Gillingham managed a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Cambridge United on December 26, 2023, as they fought back from an early deficit. Despite falling behind to an early goal from Louis Appere, the Gills equalized midway through the second half through Max Clark, who scored following a saved penalty attempt.
The match took place at Gillingham’s home ground, where the team has struggled recently, failing to secure a victory at home since mid-September. The result leaves Gillingham without a win in their last seven matches, with six of those ending in draws. They began the day positioned 12th in the League 2 table, trailing behind Cambridge.
Gillingham’s manager, Gareth Ainsworth, made tactical adjustments, returning to a back four and integrating key players back into the starting lineup, including Josh Andrews. Leading scorer Bradley Dack was included on the substitutes’ bench to manage his playing time effectively.
The match commenced with an early scare for Gillingham when Sam Gale had a goal ruled out for offside. Their initial pressure culminated in a corner taken by Max Clark, which was nearly converted after striking the underside of the crossbar. However, it was Cambridge who capitalized first. Just ten minutes into the match, a header from James Gibbons set up Appere, who found the net from close range.
Gillingham struggled to respond effectively in the first half, with several attempts going wide or being saved by Cambridge goalkeeper Jake Eastwood. The Gills managed only one shot on target from seven attempts before the halftime whistle, a statistic that reflected their offensive challenges.
As the second half unfolded, Cambridge sought to extend their lead but had a penalty shout denied early on when Appere went down in the box. Gillingham, buoyed by their home crowd, pressed for an equalizer but faced a near setback when a misplaced pass from Armani Little led to a dangerous counter by Cambridge, narrowly missing the target.
With 65 minutes gone, Ainsworth made substitutions, introducing Dack and Seb Palmer-Houlden to invigorate the attack. The breakthrough came in the 72nd minute when Gillingham was awarded a penalty after Little was fouled in the area. Although Robbie McKenzie’s penalty was saved, the Gills capitalized on the rebound from the resulting corner, with Clark firing in the equalizer.
The momentum shifted in Gillingham’s favor, and they pushed for a winner, with Dack creating opportunities that were thwarted by Eastwood’s solid goalkeeping. Cambridge nearly snatched a late victory, but a header from James Brophy went over the bar in stoppage time.
The match concluded with both teams sharing the points, solidifying Gillingham’s ongoing struggle for form. With a supportive crowd of 7,344 in attendance, the Gills will look to build on this performance as they seek to re-enter the playoff contention in League 2.
The full lineups for both teams were as follows:
Gillingham: Turner, Hutton, Clark, Smith, Gale, McKenzie, Coleman (Dack 65 mins), Little, Rowe, Andrews, Nevitt (Palmer-Houlden 65 mins). Subs not used: Holtam, Masterson, J Williams, J Smith, Vokes.
Cambridge United: Eastwood, Watts, Jobe, Gibbons, Mayor, Bennett (Purrington 57 mins), Hoddle, Mpanzu, Kaikai (Kachunga 79 mins), Brophy (McLoughlin 57 mins), Appere (Lavery 79 mins). Subs not used: Hughes, Knight, Rossi.
Referee: Neil Hair.
