I felt nervous before this one, and certainly not confident. The rest of the crowd seemed the same. The atmosphere was dull; we were going to blow it.
On the pitch Davis returned - how we've missed him - and Gazza had to be content again with a seat on the bench. We started tentatively, the nerves in the crowd seeming to permeate onto the pitch. In fact, it almost had the feeling of a meaningless end of season encounter. There were times not long ago when I would have been more than happy to endure such a game, but when you're top at Christmas... well, you know the rest. Something was lacking on the pitch, and with the notable exception of Kevin Ball the team couldn't get going. Bally's had his fair share of stick in his time with us, but have you ever seen him give less than 100%? How many times has he got into the opposition penalty area - and miss! Why does it always fall to Kevin Ball? Well, at least he's getting in there.
So not much happened in the first half. Johnson got free on the right. As he shot the ball seemed to bobble, and the Gills keeper caught comfortably. Incidentally, the pitch at Birmingham looked immaculate the next day; Stan must be hoping that we get them in the play-offs so at least we could play football!
Steve Davis and Johnson both headed straight at Brown from corners put over by Briscoe. Brizzer was playing on the left side of midfield as Moore A failed a fitness test. He'll be out for three games for the ridiculous sending off against Wolves, so if we do not make the play off lottery that's it for the season. Paul Cook seems to have vanished. After coming back from Wigan, and getting a new contract, he's hardly figured - puzzling.
Of course Gills had one or two chances, but fortunately they were wasted. The game had 0-0 written all over it, and with the half time scores not really going in our favour the dreaded seventh again looked decidedly on the cards. Last season I felt that if there'd been two more games we'd have made it into the top six; now it looked like two games too many.
No changes at half time, but the crowd did find its voice, and within ten minutes we were 1-0 up, following magic on the wing by Glen, beating two men and playing a low cross into the box. Two or three stabs and it trickled over the line. Moore I celebrated. I didn't have a clue who it went in off, but Ball's claiming it. Like I said, he's always in there, and if it is his goal, I suppose that's the only way he's going to score, from about 6". Little had his best game for ages; let's hope he's refinding his form just at the right time.
Often a goal lifts the team, although there have been times recently when it hasn't. Not so on Saturday. If confidence was not quite oozing, certainly dripping was evident. Davis went on a surging run down the left before passing crossfield to Johnson. I thought he was looking for the more central Moore I, and overhit it, but let's not take anything away from him, it was a great ball. Johnson ran into the box, whilst clearly being held, and produced a fantastic goal. Naturally he took his shirt off and milked the applause. Here's one player who is class and is keeping us right in the hunt.
I thought we'd done enough, and couldn't see Gills coming back. After all, it's the result that matters. Gills never really threatened in the second half. Davis and Arthur both went on runs, the skipper firing high, whilst the latter tried an exquisite chip which looked like it had gone in - alas not to be.
Words of praise for the whole back four. Recently we've looked poor in that department. I know there's not a lot of help from midfield, but even so. Davis is the leader that Arthur needs to play with; together they are our best central defensive pair. He's only played 20 games this season, Maybe, just maybe, if he'd played in 40.
The facts are now simple: any more points and we've got more than last season. Two more wins and we're in the play-offs. It might not need that, but let's try for six, then enter the play-offs with some sort of form.
Scorers: Ball (55), Johnson (61).
Attendance: 16,236.
Referee: C H Webster of Chester-le-Street.
ballboy