Saturday 8 May - League Division One - Report by GillsConnect Man on the Terrace

At the end of this dismal and appalling display stunned Gills fans were calling for manager Mark Stimson to go and go quickly as he received a torrent of abuse at the final whistle.

Mark’s record of two relegations plus only two away wins in two League One seasons must surely make Chairman Paul Scally consider Mark’s future in spite of his recent assurances that Mark will be with Gills “for the next three years”.

Recent comments by the Gills manager couldn’t have helped the situation either today when he commented on wage cuts and contract negotiations and players not wanted. Hardly a good motivating ploy on the eve of such a big game.

Gills were expected to start as they had done against Southampton as Mark Stimson named an unchanged side with the attacking line-up that worked well in the 2-1 victory against the Saints.

The Gills attack never got going and it is hard to remember one decent effort on goal in the first half. It was Wycombe who looked the most lively when Kevin McLeod struck a shot from just outside the area after robbing Jack Payne but Alan Julian saved his effort.

The three-pronged Gills attacking line-up of Rene Howe (top) Simeon Jackson and Andy Barcham (bottom) were surprisingly poor and almost non-existent as the midfield failed to provide decent ball to their feet.

Long punt followed long ball to no one in particular as Gills were easily dealt with by an average Wycombe defence.

Alan Julian was kept busy and had to be at his best to deny first Matt Phillips and then Lewis Montrose. The game was drifting toward the break when Wycombe received the ball from a throw-in and Mark Bentley failed to chase down the runner.

The Wycombe winger, Mark Phillips (right) got the ball out wide on the right and quickly outpaced the Gills defence and cut into the area. His shot on the run from just outside the area was a brilliant curving ball across the diving Alan Julian into the far corner of the net.

In the dressing room Gills must have heard news that other results were not going for them and they came out for the second period with more purpose but when a golden chance arrived to equalize, Simeon Jackson managed to miss.

John Nutter put over a superb ball into the goalmouth, swinging the ball out of the goalies reach. Simeon Jackson was there on the spot and 2,000+ Gills fans were up out of their seats in anticipation.

The diminutive Gills top scorer somehow got underneath the ball and ballooned it over the bar.

Gills piled forward in their best short spell of the match but Dennis Oli, when in a really good position after receiving the ball from Rene Howe, only half-hit his shot tamely at Heaton in the Wycombe goal.

The game was effectively lost at that point.

Wycombe went up the other end and Man of the Match Mark Phillips delivered a corner to the far post and, as so often this season, there was an unmarked opponent, Alan Bennett, to head down and into Alan Julian’s net from close range.

Gills heads dropped and news sung from the Wycombe crowd told them that Exeter had scored a second against Huddersfield effectively condemning them to relegation. Wycombe’s Kevin Betsey made sure of Gills fate when he scored the third from the edge of the area with a sublime well-struck volley.

The game was up in more ways then one as Wycombe cruised to only their third home victory this year and could have easily added to the goal total. Gills can have no complaints as their sorry season ended.

Wycombe: Heaton, Hunt, Woodman, Bennett, Pittman, Montrose (Ainsworth 76 minutes), Phillips, Mousinho, McLeod (Harris 62 minutes), Betsy and Kelly.

Unused Subs: Oliver, Keates, Harrold and Westwood.

Gills: Alan Julian, Jack Payne, Mark Bentley, Josh Gowling, John Nutter, Dennis Oli (Luke Rooney 76 minutes), Adam Miller, Curtis Weston, Andy Barcham, Rene Howe (Chris Dickson 79 minutes) and Simeon Jackson.

Unused Subs: Simon Royce, Kevin Maher, Chris Palmer, Danny Jackman and Tom Wynter.

Attendance: 7,110