Blues fightback not enough

LIFE under Peter Taylor started in much the same way it ended for Wycombe, with Wanderers falling to a third straight defeat.

They had twice fought back to equalise with a stunning goal from Craig Woodman and a less spectacular strike from Leon Johnson, only for Gillingham's star striker Simeon Jackson to steal the points with another great goal.

In truth it was not a classic game despite the five goals – but at least Blues showed the tenacity to get back into the game after falling behind.

There were some cheers from the visiting fans when the stadium announcer reminded us Peter Taylor had left the club the previous day.

Caretaker manager Richard Dobson made an immediate impression on the team, making three changes from the side that lost to Leyton Orient in Taylor's final match in charge.

Leon Johnson came in against the side he made over 100 appearances for along with Ian Westlake and Jon-Paul Pittman, with Luke Oliver, Chris Zebroski and Stuart Green all dropping to the bench.

A stodgy opening provided little more than heading practice for both sides' centre halves, with the recalled Johnson in particular keeping sharp shooter Simeon Jackson out of the picture with a solid display at the back.

Curtis Weston – voted Gills' player of the month before the game – scooped a shot over after being played in by Adam Miller but in truth it wasn't a clear opening.

Alarm bells started ringing when Gillingham won the game's first corner – which have proved to be Wanderers' Achilles heel all season – after 15 minutes and it was from it that they opened the scoring.

It was played short to Fuller who fed the ball to the unmarked Miller. He in turn stood it up to the back post, where Josh Gowling met it with a powerful header.

It bounced down off the bar but Shearer and a defensive colleague couldn't get enough on it to stop it crossing the line and allow the former Hereford defender to open the scoring.

Kevin Betsy maybe could have done better with a free header from Wycombe's first corner a few minutes later.

But Blues had not created a clear-cut chance by this stage, although Pittman did show some tenacity to take the ball past two defenders before he was dispossessed in the penalty area by Fuller.

Then a stunning bolt from the blue from full-back Craig Woodman saw Wanderers equalise.

Again Pittman's aggression down the flank created the chance when he pulled the ball back for Westlake after taking on his marker.

He tapped it back gently for Woodman and from fully 25 yards the left-back smashed the ball into the top corner with his weaker right foot.

It was the game's first real moment of brilliance and it gave Blues belief, with Matty Phillips drawing a free-kick after a run down the right wing.

Woodman slung it in, and neither Duberry nor Johnson could quite get on the end of Matt Harrold's flick-on.

Phillips had a shot deflected into the arms of home glovesman Simon Royce as Wanderers piled on the pressure.

Chances were at a premium, but Dennis Oli really should have done better than to scrape a shot from close range wide of the goal following Barcham's low cross.

Despite a dearth of openings, Gillingham somehow managed to score a second a minute before the break.

Oli wasn't marked tightly enough at a throw-in and he and Jackson flicked the ball forward after getting ahead of the defence, leaving a gap for Weston to stab the ball home from close range.

Wanderers had an early chance to make amends following the break with Betsy's snap shot just floating over the top of Royce's goal.

And in a lively start to the second period Jackson had a powerful effort blocked just inside the box after good work from Weston, before Oli fired the rebound inches wide with Shearer beaten all ends up.

Dobson brought on Chris Zebroski as the caretaker manager looked to freshen up his side's attack. The defence was not doing a lot wrong, with Jackson being frustrated after being caught offside after a fine move.

And it was a defender who brought the scores level for a second time.

Woodman's free-kick was only half cleared, with Marlon Pack cleverly looping the ball back over the top of the advancing Gillingham back line with a header.

But they didn't step up quickly enough, and the flag stayed down as the ball dropped for Johnson six yards out to ram home against his former club via a defender.

Despite the four goals, neither keeper had been called into serious action as the game entered its final quarter with the game becoming increasingly stretched.

Pittman burst past a defender before his shot cannoned off two defenders, with Royce just about managing to fall onto the ball before it went out for a corner.

Then Gillingham went up the other end to steal the win.

A long ball out of defence freed Jackson on the right, with Shearer well off his line not anticipating the pass.

The striker cut inside and from the corner of the box chipped the ball expertly over the stranded keeper for a superb third.

Again it was a moment of high quality the game as a whole didn't really deserve.

The next chance was less spectacular, with the ball ricocheting about the Gills penalty area before Royce was able to pluck the ball from Zebroski's feet.

The veteran goalkeeper had to be at his best moments later from a 40-yard free-kick from the influential Woodman, doing well to cling on to the fiercely-struck effort.

It showed the visitors were getting desperate in their attempts to level for a third time, although substitute Stuart Green mis-hit a volley from the middle of the area after being allowed too much space by the home defence – and he perhaps had more time than he thought.

Ashley Chambers was brought on as Wycombe went for broke in the four additional minutes.

He was nearly in after a header back from John Nutter lacked power, but Royce just got to the ball ahead of the Leicester loanee.

But time ran out on Dobson's big day, and Wanderers were left with that losing feeling yet again.

Wanderers: Shearer, Hunt (sub Chambers), Woodman, Duberry, Johnson, Westlake (sub Green), Phillips (sub Zebroski), Pack, Betsy, Pittman, Harrold. Subs: Young, Oliver, Montrose, Westwood.

Attendance: 5,316