly and started to apply yet more pressure to the baggies but Gaardsoe, Gilchrist and Berthe were more than equal to anything thrown at them by the home side, who were guilty of some poor passing in the danger areas.

The second half saw the Albion attack first when Dobie ran onto Andy Johnson’s through ball but his cross to Hulse was intercepted by Chris Hope for the Gills. Minutes later the Gills were awrded a free kick following a foul on King by Gilchrist on the left hand side of the Baggies area. David Perpetuini swung the ball over but Sidibe could only direct his header wide of the post. Haas then had the home side running back when his pace took him into the Rainham End area. Brown made a well timed tackle to deny the former Armani model.

The game was becoming a scrappy affair and the Baggies had few problems to deal with as the Gills passing and attempted through balls became more erratic. The home side decided it was time for a change and bought on former Baggies loan signing Trevor Benjamin. His arrival was met with a round of appreciative applause from the travelling fans who remembered his goals that had helped them into the Premiership at the end of the 2001/2002 season.

The Albion were content to protect their lead and let the home side do all the work on the build up before blocking any attack in the final third. The home crowd were beginning to grow frustrated at the inability of the Gills to break down the Baggies defence and this began to show on the pitch as Hessenthaler threw himself into some hard tackles. Despite the defensive mindset adopted by the Baggies they still went looking for the third goal and Dobie could have sent the game beyond doubt when he latched onto a ball from a O’Connor and Gregan move but he ran out of space and the ball went out for a goal kick.

King managed to get past the baggies defence but the move broke down embarrassingly for the forward as he totally mis-kicked the ball right in front of the away fans. Both Nosworthy and King had been waiting for one another to control the ball but by then it was too late and King finally fluffed his attempt to the joy of the away fans.

Gilchrist and Gregan both required treatment after separate incidents. Gilchrist seemingly turning his ankle in a challenge with King and Gregan was hit on the top of the head in a continuing battle with Wayne Brown in the middle of the park. Gilchrist had been limping for a while but to his credit did not go down until play had been stopped for Gregan’s injury to be treated. Gills pyshio George Johnson sportingly ran on to aid Gilchrist as Nick Worth tended to Gregan. Megson was forced into replacing Gilchrist and Joost Volmer came off the bench in a one-for-one swap.

Lee Hughes had come on for Hulse earlier in the half and he had found himself with space on 83 minutes. His shot from 18 yards was parried out for a corner by Brown. The remainder of the game soon reverted to the scrappy affair with tackles flying in from all sides. Hessenthaler up ended Johnson as he attempted to break down the left and words were exchanged between managers as Hessenthaler’s frustration grew at his sides poor display in the final third and the game ended with the Baggies taking all three points.

Not as convincing as Tuesday nights first half performance for the Albion but three points at the Priestfield and Sheffield United failing to beat Sunderland at Bramall Lane meant that for the second time this season the Baggies top the table by two points.

Glenn Willmore, co-author of The Jeff Astle Story, Super Bob and The Albion Review series as well as editor of Baggies fanzine and producer of Baggies TV was asked for his man of the match. Glenn selected Scott Dobie.

Teams

BAGGIES: Hoult , Berthe, Gaardsoe, Gilchrist, Haas, O’Connor, Gregan, Johnson, Clement, Hulse, Dobie
Subs: Murphy, Hughes, Chambers, Volmer, Wallwork

GILLS: J. Brown, Nosworthy, Cox, Hope, W. Brown, Hessenthaler, Smith, Spiller, Perpetuini, King, Sidibe
Subs: Bossu, Hills, Ashby, T. Johnson, Benjamin