Sat 19th Feb
League One
Kick-off 15:00

GIL Gillingham

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PLY Argyle

Training

Argyle go in search of their fourth Sky Bet League One win in a row when they visit the MEMS Preistfield Stadium to take on Gillingham on Saturday.

The Greens climbed back into the play off places thanks to a 1-0 win over Shrewsbury Town at Home Park last weekend.

Conor Grant’s sixth goal of the season was enough to see off a stubborn Shrewsbury side and ensure Steven Schumacher got his second home win as Argyle boss.

He said, “We’ve been playing really well recently; we’ve had some good results on the road and then we picked up a good win on Saturday.

“It’s been a great week in training, it’s been really intense as usual, but we have done all of our preparation for Gillingham.

“We have to just go there now and put in a performance.”

That win also saw Argyle keep up their impressive record of scoring in each of their last 14 games in all competitions.

Only Oxford United, Sunderland and Rotherham United have scored more goals that the Greens this season, while on their travels Argyle are the highest scorers.

The Pilgrims’ away form has been a far cry from that of last season; with seven wins and 26 points picked up on the road.

They have lost just one of their last five away games, that coming away to Sheffield Wednesday, and have won their last two scoring seven goals.

Steven said, “Confidence is high at the moment, but we can’t forget what has got us into this position.

“It has been really hard work from the players, and we need that to continue.

“We can’t lose focus on what has gone well for us.”

Luke Jephcott scored the only goal of the game in the reverse fixture back in August.

His 88th minute strike, in the Greens’ first home game of the season, won Argyle their first points of the season and began an extraordinary run of 16 games unbeaten in Sky Bet League One.

Argyle have a good record against the Gills at Home Park, winning their last four meetings at home.

However, the MEMS Priestfield Stadium isn’t the happiest of hunting grounds, with their last victory coming back in 1981.

“Gillingham will be really tough, we know that, but we need to go there, be at our best and try to get the result.

“They are doing well. They have had four games since Neil Harris has been in charge and they have won two and drawn another.

“We know what to expect they will be organised and work really hard. We’ll have to try and compete with them and also play our football when we can.”

As for the hosts, they have seen an upturn in form since Neil Harris took charge.

Seven points from a possible nine has seen the Gills reduce the gap to safety to five points and create a gap of four to bottom side Doncaster Rovers.

In that run, they have won both of their home games 1-0, beating Crewe Alexandra and Cambridge United.

A draw in their last game away to Morecambe means that the Kent outfit have picked up more points in the last month than in their previous three.

TEAM NEWS

The Greens will once again be without Dan Scarr, Brendan Galloway and George Cooper who are all out with long term injuries.

Steven Sessegnon has trained this week and could be in line for his Argyle debut.

The Gills will be without injured quartet Mustapha Carayol, Danny Lloyd, Alex MacDonald and Ben Reeves.

TICKET NEWS

Tickets are no longer being sold for this and there is no pay on the day facility at Gillingham.

ARGYLE TV

If you cannot make the game then it is available to watch on Argyle TV for international subscribers, or to listen to for domestic fans for just £2.50.

Details on packages available to you can be found here.

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Jordon Garrick watches his opener find the bottom corner

Gillingham 0 

Argyle 2 
Garrick 46 
Jephcott pen 76 

John Sims scored Argyle’s last winner at Gillingham in February 1981. Fast forward 41 years and second-half goals from Jordon Garrick and a Luke Jephcott penalty ended that particular Kent hoodoo in confident fashion. 

It was also a fourth consecutive victory for the Pilgrims, who emerged from a combative first period to play with a satisfying swagger in controlling the game after the break. 

Argyle boss Steven Schumacher made two changes from the 1-0 win over Shrewsbury, Niall Ennis and Garrick given the attacking nod ahead of Ryan Hardie and Jephcott. Gillingham, meanwhile, stuck with the same side that drew 1-1 at Morecambe last weekend. 

The remnants of Storm Eunice made for a wet and windy start but that didn’t stop Danny Mayor breezing through the home side in an early signal of his progressive intent. 

