#only problem is last time i did that i picked zain and you can see how that went. etc

[dreamertrilogys]

quick assign me a (nick)name based on vibes

[fan-of-mulligan]

FOM BLOG: BRISTOL ROVERS 0-2 GILLINGHAM

My Thoughts On Bristol Rovers V Gillingham…….

The Memorial Stadium has been a good football stadium for Gillingham to travel to in recent season’s, Gillingham drew 1-1 against Bristol Rovers In The 2019 / 2020 Season With Tom O’Connor scoring a late equaliser, Gillingham won 2-1 against Bristol Rovers in The 2018 / 2019 Season, With Elliott List and Callum Reilly getting themselves on the score-sheet, Callum Reilly then got sent off and Liam Sercombe scored a sensational free kick for Bristol Rovers to half the deficit and Gillingham had to survive eight minutes of additional time to held on for three valuable points, and the final away game of The 2017 / 2018 Season saw Elliott List score a stoppage time equaliser which saw Gillingham retain there League One Status, And although Gillingham have drawn two of our three visit’s to Bristol Rovers, Gillingham really can do with picking up all three points against Bristol Rovers to start opening up a gap between ourselves and The League One Relegation Zone.

I thought Bristol Rovers were going to be dark horses to challenge for A League One Playoff Place This Season, Ben Garner had signed the likes of Jack Baldwin, Zain Westbrooke, Josh Grant, Ben Liddle, Ali Koiki, Erhun Oztumer, and of course, Max Ehmer and Brandon Hanlan, two players we were hoping to see extend there stay at Gillingham Football Club, Bristol Rovers paid substantial compensation to sign Brandon Hanlan, where as Max Ehmer wanted the security of a two year contract because Gillingham were unable to offer contracts to players because of the uncertainty regarding when The 2020 / 2021 Season was going to start, However, despite recruiting plenty of high profile players, a disappointing start to the season has seen Ben Garner replaced by Paul Tisdale, And Paul Tisdale will have the challenge of trying to keep Bristol Rovers in League One first and full-most and looking to implement his own idea’s which will of course take time.

And both teams come into this fixture off the back of contrasting FA Cup Results, Bristol Rovers won 6-0 against Darlington and Gillingham lost 3-2 against Exeter City, And Bristol Rovers will play against Sheffield United At The Memorial Stadium In The FA Cup Third Round, A Match which will surely be televised and had supporters been able to go to this match in normal circumstances, then this match would have completely sold out, even in normal league matches, Bristol Rovers would be getting 6,000 - 7,000 attendances inside The Memorial Stadium.

But the one thing we want to see from Gillingham in this match is a response, the performance can be as disappointing as it was against Crewe Alexandra, But if Gillingham have to smash and grab this match to win 1-0, then I will take that scenario any day of the week, Because a win for Bristol Rovers will see them close the gap on Gillingham to just one point and we’re are looking over our shoulder at the relegation zone, If Gillingham win, then Gillingham increase the gap to seven points and we will have seen a response from Gillingham after that disappointing FA Cup Second Round Defeat Against Exeter City.

Eventually, Gillingham’s Team News Was Announced On Social Media, And Gillingham Lined Up As Follows,,,,,,, Jack Bonham, Ryan Jackson, Jack Tucker, Connor Ogilvie, Tom O’Connor, Robbie McKenzie, Scott Robertson, Kyle Dempsey, Dominic Samuel, John Akinde, Vadaine Oliver Substitutes: Joe Walsh (GK), Declan Drysdale, Josh Eccles, Henry Woods, Matty Willock, Alex MacDonald and Trae Coyle - Tom O’Connor returns to the starting line up having missed the last few matches having picked up an injury whilst on International Duty With The Republic Of Ireland U21’s, But the big news has to be John Akinde, Dominic Samuel and Vadaine Oliver all starting alongside each other in attack, now lining up with three strikers up-front away from home is very adventurous, I did wonder if Gillingham were lining up with three strikers because Bristol Rovers have normally lined up with three centre back’s and Gillingham are looking to match up three verses three in what will be a very interesting battle between John Akinde, Vadaine Oliver and Dominic Samuel verses Max Ehmer, Jack Baldwin and Ed Upson ???

