Report: Gillingham 0-2 City City ended a sequence of nine winless cup ties to ease through to the second round of the Capital One Cup at Gillingham. Sam Baldock opened his account for the season on 21 minutes before Jordan Wynter struck with his first professional goal in the second half, but in truth it could easily have been three or four for Sean OâDriscollâs side, with Jay Emmanuel-Thomas instrumental in victory. The summer signing kept up his record of being involved in every City goal of the season, stylishly setting up Baldock for the first before his 65th minute shot fell kindly for the 19-year-old Wynter to pounce. OâDriscoll handed a full debut to Marlon Pack in midfield, while Marvin Elliott took his place alongside him having recovered from a troublesome knee injury. Scott Wagstaff and Joe Bryan dropped out of the starting line-up from the City team held by Bradford on the opening day of the Sky Bet League One campaign at the weekend. City, fielding a very narrow-looking central quartet, soon began to control possession, with Jay Emmanuel-Thomas firing the first warning shot and forcing Gills stopper Stuart Nelson into a diving save low to his left. Much of OâDriscollâs pre-match thoughts had centred around the tendency of last seasonâs League Two champions to utilise long throws, but Chris Whelpdale caught City unawares with the short option, collecting the return pass before seeing his cross headed over the top by Adebayo Akinfenwa. It was a similar story soon after, as everyone in red anticipated a regulation corner routine, only for Bradley Dack to pick out Whelpdale with a low cutback, but the wingerâs first-time shot was lashed high into the temporary seating behind Frank Fieldingâs goal. As on Saturday, when he created and scored in a 2-2 draw, Emmanuel-Thomas was at it again with some slick footwork to evade the challenge of debutant Michael Harriman inside the Gillingham penalty area before cutting the ball back for Baldock to slide home his first goal since Easter Monday. It was an opening goal justified by Cityâs dominance in possession, but their hosts almost drew level immediately as left-back Joe Martin surged down the flank and crossed from the byeline for Akinfenwa, but again the barrel-chested striker failed to keep his header down from ten yards. It was becoming a recurring theme as, after another sustained spell of City possession, Akinfenwa was presented with another headed chance but this time planted it wide of Fieldingâs left-hand post. Gradually Gillingham were growing in confidence, having been smothered for so long by the Robinsâ superior ball retention. Akinfenwa left Liam Fontaine in his wake down the City left and lumbered into the box, eventually cutting the ball back for Callum Davies, whose guided shot towards the far corner was importantly cleared to safety by Aden Flint. Whelpdale then brought three sides of Priestfield to its feet with an eye-catching volley after teeing himself up, but, for all the Gillsâ attempts, Fielding remained untested in the City goal into the second half. By the time the interval came and went, the visitors had regained the ascendancy, only to squander a wealth of chances at the start of the second period. First Baldock troubled Nelson with a 20-yard daisy-cutter spilled by the keeper, who had to be helped out by his retreating defence, before Flint beat Nelson to Neil Kilkennyâs inswinging free kick but glanced his header wide of the far post. City were turning the screw and a second goal looked inevitable, particularly when another piece of Emmanuel-Thomas magic helped set up a glorious double chance. Slowing the play down to walking pace â literally â on the right-hand touchline, the maverick forward waited for the run of Brendan Moloney, who was rewarded for his willing burst with a teasing pass into his stride. The Irishman fired a low ball across the goal begging to be finished by Baldock at the far post. Instead the striker contrived to hit the inside of the near post, before Nelson clawed the ball out from on the goal line only to Wynter, who headed the rebound on to the top of the crossbar from no more than six yards. But the teenagerâs moment would come. This time Emmanuel-Thomas drifted inside off the right flank and drove at the Gillingham defence, unleashing a left-footed shot from distance that was only half-blocked and fell perfectly for Wynter to tuck home the loose ball from ten yards. The hosts predictably threw caution to the wind in the final quarter, bombarding the City box with crosses, but Flint was peerless in the air and Fielding never unduly troubled.
