Warminster Town’s Frustrating Evening At Gillingham
Town travelled to bottom of the table Gillingham hoping to get back to winning ways. The last week has seen the return of a number of familiar faces with Braden Humphreys in the starting eleven and Owen Bartley and Martin Johnson substitutes on the bench.
On another wet evening, the hosts looking for their first win of the season, started brightly. In the 8th minute they came close to opening the scoring when a cross from the left led to a close range header that Warminster’s keeper Callum Hotine did well to save. Three minutes later Reece Collyer went close for Warminster when his shot from outside the box flew just over the bar. On 21 minutes Gillingham took the lead controversially. Ryan Riglar received the ball wide right but appeared to handle the ball. The nearby linesman’s flag stayed down and Riglar cut into the penalty area and shot past Callum Hotine. Warminster’s defenders appealed to the officials but after consulting his linesman the referee awarded the goal. To make matters worse Warminster’s keeper Callum Hotine was sent to the sin bin, presumably for comments he made to the officials. Reece Collyer took over in goal for the next ten minutes. On 41 minutes Seb Hounsell was brought down in the Gillingham box but the referee waved play on. When he finally returned to see if Hounsell needed treatment another comment led to the Warminster defender being the second Warminster player to head to the sin bin!
In first half stoppage time Jake Wright tested Gillingham’s keeper Dale Hinds who parried his shot but unfortunately no Warminster forward was close enough to put away the rebound.
Halftime Gillingham Town 1 Warminster Town 0
The visitors upped their game after the break and on 53 minutes a Seb Hounsell shot was well saved by Hinds. Jack Newman followed up to try to put away the loose ball but the angle was too tight and Gillingham scrambled the ball clear. A minute later Warminster centre back Sam McFarlane headed firmly goal wards from a corner but Hinds made another great save tipping the ball over the bar. On 56 minutes Jack Newman shot from left side of the penalty area but his shot passed just inches wide of the post. Then two minutes later Newman was sent clear into the penalty area but was denied by a last ditch tackle by a backtracking Gillingham defender. In the 74th minute another controversial decision went against Warminster. A fifty-fifty challenge near the halfway line resulted in a Gillingham player writhing in agony. The referee decided it wasn’t just a coming together and Jake Wright was shown a red card. Despite being a man short Town deservedly levelled a minute after Wright’s dismissal. Substitute Martin Johnson played a one-two in the box and coolly slipped the ball past Gillingham’s keeper. With Warminster pressing for a winner, they were caught out in the 80th minute. A pass from the left found Gillingham striker Ryan Riglar unmarked in the box and for the second time in the game he beat Callum Hotine to edge the home side ahead again. In the 87th minute Martin Johnson went close to equalising with a header from a right-side corner but once again Hinds saved well.
The ten men continued to press until the final whistle but it wasn’t to be Warminster’s night. Key decisions went against them and Dale Hinds in the Gillingham goal was in inspired form. On the evidence of their second half performance it can only be a matter of time before Warminster’s results start to improve.
Full time Gillingham 2(1) Warminster Town 1(0)
Report: Geoff Jackson