Gillinghamvs.Bromley

The Gills will head into their first match of the new year in 13th place, while the visitors are sitting in 12th place in the League Two table.

Match preview

Gillingham will hope that the new year will spark an upturn in fortunes after finishing 2024 with a three-game winless run.

After playing out a 2-2 draw against Cheltenham Town, the Gills went on to lose back-to-back away matches against Colchester United and AFC Wimbledon.

They were beaten 2-0 in their Boxing Day clash against the U's, before they fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat in Monday's encounter with Wimbledon following Matty Stevens's 50th-minute effort at Plough Lane.

As a result of those two defeats, Gillingham have now lost six of their previous nine away games in the fourth tier (W2, D1).

With that in mind, they will be looking forward to starting 2025 back at Priestfield, especially as they have avoided defeat in three of their previous four home league games.

The Gills are looking to win their first game of a calendar year for the second season in a row after claiming a narrow 1-0 over Colchester in their opening match of 2024.

Bromley will be hoping to carry their rich vein of form into the new year, having avoided defeat in each of their previous 11 league matches since they lost 2-1 to Tranmere Rovers on October 19 (W5, D6).

Impressively, the Ravens have recorded four wins in their last six league outings, including a dominant 5-2 win in their Boxing Day clash with Newport County.

Unfortunately for Andy Woodman's side, they were unable to claim all three points in their final match 2024 against Swindon Town.

Omar Sowunmi saw his effort cancelled out by Rosaire Longelo, ensuring Bromley had to settle for their 10th draw in 22 league matches - only Colchester have recorded more draws this term.

They will now turn their focus to Thursday's away game, with the visitors looking to complete a league double after clinching a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture on December 4.

The Ravens may fancy their chances of doing just that, having taken maximum points from their last two away games against Accrington Stanley and Morecambe.

Gillingham League Two form:

L

W

W

D

L

L

Bromley League Two form:

W

W

D

W

W

D

Team News

Gillingham are expected to be without the services of Oli Hawkins, who has not played since the end of October due to injury.

Defender Conor Masterson will hope to prove his fitness in time for Thursday's fixture after being forced off in the second half against Wimbledon with a knock.

Midfielder George Lapslie will officially leave the club on January 1, having agreed to sign a two-and-a-year contract with Bradford City.

Meanwhile, Bromley's Sowunmi may have scored in each of the club's last three matches, but he will be prioritising his defensive duties when he lines up in a back four alongside Kamarl Grant, Callum Reynolds and Idris Odutayo.

Olufela Olomola could be considered for a starting spot after he came off the bench to play the majority of the second half against Swindon.

Michael Cheek will continue to lead the line for the visitors, having scored 12 goals in 21 league appearances this season.

Gillingham possible starting lineup:

Morris; Gale, Ehmer, Masterson, Clark; Coleman, McKenzie; Clarke, Dack, Rowe; Nevitt

Bromley possible starting lineup:

Smith; Grant, Sowunmi, Reynolds, Odutayo; Arthurs, Thompson; Imray, Whiteley, Congreve; Cheek

We say: Gillingham 1-1 Bromley

Written by

Ben Sully

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