Thanks Hawk It sounds like the Gills had plenty of chances in the first half. I just hope that SOD doesn't let this unexpected result go to the players heads. It's one result (albeit a decent one) in a cup competition that no-one cares much about and there is much more at stake when we play Coventry
Gillinghams viewpoint A goal in each half seals the Gills Capital One Cup fate The Gills participation in the Capital One Cup ended at the first round stage as Bristol City scored in each-half to secure victory and their place in Round Two. Gillingham battled reasonably well and created a number of half chances and Bayo Akinfenwa is probably still wondering how he failed to make former England Under-21 international Frank Fielding work in the City goal following a number of headed opportunities in the opening 45 minutes. Those misses proved pivotal as first Sam Baldock then Jordan Wynter converted the openings presented to them. Boss Martin Allen made five changes to the starting XI from the weekend fixture against Colchester United in League One with QPR right-back Michael Harriman, who arrived yesterday and looked a bright prospect, selected to make his debut with Callum Davies, Bradley Dack, Antonio German and the aforementioned Akinfenwa also coming in. The injured Matt Fish missed out along with Amine Linganzi, Charlie Lee, Danny Kedwell and Cody McDonald although the latter three were all on the bench. It was the Gills that had the first shot of the night, this came in the third minute when Dack touched the ball off for Chris Whelpdale but his effort didn’t really test Fielding. Almost immediately at the other end Stuart Nelson had to make a save low down to his left to deny Jay Emmanuel-Thomas. As the clock ticked into the 13th minute Whelpdale crossed from the right and Akinfenwa rose among a host of players but couldn’t keep his header down from eight yards out. The Gills continued to create half chances, Whelpdale fired over after Dack had cut a right-wing corner back neatly and moments later Akinfenwa was off target with another header. Then in the 21st minute the visitors, who had played some neat football without threatening up until this point, took the lead. Some trickery from Emmanuel-Thomas took him to the bye-line and when he pulled the ball back there was skipper Sam Baldock to stab the ball home from six yards. While City continued to play some controlled football it was Gillingham that continued to create but fail to take their chances. Akinfenwa put one header over and another wide of the target, both from decent Joe Martin crosses. A foul by Leon Legge on Greg Cunningham two minutes later saw former Cheltenham midfielder line up a free-kick from around 25-yards but he fired straight at Nelson. In the 38th minute Akinfenwa did well to hold off Liam Fontaine and set up Davies but his low shot was blocked by Flint. As the half came towards its end some neat footwork from German saw him break into the City area but Fontaine blocked his attempted shot at close quarters. Whelpdale then went close from distance with a rising shot that flew about a foot over the top. H/T: Gillingham 0-1 Bristol City Just seconds into the second-half the Gills had a worry when Dack went down holding his left ankle but thankfully he was soon back on his feet. Six minutes into the second-half Nelson was called into action once again, parrying a low angled shot from Baldock with skipper Adam Barrett tidying things up. Akinfenwa received the first yellow card of the evening in the 52nd minute, I think for something he said to referee Darren Deadman following the award of a free-kick. From which Flint rose high to meet the impressive Neil Kilkenny’s ball in but he glanced the ball wide. Dack chipped over the top after good work from Whelpdale before the young midfielder attempted a more speculative effort that cleared the bar. The Gills had a double let-off in the 58th minute, Brendan Moloney crossed to the far post and Baldock’s header struck the post and after a touch from Nelson, Wynter saw his close-range header strike the bar. A double Gillingham substitution followed with strike duo Kedwell and McDonald replacing Akinfenwa and German. This certainly seemed to boost the Gills fans and the volume from the Rainham End increased, buoyed partly as Dack saw another effort blocked. That noise quickly subsided however when Sean O’Driscoll’s side went two up in the 65th minute, Emmanuel-Thomas had a shot blocked by Barrett but there was former Arsenal midfielder Wynter to stroke the ball home. Martin Allen made a third and final change in the 69th minute when Myles Weston replaced Davies. Kedwell had a chance in the 71st minute when he rose at the far post to meet a Whelpdale ball in but he couldn’t steer his header past Fielding. The lively Emmanuel-Thomas was replaced fifteen minutes from time by former Aston Villa and West Ham striker Marlon Harewood. A great run by Weston, who left Fontaine lying in his wake, ended with McDonald rising around 10-yards out but Fielding watched as the Gills striker’s header was deflected over. With the home side probing as they searched for a way back into the game a stretching McDonald hit a low shot straight at the Robins keeper. Flint became the second recipient of a yellow card in the 81st minute after time-wasting at a free-kick. A neat short free-kick from Martin saw Steven Gregory cross to the far post where three City defenders rose with Kedwell. All three were left grounded, much to the amusement of the Gills supporters, and Marvin Elliott who smacked into the advertising hoarding was the last to rise. Deep into injury time a long, quick free-kick from Nelson picked out the running Kedwell brilliantly but although the centre-forward managed to head over the advancing keeper the City defence were able to get back and tidy up. At the final whistle it was the 176 travelling fans that were celebrating after their side had turned the tables on the Gills who had won at Ashton Gate at the same stage last season. Gills – Nelson; Harriman, Martin, Barrett, Legge; Davies (Weston 69), Whelpdale, Gregory, Dack; Akinfenwa (Kedwell 59), German (McDonald 59) Unused subs: Lee, Howard, Butcher, Hare City – Fielding; Moloney, Cunningham (Williams 86), Fontaine, Flint; Kilkenny (Reid 81), Wynter, Pack, Elliott; Baldock, Emmanuel-Thomas (Harewood 75) Unused subs: Wagstaff, Parish, Bryan, Taylor Attendance: 2,585 (176 from Bristol City)
