The Mariners are back on the road tonight, travelling to take on Gillingham at Priestfield Stadium.
Paul Hurst’s men will be looking to bounce back from a frustrating 1-0 home defeat to Colchester United on Saturday, a match that saw the Essex club leapfrog Town – albeit having played five matches more than us.
With games coming thick and fast over the next couple of months, there is no time for Hurst’s men to dwell on Saturday and tonight’s match gives them a great opportunity to bounce back with a good performance.
Team News
No further injury concerns were picked up in Saturday’s match against Colchester but, post-match, Hurst confirmed that midfield battler Kieran Green is set for a spell on the sidelines.
The former Halifax man picked up an injury in the 3-0 Emirates FA Cup victory against Luton that has turned out to be cracked ribs. Hurst revealed that the Club are currently awaiting further details regarding how long Green’s lay off could be.
Gillingham
Rooted to the foot of the table at the turn of the year with just 14 points, Gillingham have picked up ten since the start of January to move to 23rd spot, two points from Hartlepool United who sit one place higher with the Gills having two games in hand.
Saturday’s defeat away to sixth-placed Mansfield has been their sole league defeat in their last five matches with that record seeing them second only to Carlisle in terms of form over that period.
A big reason for their upturn has been the January arrival of Tom Nichols, the 29-year-old having left Crawley Town for Gillingham at the start of the month. He scored in each of his first three starts for the Kent club, settling in instantly, and striking up a partnership with fellow new forward recruit Oliver Hawkins.
Previous Meetings
The return fixture between the two clubs took place in mid-September with Ryan Taylor’s early opener for Town being cancelled out by Mikael Mandron in a 1-1 draw at Blundell Park. You can watch highlights of that match HERE.
Town have faced Gillingham eleven times in the past with tonight’s hosts winning five of those matches compared to the Mariners’ three.
Referee
Craig Hicks will be the man in the middle for tonight’s match. His last refereed a Town match in February 2021 when we travelled to take on Newport County, a game we lost 1-0.
He was also Fourth Official in our 2-2 Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round tie against Luton Town at the end of January.
Hicks will be assisted by Damith Bandara and Andrew Bennett.
Coverage
With tonight’s match being a midweek affair, supporters anywhere can watch the action live on Mariners TV by purchasing a match pass for just £10. You can do that HERE.
UTM
