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Steve Evans was thrilled to see the real John Akinde turn up for the Gills.
Evans didn’t think much of Akinde’s debut at Rochdale but the recently signed striker looked the part at Priestfield.
Opponents Shrewsbury struggled to cope with Akinde and Gillingham got their second goal when he was fouled in the box by visiting defender Aaron Pierre, allowing Olly Lee the opportunity to score from the spot, which he did.
Speaking after the game, Evans joked: “I said infront of the lads that it was nice to see John’s brother at Rochdale.
“I have never met him before but he sent his brother!
"John turned up (on Wednesday). The big man has that power and strength. He doesn't get a lot of decisions (from officials), even when I managed him as a kid and when he was at Lincoln under Danny Cowley, when John was awesome for them, John didn’t get a lot.
“He got smashed all over the place and gets a yellow card for two or three little innocent fouls, strange decisions, but John was very good, the front two were very good.”
Akinde’s arrival has really boosted the Gills’ attacking options, with Mika Mandron, Alex Jakubiak and Brandon Hanlan all on the bench for the midweek game against Shrewsbury, which the Gills won 2-0.
Evans said: “We are sitting there looking behind with Mika Mandron and Brandon Hanlan desperate to get on, desperate, and that is good.
“We don’t need two good strikers, we need three or four, we need competition.”
Akinde has power - he’s a giant - but he showed his pace too as he got away from Pierre for the penalty.
Evans said: “He stands 6’4 or 6’5 and he is probably 3’8 wide but when he is in that stride he is most powerful.
“He frightens defenders from 10 yards away because they see him coming and we saw that with the penalty.”
The Gills boss, and most of the crowd, were confused by several decisions made by the match official on Wednesday and he felt Pierre should have walked after conceding the penalty.
Evans said: “I think that is a red card by the letter of the law, if the challenge is into the back of the player is is a red card.
“The referee didn’t deem it (a red card), he reckoned it was clumsy. I think the defender knows what he is doing. I would expect my defender to give away a penalty there rather than concede.”
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