[video=youtube;bIXBO8mIVp4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIXBO8mIVp4[/video] [video=youtube;4hnttECgRes]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hnttECgRes[/video] [video=youtube;DHHkPXapy6s]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHHkPXapy6s[/video]
Sean O'Driscoll Talks a lot of sense when discussing his players most tellingly concentrate on what the players do well and try and improve those aspects of their games never more so than when thinking about Jay Emmanuel Thomas don't spend all your time shouting at him to get back and mark players you have to let him do what he does best and already that seems to be paying off we have played 2 games scored 4 goals and he has had a hand in all of them, Also Marlon Pack Sean says play to his strengths this seems to be working and the youngsters seem to be blending into a team, Wynter said he was playing in a different position last night but that the gaffer had explained what he wanted him to do and how he wanted him to play so that when he went onto the pitch it didn't feel odd. Obviously Sean is talking sense to the players and it must also make sense to the players because they are listening which has to be good for this season and beyond long may it continue.
21 minutes into each half we scored but more importantly unlike saturday we didn't conceed any. This would be a nice habit to keep up If we can score twice in every game I think we would win far more than we lose.
Hawk we will win more than we loose under this gaffer,i am so confident in his methods and management skills. As said top come the seasons end and i am quite happy with that prediction.
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Latest round-up of news from the media. Slick Bristol City proved themselves a class apart as they ended their Capital One Cup jinx in fine style at Priestfield. Knocked out by Gillingham at the same stage of the competition last year, the Robins exacted revenge thanks to strikes from Sam Baldock and Jordan Wynter to win 2-0 and reach the second round for the first time since 2009. The Post Bristol City head coach Sean O'Driscoll says the League One club are in the process of "rehabilitating" new signing Jay Emmanuel-Thomas. The 22-year-old ex-Arsenal youngster arrived at Ashton Gate last month after an unproductive spell with Ipswich. BBC Bristol City winger Albert Adomah is on the verge of signing a three-year deal for Middlesbrough. Adomah was on Teesside on Tuesday for talks with Boro boss Tony Mowbray and is expected to put pen to paper on Wednesday. The Post Bristol City new-boy Jordan Wynter expressed delight at scoring his first goal in senior football in a 2-0 Capital One Cup victory over Gillingham at Priestfield. Goals from Sam Baldock on 21 minutes and former Arsenal youth player Wynter midway through the second half put the Robins safely into Thursday's second round draw. The Post Goals from Sam Baldock and Jordan Wynter saw Bristol City defeat Gillingham 2-0 at Priestfield for their first League Cup win in four years. Baldock put City in front after 21 minutes after Jay Emmanuel-Thomas beat two Gills players on the by-line before cutting the ball back. Team Talk Bristol City head coach Sean O’Driscoll described his team’s performance in last night’s Capital One Cup first round tie against Gillingham as “a major step forward.” Without a win in the competition since 2009 and beaten by Martin Allen’s Gills at the same stage last season, the Robins cruised to a comfortable 2-0 victory at Priestfield to book a place in tomorrow’s second round draw. The Post Albert Adomah is the kind of player who will excite the Boro fans, predicts Tony Mowbray. The Bristol City winger was set to complete his £1m move to the club today, penning a three-year deal. Middlesbrough Gazette Bristol City head coach Sean O'Driscoll tells BBC Radio Bristol he was pleased his side beat Gillingham in the League Cup after watching City's defeat against the same opponents last season. O'Driscoll's side won 2-0 on Tuesday to progress to the second round of the competition for the first time since 2009. BBC The former Arsenal man, who moved to the Robins from Ipswich over the summer, set up both goals in Tuesday's 2-0 Capital One Cup win over Gillingham. Emmanuel-Thomas beat two Gills players on the by-line to set up Sam Baldock for an easy tap in after 21 minutes. Football 365
2,585 (176 from Bristol City) hope they get more in their league matches after beating us last year you would have thought they would have fancied their chances.
Few more performances like last night and they will have to get used to a different manner of attendance figure in their home matches. If there is one thing sexier than silky football, its silky winning football
