The Official Salford City Match Thread (Dedicated to the memory of Malcolm Pearman "a true blue through and through")

Following last weekend's narrow defeat against the combined forces of Grimsby and the referee, we return to Priestfield tomorrow looking to get the season back on track with a win against Salford City. Gills have taken just a solitary point in the last five weeks with Gareth Ainsworth's absence being sorely felt on and off the pitch, although there was heartening news on that front this week as he was pictured looking chipper with Brad and Joe Comper.

It's a fairly depleted squad that goes into tomorrow's game, Jonny Smith, Garath McCleary, Euan Williams and Conor Masterson all remain on the injured list, while Sam Gale and Jonny Williams are both suspended, the former for accruing five yellow cards, the latter having been sent-off for two soft yellows last time out. Remeao Hutton is thankfully available for tomorrow's fixture, Kettle Jnr's injudicious waving of a red card having been predictably overturned on appeal. Aaron Rowe is an outside bet to make the squad as he returns from injury, while Armani Little could take the captain's armband back having been out for a while.

Salford arrive level on points with Gills, occupying 7th spot in the table the two sides only separated on goal difference. Having missed out on the play-offs last term by a single point, the Ammies undertook a significant squad rebuild in the summer with 16 departures and 17 arrivals since June, including £325,000 spent on forward Daniel Udoh from Wycombe and the recent arrival of former Premier League-winner and Italian international, Fabio Borini. Everyone's favourite Scouser, Karl Robinson, has overseen seven wins and five defeats this season, with a solitary draw. Last Saturday's early kick-off against Oldham at Moor Lane saw three pitch invaders arrested as they gamefully dragged their knuckles across the playing surface to make some nonsensical protest about Salford part-owner Gary Neville, before the home side won 1-0, Udoh with a first half goal, his third in the league in just seven matches.

The head to head is heavily in our favour, Gills leading by four wins to one with one draw. Gills have won the last two of the three meetings between the sides at Priestfield having been tonked in the first ever fixture shortly before the Galinson's took over in what was a particularly bleak moment for the club. For the highlights it's back to November 2023 and the first of those home wins, Stephen Clemence's first game in charge at Priestfield and goals from Mahoney, Nichols and Jefferies (at a time when three goals for us was approximately three months' worth) giving us a comfortable win.

The injustices of last Saturday will no doubt have fired the players up as they look to end our poor recent run of results. Salford will be a handful, Robinson's sides always are, but they will look to play rather than leave us facing another low block that we struggled to score against versus both Harrogate and Cheltenham. Had we strikers of the calibre of Borini, Udoh and Stockton, we could well have won both of those, our striking options still feel like the missing piece of the puzzle with our five main strikers having notched just six goals between them to date.

I'll end by dedicating this scribble to a true and long-standing Gills fan who sadly passed away last weekend, Malcolm Pearman. My condolences go to to his family, friends and any fellow Gills who knew Malcolm. I understand there's to be a minute's applause in his honour following the rendition of the Last Waltz tomorrow and I hope all supporters can join in to give him a deserved send-off.

Enjoy the game if you're going, and...

COYG!!!