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League One | Gameweek 43
Apr 15, 2022 at 3pm UK
Whaddon Road
G

Cheltenham
2 - 2
Gillingham

Wright (40'), Etete (78')
Hutchinson (57'), Long (85')
FT(HT: 1-1)
Oliver (14'), Reeves (59')
Oliver (88')

Preview: Cheltenham Town vs. Gillingham - prediction, team news, lineups

:Headline: Preview: Cheltenham Town vs. Gillingham - prediction, team news, lineups:
Sports Mole previews Friday's League One clash between Cheltenham Town and Gillingham, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Sports Mole

With the fight to avoid relegation from League One hotting up, Gillingham travel to face mid-table Cheltenham Town at the Jonny-Rocks Stadium on Friday afternoon.

Michael Duff's side ran out 1-0 winners over Portsmouth last weekend, while their visitors gained a potentially priceless point against Wycombe Wanderers in the survival dogfight.


Match preview

Cheltenham have not done low-scoring affairs very often since the turn of the year, but one strike was all it took for Duff's side to see off the threat of Portsmouth and just about consolidate their hold in the top half of the League One table with four games remaining.

With 76 minutes on the clock, Liam Sercombe's third goal of the season propelled Cheltenham to all three points in a narrow victory - which ended their three-match winless run in the division - and a spot in the top 12 of the rankings is firmly in their own hands.

The Robins occupy 12th spot in the table at the time of writing and are unlikely to rise any higher before the curtain closes on the season - with Bolton Wanderers boasting an insurmountable seven-point lead - and Duff will be wary of the threat of Cambridge United and Accrington Stanley, who are level on points with his side.

Ending a six-game run without a clean sheet in League One was welcomed with open arms by the Robins faithful in the clash with Portsmouth, and Cheltenham have now taken 15 points from the last 18 on offer at home - as well as winning each of their last three - which does not spell optimism for a relegation-threatened Gillingham outfit.

With their form being more inconsistent than anything else since the turn of the year - still a marked improvement on their dismal winless run over the winter - Neil Harris has Gillingham in with a fighting chance of securing their third-tier status for 2022-23.

This week's visitors were up against it during their meeting with playoff-chasing Wycombe Wanderers following Sam Vokes's opener on the 20-minute mark, but an unlikely name in Jack Tucker restored parity for Gillingham, who could not capitalise on Lewis Wing's late sending off.

Still below the dotted line in 21st but level on points with both Fleetwood Town and Morecambe - the former of whom boast a game in hand - it could all come down to the relegation six-pointer with the Cod Army on Monday night, as Portsmouth and Rotherham United will not give points away cheaply.

Harris's side have certainly defined the term topsy-turvy with a record of four wins, four draws and four losses from their last 12 games in League One, and while they have lost just two of their last six away games, Cheltenham ran out comfortable 2-0 winners when the sides met earlier in the campaign.

Cheltenham Town League One form:
  • W
  • W
  • L
  • L
  • D
  • W

Gillingham League One form:
  • W
  • L
  • D
  • W
  • L
  • D



Team News

Tottenham Hotspur loanee Kion Etete made his comeback from a hip issue in the win over Portsmouth, while Conor Thomas is stepping up his recovery from a calf problem and is not too far away from a comeback.

Ben Williams's hamstring issue will likely keep him sidelined once again, but Charlie Colkett has a slim chance of playing again before the season is over.

It would be a surprise to see Duff ring the changes after a hard-fought win last weekend, but Charlie Brown is pining for more minutes after his disrupted start to life with the club and could earn them here.

Meanwhile, Gillingham lost left-back David Tutonda lasted just 11 minutes of the clash with Wycombe after taking a knock to the knee, so Robbie McKenzie may be required to fill in this week.

McKenzie is only just back from a knock himself but should be fine to start, while Danny Lloyd and Alex MacDonald remain on the recovery trail from their long-term issues.

The crunch clash with Fleetwood may come into Harris's thinking with regards to team selection here, but the Gillingham boss has no reason to fix what is not broken after a spirited showing last time out.

Cheltenham Town possible starting lineup:
Evans; Long, Boyle, Pollock; Blair, Sercombe, Bonds, Wright, Hutchinson; Lloyd, May

Gillingham possible starting lineup:
Chapman; Tucker, Ehmer, Masterson; Jackson, Lee, O'Keefe, McKenzie; Thompson; Kelman, Oliver


We say: Cheltenham Town 2-1 Gillingham

Cheltenham can afford to take their foot off the gas slightly with survival assured, but Duff will not accept such complacency at home, where they have prevailed more often than not in recent weeks.

Gillingham have looked a far more composed outfit since the turn of the year, but it is still difficult to know what to expect from Harris's side on a weekly basis, and the home advantage just tips this one in Cheltenham's favour.


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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Port Vale1610332416833
2Walsall1593328151330
3Doncaster RoversDoncaster178542218429
4Notts County177732315828
5Crewe AlexandraCrewe158431913628
6MK Dons168352719827
7Chesterfield1767430201025
8Grimsby Town178181926-725
9AFC Wimbledon157262314923
10Bradford CityBradford166552117423
11Gillingham167271714323
12BarrowBarrow176471716122
13Fleetwood TownFleetwood145632015521
14Cheltenham TownCheltenham176382225-321
15Salford City165651518-321
16Newport CountyNewport176381926-721
17Harrogate TownHarrogate176381623-721
18Accrington StanleyAccrington164662226-418
19Colchester UnitedColchester163851922-317
20Tranmere RoversTranmere154561018-817
21Bromley153751719-216
22Swindon TownSwindon172782028-813
23Morecambe1734101729-1213
24Carlisle UnitedCarlisle1734101429-1513
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