Stevenage prepare for their first test of 2023 as Gillingham arrive at The Lamex Stadium for a 3pm Kick-Off in Sky Bet League Two…
Boro sit second in Sky Bet League Two, just five points behind Leyton Orient and five points clear of Northampton in third.
Today’s match is Stevenage’s second at The Lamex in the space of four days after Friday’s 3-1 victory over Crawley. Steve Evans’ side will be looking to get an eleventh home win from thirteen matches.
At the end of the 2021/22 campaign, Gillingham suffered relegation from Sky Bet League One and returned to the fourth tier for the first time in almost a decade. Since then, The Gills have continued to struggle in Sky Bet League Two, picking up just two wins in twenty-two matches and scoring just seven league goals.
Gillingham have failed to win away from home in the league so far and haven’t picked up three points since the 1st of October when Alex Macdonald’s late winner secured a victory at home to Sutton. The Gills’ most recent fixture in Sky Bet League Two ended in defeat as Sutton got their revenge with a 2-1 victory last Thursday.
Neil Harris was appointed as Gillingham boss in January 2022 after having managerial stints at Milwall and Cardiff City. As a player, Harris wore the Milwall shirt almost 400 times as well as making appearances for Nottingham Forest, Gillingham and Southend.
Clashes between The Boro and The Gills have been somewhat of a rarity in the past, with the sides meeting on just seven competitive occasions. Stevenage have won two encounters, compared to Gillingham’s three. Boro’s only ever league victory against The Gills came in 2014 as Darius Charles and Francois Zoko made the scoresheet in a 3-1 home victory.
This season’s reverse fixture was back in October as Steve Evans’ men travelled to Kent in search of another three points. However, it wasn’t meant to be, as Danny Rose’s header was cancelled out by a Gillingham equaliser, meaning the points were shared. The Gills have scored just one league goal since that day.
Carl Boyeson has been appointed Match Referee for today’s match with Daniel Bonneywell and Ian Smedley as Assistants, and Sam Mulhall as Fourth Official. Boyeson has dished out thirty-two yellow cards in eleven matches matches.
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