Gillingham 2 Barnsley 1

Barnsley's winning streak in Sky Bet League One is over as they fell to defeat at high-flying Gillingham.
Barnsley in  action at Gillingham where their briliant unbeaten run came an endBarnsley in  action at Gillingham where their briliant unbeaten run came an end
Barnsley in action at Gillingham where their briliant unbeaten run came an end

The Reds, looking to extend their winning run to eight matches, couldn’t quite carve out enough clear-cut chances throughout the 90 minutes.

There were relatively few chances during a first period in which both sides pretty much cancelled one another out.

However, it was the Reds who went in at the break behind.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Gills broke the deadlock in the 25th minute, with Dominic Samuel pouncing on a poor pass from James Bree before charging clear and slotting comfortably past Adam Davies.

Earlier Marley Watkins went close for the Reds, seeing a smart shot from an acute angle superbly blocked by ‘keeper Stuart Nelson.

After the goal, Josh Brownhill responded by curling a free-kick inches wide of the post, while Sam Winnall’s overhead kick also missed the target.

Watkins saw a chipped effort saved by Nelson seconds before the break.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Both sides missed decent chances early in the second period.

Kevin Long saw a header blocked for the Reds, while the Gills hit back with Samuel being denied by a fine Davies stop.

Two goals inside a minute just past the hour mark lit up the game.

The Reds equalised superbly with Conor Hourihane lashing a crisp half-volley into the roof of the net, before the Gills re-took the lead almost immediately.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Donnelly cracked in a great shot which Davies could only parry into the path of Bradley Dack, who tapped home to make it 2-1.

Hourihane and subs Josh Scowen and Ashley Fletcher both went close in the latter stage, but the Reds couldn’t find a leveller.

Gillingham (4-3-1-2): Nelson; Osadebe, Egan, Ehmer, Garmston; A Morris, Wright, Loft; Dack; Samuel, Donnelly. Subs: G Morris, Chicksen, Hessenthaler, McGlashan, List, Williams, Norris.

Barnsley (4-4-2): Davies; Bree, Long, Mawson, White; Isgrove, Brownhill, Hourihane, Hammill; Winnall, Watkins.Subs: Townsend, Roberts, Scowen, Fletcher, Khan, G Williams, Tuton.

Referee: Darren Bond (Lancashire).