Marcus Braddock looks ahead to Saturday's trip to Gillingham
This weekend, Shrewsbury Town make the long journey down south to Kent to play Gillingham. The Gills sit in 13th, are one position above Town with one point more than us but with an inferior goal difference. Both teams have yet to breach the all important 50 point mark which should mean Skybet League One survival this season. Both teams will be looking at this game as one to win so it should be an exciting game, a draw would push both teams closer to the magic 50 points and leave them both looking for another point or two before the season ends. The Gills home form hasn't been spectacular with just six wins and ten defeats from their 20 games at The Medway Priestfield stadium in League One. Their last six games have seen them win twice, lose twice and draw twice and their last home win was a 1-0 win to Oxford on the 9th of March.
Form (most recent first)
LDWDLW
Goalscorers
Tom Eaves 19
Brandon Hanlan 6
Assists
Dean Parrett 4
Mark Byrne 2
Clean Sheets
Seven from away games and six at home.
Gills Home Stats
Points per game:1.1
Home defeats: 50%
Goals per Game: 1.2
Conceded per game: 1.5
The Gills best period of home games appears to be the last fifteen minutes with seven goals scored and just two conceded. Their worst period is the first fifteen minutes of the second half during which they've conceded eleven times.
Referee - Thomas Bramall. Games this season: 40. Yellow cards: 91. Red cards: 3.
Assistants: Rob Smith and Bhupinder Gill.
Squad News
Town have had a bit of a sickness bug in the squad with a few first team players under the weather. David Edwards and Steve Arnold will be unavailable because of injury.
Summary
With our away form improving I was hoping we may get a positive result but with players suffering from illness, we may find it difficult going. Sam Rickets has said that any spaces left would make a good opportunity for fringe players to push themselves and finish the season on a high. Whoever plays it's going to be a hard afternoon against a team in a similar position to ours, a win for either team should allay any relegation fears for the rest of the season.
COYB!!!