Late limbs at Prenton Park as Gbode nicks a point

Gillingham stretched their unbeaten run in League Two to 15 matches but needed a 92nd‑minute equaliser to earn a 1‑1 draw away at Tranmere Rovers on Saturday. Substitute Joe Gbode poked home in a goal‑mouth scramble after Tranmere had controversially taken the lead just after the hour, and Gareth Ainsworth’s men played the closing minutes with ten men following Max Clark’s dismissal. The point keeps the Gills in the early‑season promotion mix ahead of a quick turnaround at home to Chesterfield on Tuesday.

Media take, tight contest and a late twist

Official match reports all describe a tight contest at Prenton Park. Gillingham defended well in a first half of few chances, with Robbie McKenzie heading wide from an Armani Little cross in the only meaningful opening. After the break, Tranmere substitute Kristian Dennis flicked on a pass and released Omari Patrick, who darted through and beat Glenn Morris. The visitors were furious because Dennis was coming back from an offside position and replays suggested the goal should have been disallowed.

Tranmere then sat back and looked to protect the lead, but Ainsworth threw on Gbode, Marcus Wyllie, Nelson Khumbeni and Aaron Rowe and switched to a more attacking shape. The gamble paid off in stoppage time when a corner was cleared to Little. The skipper drove into the box and his shot ricocheted around the six yard area before falling to Gbode, whose scruffy finish rolled past goalkeeper Luke McGee. A minute later Clark was shown a second yellow card after an altercation and will now be suspended.

Kent Online’s Matthew Panting noted that Ainsworth’s decision to start academy right back Sam Gale paid dividends. Gale’s pace helped nullify Tranmere’s left wing threat and allowed Remeao Hutton to play further forward. Panting also highlighted that Ethan Coleman’s head injury forced an early reshuffle, with Jonny Williams slotting into midfield. Birkenhead News made similar observations, adding that Tranmere carved out early chances but were largely kept at bay until Patrick’s 63rd minute strike and that the referee waved away strong handball appeals from the hosts late on. Sky Sports summarised the contest as one where Gillingham refused to surrender, noting that Omari Patrick’s goal looked to have given Andy Crosby’s side the points before Gbode’s dramatic equaliser preserved both clubs’ unbeaten starts.

Post match interviews focused on Gillingham’s spirit. Ainsworth praised his players’ persistence and togetherness, insisting they deserved something from the game and lauding the travelling supporters who emptied the tank. He admitted that Tranmere’s goal should probably have been ruled offside but stressed that his side will never give up. Little echoed those sentiments, saying the point was fully deserved given the team’s character and hinting at a growing belief within the squad. Both men pointed to Tuesday’s home match against a high flying Chesterfield side as an immediate test of their depth and momentum.

Ainsworth’s post match mood was easy enough to read. He praised the togetherness, said the players emptied the tank, and gave the away support a proper nod. He admitted the opener probably should have been chalked off, then moved on quickly to what matters, the refusal to give in. Little echoed the message, calling the point deserved and talking about belief building week by week. With Chesterfield at Priestfield on Tuesday, neither man hid from the fact that suspensions and knocks will test the depth. That is fine. Good teams find different routes to the same destination.

Gills fans react

There was an outpouring of relief and pride among Gillingham fans on social media. Under the full time post from the club’s official account, one supporter noted that the first real test comes with back to back games against Chesterfield and Crewe, suggesting two positive results could put the Gills near the top of the table while two draws would mean fighting about 8th to 12th all season. Many, like @Keelan____, described the point as worth its weight in gold, while others were impressed with the travelling support, calling the away following bloody brilliant.

There was widespread outrage at the officiating. @Jimothey1 argued that Tranmere’s goal was offside, Bradley Dack was booked unfairly and Clark was dismissed simply for trying to take a throw in. BBC Sport Kent’s summary quoted Ainsworth joking that if you are going to count legal goals, we won 1–0. Some supporters used humour to process events, one remarked that Elliott Nevitt taking a long throw was never on their bingo card, while @Jsizer18 predicted that 19 year old Sam Gale is going right to the very top. Fans also lavished praise on Gbode for taking his solitary chance and on the young academy duo of Gale and Gbode for their passion. A common theme was that the team looked resilient and hard to beat under Ainsworth.

Fifteen unbeaten and Chesterfield next, keep the edge

The draw at Prenton Park leaves Gillingham unbeaten after three league matches and extends a 15 game unbeaten league run stretching back to last season. The resilience shown to fight back with ten men bodes well for a campaign in which margins are likely to be tight. However, injuries to Conor Masterson and Shad Ogie mean Ainsworth may dip into the transfer market for defensive cover. Tuesday’s home fixture against Chesterfield, who have started the season strongly, will test the squad’s depth, especially with Clark suspended. A win would provide momentum and lift the Gills further up the table, a draw would maintain the unbeaten run, and plenty of fans are already daring to talk about a push for automatic promotion.

German Gills Man of the Match, Sam Gale

For me, the standout performer was Sam Gale. Although Joe Gbode’s equaliser rightly grabbed the headlines, Gale’s contribution over the full 90 minutes laid the foundation for that late rescue. Drafted in at right back to deal with Tranmere’s dangerous left side, the 19 year old academy product did exactly what his manager asked. Kent Online noted how his pace and positional awareness thwarted Omari Patrick and allowed Remeao Hutton to play further forward. He also offered thrust going the other way, winning corners and providing an outlet down the right flank. In a game of few clear cut chances, those runs helped relieve pressure and kept Gillingham in the contest until Gbode struck. Given the circumstances, away from home, with an improvised back four and against a confident opponent, Gale’s maturity stood out.

Written by Rhys - German Gills