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Match preview by Henry Collier
After back-to-back goalless draws at home Gillingham are on their travels this weekend as they go looking for the point boss Steve Lovell believes they will need to stay in the division.
Gills’ encouraging performance on Tuesday night against promotion chasing Blackburn Rovers saw them keep consecutive clean sheets for the first time this season.
The midweek draw saw the Gills rise to 15th in League 1, nine points off the relegation zone. A win at the weekend could potentially move the Gills into the top half.
Despite the positive performance on Tuesday, The Gills have picked up just two points from their last five games, scoring only once.
Oldham sit just one place, and three points above the drop zone following their point against Walsall on Wednesday night. They do have games in hand on some teams around them though.
Head to Head;
Oldham wins: 24 Draws: 7 Gills wins: 17
League form;
Gillingham (DDLLLW): Blackburn (h) D 0-0, Doncaster (h) D 0-0, Southend (a) L 4-0, Mk Dons (h) L 1-2, Bradford (a) L 1-0, Portsmouth (a) W 1-3.
Oldham (DDWLLD): Walsall (h) D 1-1, Oxford (a) D 0-0, Blackpool (h) W 2-1, Wigan (a) L3-0, Portsmouth (h), Bury (a) D 2-2.
Last time at Boundary Park;
Adrian Pennock’s first game in charge of Gills ended in a 1-0 defeat.
A Josh Law free kick, their first home league goal since October, proved to be the difference as Oldham, under the management of John Sheridan, picked up their first win in ten.
The defeat saw the Gills stay 17th while the visitors moved off the bottom.
Last time out;
Gillingham held promotion chasing Blackburn Rovers under the lights on Tuesday at Priestfield.
In what was a stark improvement to the Saturday before, Conor Wilkinson and Josh Parker both came close to causing an upset.
At the other end, Tomas Holy was hardly troubled as the Gills' defence shut out the league leaders, edging Steve Lovell's men closer to safety.
The Gills boss was proud of how his team dealt with the former Premier League winners, saying: “That is what we have got to do, if we are going to compete with the better teams in this league, we all have to roll up our sleeves, perform to our best and give everything and that’s what they did.”
Team news;
Gillingham will continue to be without Skipper Lee Martin as he serves the third of his four game ban.
Tom Eaves is expected to return to the squad following a head injury which kept him out of the game on Tuesday, as is Luke O’Neill, who is recovering from a groin injury he picked up at Southend.
Oldham will be without influential defenders Kean Bryan and Anthony Gerrard for Saturday, while long-term absentees Cameron Dummigan and Ryan McLaughlin continue to miss out.
More: Midfielder Billy Bingham's hopes of returning before the end of the season are over.
From the opposition camp;
After losing their first five league games, Oldham surged up the league upon the arrival of former player Richie Wellens.
But a poor run over the new year, where the Latics picked up just three points from nine games, saw them dragged back in to a relegation fight. Recent wins against Blackpool and MK Dons have given them fresh hope of staying up.
Following his team’s 1-1 draw on Wednesday night, Wellens was disappointed his side didn’t get their just rewards.
He said: "We were camped in their box at times and their goalkeeper has made a couple of worldy saves.
"Overall, I am frustrated but we have to take the positives and that's another point closer to where we want to be."
Speaking ahead of the Gillingham game on Saturday, he added: “Everyone keeps saying 50 points is good enough (to stay in the league), but I think it’s going to be a little more than that. It is in our hands”
One to watch;
If Oldham are to avoid the drop, the goals of Eoin Doyle will be crucial.
The experienced front-man is the Latics' top scorer this term with 14 goals in all competitions.
On loan from Preston, the Irish striker impressed at the beginning of the season before an injury cut the loan short. Doyle returned in January but didn’t feature for the Latics until March.
Since his return, the former Cardiff striker has scored some vital goals in the wins over Scunthorpe and Blackpool. He boasts an impressive career, having turned out for Cardiff and Portsmouth.
Doyle enjoyed a particularly successful spell at Chesterfield where he netted 32 goals in 69 outings for the Derbyshire club.
More on the Gills;
Signed and sealed - Gills boss extends contract for another two years
Case Closed - Gills' advisor accepts liability in Mark McCammon case
Striking the balance - Gills boss has plenty to choose from in attack
Fancy a Punt?
Skybet have the Gills at 14/5 to claim the three points at Boundary Park with the bookies having Oldham as favourites at 1/1, while a draw is at 12/5.
Following the consecutive 0-0 draws it is 9/1 for the Gills to make it a hat-trick of goalless games.
Man in the Middle - Michael Salisbury;
Games 34 Yellows 84 Reds 5
Mr Salisbury has only taken charge of one Gillingham game this season, that being the 3-0 defeat at Oxford in September, where he didn’t brandish a single card.
He last took charge of Oldham in their 1-1 draw against Bristol Rovers in December.
Assistants: Stephen Wade, Peter Gooch Fourth Official Barry Cropp
