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Gillingham players celebrate Josh Gowling winning goal against Southampton Picture: Barry Goodwin
by Luke Cawdell
Gillingham still have work to do to preserve their League 1 status despite a great win over Southampton at Priestfield on Saturday.
Results elsewhere mean the Gills head into the final weekend with the threat of relegation still hanging over them.
It was another memorable win at home, however, as goals either side of half-time put Southampton on the back foot and they were never able to recover.
Rene Howe’s 19th minute goal gave the hosts a slender advantage at the break and that was doubled early in the second half through Josh Gowling.
The visitors pulled one back midway through the second half through David Connolly.
Gills boss Mark Stimson said: "I’m very pleased and it was a good win against a strong side. Southampton made some changes, but whoever plays for them is going to be good and for us to go in at the break 1-0 up was great.
"We knew we still had a job to do in the second half and when you see Rickie Lambert (Southampton's top scorer) stripped and prepared to come on after the break you know you are going to have to defend even more.
"Credit to the team, they dug in, and to get the second goal was excellent.
A few people said we could have been safe had Tranmere not won, but the most important thing was that we won our game. We’ll go to Wycombe next week going for a win and hopefully we’ll get the points to stay in this fantastic division."
Howe’s opener came after keeper Kevlin Davis’ clearance had hit Simeon Jackson and rolled into the path of his strike partner.
Jackson, with 17 goals this season, was recalled to the side to start alongside Howe, with Dennis Oli and Andy Barcham operating the flanks.
Southampton posed a threat every time they went forward but the Gills more than matched their big-spending opponents with plenty of attacking opportunities of their own.
Early chances fell to Southampton striker Connolly, and Gills keeper Alan Julian had to pull off a good save to deny Jason Puncheon.
The second half started well for the Gills and moments after Jackson’s header had hit the post, Curtis Weston whipped in a cross and Gowling was on hand to finish with a header on 51 minutes.
Gillingham almost added a third eight minutes later when Jackson’s glancing header was cleared off the line by Joseph Mills.
The Gills went from comfortably leading to being under pressure as Connolly fired the Saints back into the match with a goal after 66 minutes.
That goal led to a period of sustained pressure from the Saints but Gillingham hung on for a precious three points – keeping their survival hopes in their own hands.
Gills: Julian, Payne, Nutter, Bentley, Gowling, Miller, Weston, Barcham, Oli, Jackson (Dickson 88mins), Howe. Subs not used: Royce, Maher, Palmer, Jackman, Wynter, Rooney.
Southampton: Davis, Ostemobor, Martin, Fonte (Seaborne 46mins), Mills, Hammond, James, Lallana (Lambert 46mins), Puncheon, Barnard (N’Diaye 59mins), Connolly. Subs not used: Bialkowski, Wotton, McNish, Chamberlain.
Attendance: 9,504
