Gills ease to Vale victory
Last Updated: September 22, 2012 7:37pm
Whelpdale: On target
Early goals from Deon Burton and Chris Whelpdale gave Gillingham a 2-0 victory in their top-of-the-table battle at Port Vale.
The Gills made all the early running and Vale survived a couple of scares before the much-travelled Burton, who will be 36 next month, opened the scoring in the 11th minute.
Debutant Robbie Findley, on loan from Nottingham Forest, chipped a cross from the right byline and Burton made no mistake with a six-yard header at the far post.
Burton and Findley proved too much for Vale's cumbersome defenders and Whelpdale cracked a second for the Gills in the 25th minute. The midfielder's run to the right of the penalty area went unchecked and he drove a 14-yard shot into the roof of the net from Danny Jackman's pass.
Sam Morsy, Tom Pope and Jennison Myrie-Williams all threatened as a shell-shocked Vale finally woke from their slumber as half-time approached.
Gillingham were content to protect their lead in the second half and did so in comfort, apart from a 68th-minute free-kick from Myrie-Williams which clipped the top of the crossbar.
Matches
-
npower League 2
Table
npower League 2
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gillingham | 46 | 83 |
| 2 | Rotherham United | 46 | 79 |
| 3 | Port Vale | 46 | 78 |
| 4 | Burton Albion | 46 | 76 |
| 5 | Cheltenham Town | 46 | 75 |
| 6 | Northampton Town | 46 | 73 |
| 7 | Bradford City | 46 | 69 |
| 8 | Chesterfield | 46 | 67 |
| 9 | Oxford United | 46 | 65 |
| 10 | Exeter City | 46 | 64 |
| 11 | Southend United | 46 | 61 |
| 12 | Rochdale | 46 | 61 |
| 13 | Fleetwood Town | 46 | 60 |
| 14 | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 60 |
| 15 | Wycombe Wanderers | 46 | 60 |
| 16 | Morecambe | 46 | 58 |
| 17 | York City | 46 | 55 |
| 18 | Accrington Stanley | 46 | 54 |
| 19 | Torquay United | 46 | 53 |
| 20 | AFC Wimbledon | 46 | 53 |
| 21 | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 52 |
| 22 | Dagenham & Redbridge | 46 | 51 |
| 23 | Barnet | 46 | 51 |
| 24 | Aldershot Town | 46 | 48 |
