Gillingham 2  Sturminster Marshall 1

Paul Maitland, Ryan Mole, Lloyd Bird, Dan Haysom, Craig MacLeod, Phil Sweetland, Ross Humphrey, Graham Duff, Rob Morley, Darrell Williams, Fedja Selimovic, Sam Mason, Matt Saunders, Mark Henning, Dan Lane, Matt Lambert

Stur goalscorer:  Darrell Williams

Stur star man: Lloyd Bird

Stur remain in 6th place after a disappointing defeat at Gillingham.

It all started well when Stur took the lead after just five minutes. Craig MacLeod hit a free kick from the half way line to the edge of the Gillingham area. Fedja Selimovic headed the ball into the path of Darrell Williams who sidestepped a tackle before firing neatly past the keeper and into the corner of the net.

 The pitch was rock hard and very bumpy. Add the infamous Gillingham slope to the mix and conditions were very difficult. Both defences looked nervous and were struggling to cope with the difficult pitch conditions and consequently there were plenty of chances. Fedja Selimovic hit the post for Stur before the whole Gillingham forward line somehow managed to miss what looked to be a certain goal. How the offside flag stayed down is a mystery when no fewer than four Gillingham forwards bore down on Paul Maitland’s goal. The keeper narrowed the angle and the ball was cut back across the six yard box towards the three waiting forwards. The player who received the ball hit it confidently enough, but Maitland appeared from nowhere and palmed the ball round the post for a corner.

In view of the end to end nature of the game it was surprising that the score was not added to before half time, but that situation changed after just five minutes of the second half. Gillingham were awarded a free kick just outside the penalty area in a wide left position. Luc Herouard fired the ball into the six yard area where it took a wicked bounce a shot into the back of the Stur net. Ten minutes later and Gavin Brendle took advantage of a defensive mix up and fired Gillingham into the lead.

Stur huffed and puffed in their attempt to create an equaliser and did come close on several occasions, most notably when a Ross Humphrey cross shot narrowly evaded the onrushing Sam Mason and rolled agonisingly wide of the post. The heat and humidity began to tell and further chances came and went as the players on both sides tired. Unfortunately for Stur, they could not convert any of the chances which came their way and so the home team held on to take the three points.