By Jack Nolan
January 1 2007

A second half hat trick from former Gillingham striker Darren Byfield, condemned the Gills to their second successive defeat at the hands of bitter rivals Millwall. The in form Gary Mulligan did give the Gills an early lead with his eighth goal of the season.
Millwall.4.1.Gillingham
The New Den
1/1/2007

Gillingham started 2007 with a very disappointing defeat to Millwall at The New Den today.

The first real chance of the game fell to Andrew Crofts after good work by Matt Jarvis (in what has been rumoured to have been his last game for Gillingham) picked out Crofts who saw his 25-yard effort go just wide of the Millwall goal.

Millwall then had a glorious opportunity to score when former Gill Darren Byfield hit a powerful effort goalwards only for on loan Dean Brill to pull off a stunning save. But from the resulting corner Millwall came even closer to breaking to deadlock when Byfield once again shot at goal only for Clint Easton to clear off the line.

It was then the Gills to take the lead through in form striker Gary Mulligan. Captain Mike Flynn's long throw was well flicked on by Bas Savage what picked out Gary Mulligan who fired the Gills into the lead - scoring his eighth goal of the season.

Unfortunately for Gillingham however, Millwall equalised against the run of play. Neil Ardley's cross found substitute Chris Zebroski who turned his defender and fired home the equaliser.

Matt Jarvis however missed a glorious opportunity to restore the Gills' lead. Good work by Mark Bentley found Matt Jarvis who's shot on the edge of the Millwall box went agonizingly wide.

The two sides went in at the interval all square which seemed to be a fair score at that time.

Bas Savage was the first player of the second half to come close to scoring. Gillingham broke on the counter attack with Savage's effort going just wide.

Millwall were then awarded what seemed to be a harsh penalty for Gillingham to concede. Duncan Jupp looked to have clearly won the ball in a challenge with Byfield - who made the most of the challenge and was awarded a penalty must to the anger of the Gills fans and players. Byfield himself stepped up and converted the penalty against his former club.

Gillingham's welsh international Andrew Crofts then came close to equalising for the Gills. Crofts' powerful 25 yard effort was well saved by Lion's 'keeper Lenny Pidgely.

Gillingham were then left fuming once again after another controversial decision went against them. Darren Byfield appeared to have been well offside before slotting home from one on one with Dean Brill.

The former Gill then completed his hat trick five minutes from time when at Millwall's end Clint Easton was denied what seemed to be a blatent penalty and on the counter attack Byfield slotted home.

Byfield could have got four though only for his effort to be well saved by Dean Brill.

With the transfer window now open, Jepson admitted that he will be active in the transfer market. But it is rumoured that Jarvis played his last game in a Gills shirt Duncan Jupp looked to have clearly won the ball in a challenge with Byfield - who made the most of the challenge and was awarded a penalty must to the anger of the Gills fans and players. Byfield himself stepped up and converted the penalty against his former club.

Gillingham's welsh international Andrew Crofts then came close to equalising for the Gills. Crofts' powerful 25 yard effort was well saved by Lion's 'keeper Lenny Pidegley.

Gillingham were then left fuming once again after another controversial decision went against them. Darren Byfield appeared to have been well offside before slotting home from one on one with Dean Brill.

The former Gill then completed his hat trick five minutes from time when at Millwall's end Clint Easton was denied what seemed to be a blatant penalty and on the counter attack Byfield slotted home.

Byfield could have got four though only for his effort to be well saved by Dean Brill.

With the transfer window now open, Jepson admitted that he would be active in the transfer market. But it is rumoured that Jarvis played his last game in a Gills shirt.

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Ronnie Jepson

Speaking about the controversial penalty decision, Jepson said: "He got the ball. Everybody said he got the ball, it was a long way from where I was, without making the old excuses but I think he got the ball. But it shouldn't have been in the box anyway, Duncan should have headed it away as it came into our half and then it wouldn't have got anywhere near our box and we wouldn't be talking about a debatable penalty.

"We can harp on about referees and linesmen, we've been doing it since the game started, and there were a couple of decisions today which went against us, but I'm not going to make excuses because we have got to defend better as a team and as a back four. We have to be stronger and have a bit more conviction about us.

"The third one was blatantly offside, but I couldn't speak to the linesman after the match. The lads worked extremely hard, Flynny and Crofty and my strikers, but I thought my wide men weren't at their best today, Bentley and Jarvis, but maybe that was because of lack of ball to them. Our back four didn't give the 'keeper any protection, I don't think I can blame the 'keeper for anything, if anything he pulled off a great save there towards the end when Byfield lost Sancho again, so all in all, there were some little good points in there, but when we defend like that, it's very, very disappointing," Jepson told BBC Radio Kent.

"I don't think it was a 4-1 result, a couple of goals were very debatable, and we dominated the first half. I was disappointed we conceded a goal so close to half time because that gave them a lift, and I said to the lads at half time they had to go out and step up the tempo, but we didn't. We defended too deep and didn't attack the ball, and let things bounce around in our own half which enabled them to get in our box too easily, and we have to defend as a unit, far better than we had done today.

"I think we deserved to go in at half time in front, because we played the better stuff and you'd think we were the only team the way were going about it and I was really pleased with that. But the lads worked extremely hard and they had things happen out of not a lot, and it destroys them a little bit when they see other teams get cheap goals against them, because we don't get any, we have to work extremely hard for them and we've got to defend better than that. In one-on-one situations we have to stand up and be counted, and at this moment in time there is room for a lot of improvement in those areas," he said."

It is now 12 days before the Gills next play when the host Doncaster Rovers at Priestfield Stadium, where the Gills will attempt to end the run on two successive defeats in which they have conceeded are worrying amount of seven goals. Ahead of the tie, Gills boss Ronnie Jepson said: "We'll get back on the training ground and I'll keep trying to improve them and like I said in there, if I can't improve them then when I get the opportunity to bring players in I'll bring players in who hopefully will improve us. That's the way football is, people come and go, whether it be managers or players, and me and my staff will be looking to bring players in, especially this month with the window being open, with the view to improve our squad.

"First of all it's availability, and then it comes down to the finances coming forward for the player in question, and other clubs to be fair come this stage of the season are looking to add to their squads and not let players go, so that's a difficult one as well unless you can go in the transfer market and get transfer fees, which unfortunately at this moment in time we haven't got that much money to do that," said Jepson.