Another penalty, another Jackson success and Gills get the points
by Lance Morgan
A NINTH minute penalty won by on-loan Febian Brandy (again) and converted by Simeon Jackson earned Gills their first-ever win over Yeovil at a windswept krbs Priestfield Stadium on Tuesday night, but it was by no means a classic.
For half-an-hour it was, but once the visitors made a tactical substitution and set themselves up in the same way as the home side the princes turned to paupers.
In that opening 30 minutes Gills had 11 attempts - seven of them on target. In the remaining hour (most of it with the wind behind them) they managed just four more.
Still, with the away form still dismal it was crucial they picked up three points and the victory came courtesy of a quite brilliant turn by Brandy on the edge of the box. He squeezed between Stefan Stam and Steven Caulker and was twice fouled before referee Patrick Miller blew his whistle and pointed to the spot.
Jackson, who had missed his previous two spot kicks - one for Gills and the other for Canada - didn't muck about this time. He cheekily chipped keeper Alex McCarthy as he dived to his right.
As it happens McCarthy was easily the visitors' man of the match. He pulled off splendid saves from Brandy, Curtis Weston, Andy Barcham, Jackson and Chris Palmer, although his best came in the second period when he flew to his left and touched a Barry Fuller free-kick on to the post.
With 1-0 always a tenuous lead Gills could have been denied the victory had their own keeper, Simon Royce, not pulled off a cracking save to turn over Sam Williams' goalbound header.
About five minutes later and Yeovil's threat pretty much ended. They were reduced to 10 men when JP Kalala was shown a second yellow for a bad foul on Kevin Maher. He didn't wait for the card; he knew what was coming.
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