Andy Barcham congratulates Cody McDonald on scoring Gillingham's opening goal against Southend Picture: Barry Goodwin

by Luke Cawdell

Gillingham lost the lead twice against Southend United in a see-saw League 2 battle at Roots Hall.

Cody McDonald had given the Gills an early lead and Adebayo Akinfenwa netted a penalty but on both occasions Southend’s Ryan Hall equalised.

There was plenty of action in the second half and both sides hit the woodwork. Jack Payne struck the post at one end and Blair Sturrock at the other.

Matt Lawrence was denied a late winner for the Gills with a header that was cleared off the line.

The Gills went into the half-time interval with a goal advantage following an action-packed first 45 minutes.

The early chances fell to Southend but it was the Gills who took a seventh minute lead when McDonald collected Curtis Weston’s through ball and tucked away his 18 of the season.

Gillingham had barely finished celebrating when Hall levelled the scores with a quarter of an hour gone.

Three minutes later and the Gills were back in front and it was Akinfenwa who netted from the spot, for the second time this season, after McDonald had been brought down in the box by Craig Easton.

Southend responded with a stabbed shot from Blair Sturrock that went narrowly over and a shot from Lee Sawyer that was saved.

There were seven minutes of injury time at the end of the first 45, largely following a clash of heads between Sturrock and Garry Richards. Both continued after the lengthy stoppage.

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Gillingham ended the half on the front foot with Weston’s lob being tipped over the bar by Rhys Evans, and before the break the keeper produced a stunning stop to divert Barry Fuller’s blockbuster 25-yard volley over the bar.

The Gills started the second half like they ended the first. Jack Payne struck the outside of the post and McDonald had a shot saved well by Evans.

Action continued at both ends of the pitch and Sturrock stabbed a shot against the post with 69 minutes gone, while Hall bent another free-kick narrowly wide with Julian beaten.

With a minute left Southend defender Chris Barker cleared the ball off the line from Lawrence’s header and the follow up from Richards was saved.

Gills: Julian, Fuller, Nutter, Richards, Lawrence, Maher, J Payne, Weston, Barcham (Rooney 76mins), McDonald, Akinfenwa (Oli 46mins). Subs: Gowling, Jackman, Cronin, Sinclair, Martin.

Southend: Evans, Clohessy, Gilbert, Coughlan, Grant, Easton, Sawyer, Hall, Sturrock (Crawford 83mins), Barker, Corr. Subs: Morris, Prosser, Soares, Herd, Comminges, Asante.

Attendance: 5,771 (926 Gills)

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