We've Done It! History Made in Wales as Gills Smash Newport Hoodoo

What a day down in Wales! We finally put that Newport curse to bed, coming from behind to win 3-1 at Rodney Parade. Not only are we still sitting pretty at the top of the table, but we made history doing it. That’s our first win away at Newport in 39 years, and we’ve now set a new club record with 21 league games unbeaten. Get in there!

A Crazy First Half

You just knew it wouldn’t be easy, though. After all the talk about breaking records, we went behind inside the first minute when their lad Opoku nodded in a cross. A proper nightmare start. When they got a penalty in the eighth minute after a trip by Andy Smith, you started to think, "Here we go again, it's just one of those grounds." But Glenn Morris had other ideas. He pulled off a brilliant save down to his left to deny Antwi, who then scuffed the rebound wide. Morris had to make another top save from Antwi moments later just to keep us in it. That penalty save was the massive, game-changing moment.

From then on, we woke up and took complete control. The equaliser came on 23 minutes after a corner. Max Clark swung it in, Elliott Nevitt flicked it on, and after a scramble, the ball fell perfectly for Bradley Dack, who slammed it into the bottom corner. Then, on 36 minutes, Jonny Smith announced himself with an absolute screamer. He picked the ball up from Remeao Hutton, drove into acres of space and unleashed a peach of a shot from 25 yards that curled right into the top corner. Just before the break, Sam Gale did brilliantly to turn his man in the box and was brought down for a pen. Dack stepped up, cool as you like, and slotted it home to make it 3-1 at half-time. What a turnaround.

You could see how much it meant to Gareth Ainsworth at the end. He admitted he even had "a little choke-up moment" at the final whistle, describing the achievement as "so special for this group of players" as they wrote their names in the club’s history books. He quipped that 21 games unbeaten was "ridiculous territory" for a 130-year-old club. He also gave a massive shout-out to the 601 of us who made the trip, calling the support "ridiculously magnificent." You absolutely love to hear it.

"This Team is SPECIAL!!"

The feeling on social media was just electric. Fans were trying to get their heads around the comeback and the sheer scale of what the team had just done. James Tingley (@jamesrtingley) summed up the chaos of the start perfectly: "2nd away game in a row where we should have been dead and buried within the opening 15 minutes but what a recovery. This team is SPECIAL!! #Gills #UpTheGills". He's spot on, this team just has a belief that we haven't seen for years.

The sense of pride in breaking the record was massive, with fans like Jim Staples (@JimStaples) keeping it simple: "As the saying goes… you win some you draw some. UT(record breaking)Gills".

But it was the connection between the players and the fans that really stood out. The team photo in front of the away end after the whistle said it all. As @Cliffinkent put it: "I love everything about this. The whole squad at an away game, those carrying injuries and all. The photo taken with the fans in the back, part of the now historic record breaking Gillingham team. What’s not to love about this right now? UTG #Gills". That togetherness is exactly what Ainsworth has brought back to the club.

German Gills Man of the Match - Bradley Dack

It has to be Bradley Dack. Wearing the captain’s armband, he was on another level. Remember our last loss back in March? Dack was an unused sub at this very ground. This time, he made damn sure history wouldn't repeat itself. His two goals (a clinical finish and a pressure penalty) turned the game on its head. He was unlucky not to get his hat-trick in the second half after a great save. A true captain's performance.

Honourable mentions are essential here. Glenn Morris was a hero for that penalty save – without it, we could have been 2-0 down and staring down the barrel. And a huge nod to Jonny Smith. On his full away debut, he scores his first goal for the club with that absolute worldie. An early Goal of the Season contender, no doubt about it.

Moving Forward

This win feels massive. It’s not just about the three points; it’s about the message it sends. Smashing a 39-year hoodoo and setting a new unbeaten record in the same match shows the incredible confidence and grit Ainsworth has instilled in this team.

With no midweek game, the team can have a well-deserved rest before we welcome Harrogate to Priestfield next Saturday. The atmosphere at home is going to be electric. There's a real belief building around ME7 at the moment, and wins like this make you dream of what we could achieve this season.

Written by Rhys - German Gills