Thursday 29 July - Pre-Season Friendly - Report by GillsConnect Man on the Terrace

Hess selected Chris Palmer and Andy Barcham patrolling the wings and the improving Stefan Payne cruising in the middle of the park. The defence had Tony Sinclair at right back in place of injured captain Barry Fuller and Mark Bentley and Josh Gowling in the centre.

Due to the nature of these friendlies the inevitable substitutions disturbed the balance of the team and each new player introduction possibly weakened the team and contributed to the defeat.

That is not to say that the subs who came on didn’t do the business, as they all contributed, but it was hard not to notice that some of the positive energy dissipated with the subs.

In the first half, Gills in their new blue/black strip, competed for every loose ball and passed it around with great effect. Andy Barcham was proving to be a threat on the wing and could have been awarded a penalty when racing into the area Hearts Lee Wallace sent him sprawling, following a tackle from behind.

Gills were playing some delightful football causing Hearts defensive problems and Chris Palmer (left) who is having a great pre-season, almost scored on 24 minutes when he beat three Hearts players on the run and then skimmed a great shot just over the bar from outside the area.

Gills should have gone ahead soon after following some slick passing between Danny Spiller, Andy Barcham and Chris Palmer who threaded a great ball into the path of Curtis Weston. Running into the area he probably should have shot on the run but elected to square the ball and the Hearts defence cleared.

Five minutes into the second period and Gills took the lead. Stefan Payne was brought down in the area and a penalty was the result.

Up stepped second half substitute Luke Rooney (number 14 right) to smash the ball high into the net giving the goalie no chance for his seventh goal of the pre-season.

While the crowd was still buzzing from this strike Hearts equalized within seconds of the re-start. Quick passing movement down the Gordon Road side of the Priestfield pitch and a great defence splitting pass from Ryan Stevenson to Novikovas who continued his run and slotted the ball past Alan Julian into the corner of the Town End goal.

With some 25 minutes left, Hess sent on Adebayo Akinfenwa (below left), fresh from signing a one-year deal, as substitute along with strike partner Mark McCammon as the Gills tried to find a winner. Big “Bayo” (pictured below right) will need time to get match fit on the evidence of this short run-out, as will Big Mac, as they both struggled for form.

Lance Cronin came on to replace Alan Julian with ten minutes remaining.

With eight minutes left Hearts won the game with a powerful header from an in swinging corner. Bouzid was unmarked and rose high to power a header past Lance Cronin who probably never saw the ball until it was in the bottom corner of his net.

Gills: Alan Julian (Lance Cronin 80 minutes), Tony Sinclair, Josh Gowling, Mark Bentley, John Nutter (Jason Lough 71 minutes), Curtis Weston (Luke Rooney 45 minutes), Jack Payne (Kevin Maher 45 minutes), Danny Spiller (Stanley Aborah 61 minutes), Chris Palmer (Danny Jackman 61 minutes), Stefan Payne (Mark McCammon 65 minutes), Andy Barcham (Adebayo Akinfenwa 65 minutes)

Unused subs: Andy White and Connor Essam

Hearts: Janos Balogh, Darren Barr, Lee Wallace, Adrian Mrowiec, Ismael Bouzid, Marius Zaliukas, Suso Santana (David Templeton 75), Eggert Jonsson (Ryan McGowan 71), Calum Elliot, (Craig Thomson 67), Ryan Stevenson, Arvydas Novikovas (Gordon Smith 76).

Unused subs: Ian Black & Marian Kello.  

Attendance: 2,359