Pilgrim confidence in possession was perfectly demonstrated by skipper Joe Edwards pinging a delicious half-volley pass wide for Conor Grant, who then drove forward and returned a cross for his captain to head narrowly over. 

The Gills replied with a long-ranger flashed wide by former Pilgrim Olly Lee before the game descended into a scrappy period, broken up by a fizzing cross from Macaulay Gillesphey diverted off target by Ennis. 

Panutche Camara was next to have a pop, lashing a 20-yard left-footer inches past the top corner. It was an opening half-hour of dominant Pilgrim possession, with the likes of Jordan Houghton, Mayor and Camara probing for a gap in Gillingham’s packed defence. 

While the Greens continued to search for the right formula, the first half ultimately ended with neither side able to conjure a clear goalscoring opportunity. 

If the half-time message was to find an attacking spark, Garrick was clearly listening intently, as he drove inside from the right wing and planted a delightful finish beyond the diving Aaron Chapman and just inside the far bottom corner. 

It was a lovely goal from Garrick and once again highlighted the multitude of talents in Argyle’s striking quartet. In the immediate term, it was a goal that would force the Gills to push more men forward in search of a leveller. 

An excellent cover challenge from James Bolton ensured that search did not reap swift reward and Argyle then countered with a pass from Ennis to Camara. Chapman raced off his line for a clearance that struck his own man but Camara was just unable to loft the loose ball into the vacant net.  

While the Gills looked to increase their temp, inevitable spaced opened for the Pilgrims to exploit and Mayor surged forward for a pass wide to Grant, who drilled a left-foot special inches wide of the far post. 

After playing the assist card, Mayor opted to go alone with a delightful jink on to his right foot for a bending shot palmed wide by Chapman. At the other end, James Wilson snuffed out a deep cross to maintain the impressive protection of Mike Cooper’s goal. Ennis then dragged a difficult chance wide after a sloppy Gillingham pass. 

The front-pair switch arrived on 73 minutes, Hardie and Jephcott replacing Garrick and Ennis, and they took just over a minute to win a penalty. Mayor fed Jephcott, who switched the ball to Hardie and he was tripped by former Green Stuart O’Keefe. 

Jephcott grabbed the ball with authority and slotted a confident penalty into the bottom corner for a 2-0 lead that was richly deserved. 

Argyle were enjoying themselves, as a fabulous threated pass from Edwards found the run of Jephcott for an effort steered a fraction past the post. Hardie then rifled a shot into the side-netting, with Mayor proving an irresistible menace to the home defence. 

A fine Chapman save next repelled a Hardie dink from the rampant Greens. The outstanding Mayor was withdrawn for Ryan Broom in the closing minutes and Argyle move swiftly on to a midweek trip to Cambridge. 

Gillingham (3-5-2): 12 Aaron Chapman; 15 Conor Masterson, 5 Max Ehmer, 6 Jack Tucker; 14 Robbie McKenzie, 10 Olly Lee (11 Ben Reeves 70), 8 Ben Thompson, 4 Stuart O'Keefe (capt), 3 David Tutonda (2 Ryan Jackson 56); 9 Tom Dickson-Peters, 19 Vadaine Oliver. Substitutes (not used): 1 Pontus Dolberg (gk), 20 Daniel Phillips, 23 Harvey Lintott, 26 Christian Maghoma, 33 Charlie Kelman. 

Booked: Lee 61 

Argyle (3-5-2): 1 Mike Cooper; 5 James Wilson, 2 James Bolton, 3 Macaulay Gillesphey; 8 Joe Edwards (capt), 28 Panutche Camara, 4 Jordan Houghton, 10 Danny Mayor (7 Ryan Broom 88), 15 Conor Grant; 11 Niall Ennis (31 Luke Jephcott 73), 14 Jordon Garrick (9 Ryan Hardie 73). Substitutes (not used): 25 Callum Burton (gk), 20 Adam Randell, 27 Ryan Law, 33 Romoney Crichlow. 

Booked: Wilson 30 

Attendance: 5,197 (822 away)

Referee: Paul Howard