I had I Follow all set up ready and waiting for kick off, and at least this match kicks off at 7PM, And I think the inconsistencies regarding kick off times for mid-week matches has been infuriating, 5.30PM, 6PM, 6.30PM And 7PM, And if your A Season Ticket Holder who has paid for there Season Ticket and you cannot watch the mid-week matches that kick off at 5.30PM or 6PM, then your not going to be pleased with the home games that you are unable to watch because of kick off times constantly being changed for mid-week matches, I can understand the reasoning as to why Gillingham are kicking off at 1PM on A Saturday Afternoon instead of kicking off at 3PM, but mid-week matches have been kicked off at different times and there seems to be less of a understanding on why this is the case.

Both teams were out on to the pitch ready and waiting for kick off inside The Memorial Stadium, Hopefully, Gillingham can put the disappointing 3-2 defeat against Exeter City behind us by responding with a win against Bristol Rovers, and a win which would move Gillingham up The League One Table and further away from the relegation zone - COME ON THE GILLS!!!!!!!!!

FIRST HALF:

And the first noteworthy moment of the match see’s Josh Grant header the ball out of play for A Gillingham Throw On right on the halfway line in-between both managerial dugouts, and it is from this throw on where Gillingham manage to win themselves the first corner kick of the match, Ryan Jackson throws the ball long down the line and Luke Leahy wins the initial aerial challenge and Robbie McKenzie wins the second aerial challenge to header the ball forwards, and although Luke McCormick wins the third aerial challenge, The Bristol Rovers Midfielder can only header the ball straight into Scott Robertson’s Path, And Scott Robertson gets the ball under control before looking to pick out Vadaine Oliver with a threaded through-ball, But Jack Baldwin had tracked back and kicked the ball out of play for A Gillingham Corner Kick, And From The Resulting Corner Kick, Scott Robertson whips in a low cross towards the near post which wasn’t the best cross it has to be said, But Josh Grant has headed the ball out of play for another Gillingham Corner Kick, And Scott Robertson can try again at the second attempt, and from the second corner kick, Scott Robertson whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross towards the near post and Connor Ogilvie’s looping header goes well over the crossbar and out of play for A Bristol Rovers Goal-Kick.

As for how Gillingham are lining up in this match, Jack Bonham, Ryan Jackson, Jack Tucker, Connor Ogilvie and Tom O’Connor are Gillingham’s Back Five, Robbie McKenzie is playing in the central defensive midfielder role, Scott Robertson and Kyle Dempsey are lining up alongside each other in central midfield with Dominic Samuel playing in The Central Attacking Midfielder Role, And John Akinde and Vadaine Oliver are playing alongside each other in attack, Gillingham have switched to A 4-4-2 Diamond Midfield Formation, and this switch coincides with Jordan Graham being unavailable because of injury, The diamond midfield formation was the backbone of Gillingham’s success in The 2019 / 2020 Season, can the diamond help Gillingham to pick up all three points against Bristol Rovers at The Memorial Stadium ??? - Only time will tell.

Three Minutes Into The Match, And Gillingham have a throw on down the right side of the pitch in Bristol Rovers Half Of The Pitch, And From The Resulting Throw On, Ryan Jackson throws the ball short to Robbie McKenzie, who takes a few touches in possession of the ball, And Robbie McKenzie’s threaded pass through to John Akinde is over-hit and runs all the way through to Anssi Jaakkola In The Bristol Rovers Goal, Vadaine Oliver is then penalised for his challenge on Luke McCormick on the halfway line and Bristol Rovers have been awarded a free kick, and from the resulting free kick, Bristol Rovers pass the ball across there back four from right to left, And Luke Leahy has possession of the ball down the left side of the pitch, And Luke Leahy’s long ball down-field towards Brandon Hanlan is to long and runs all the way through to Jack Bonham, and from here, Gillingham were looking to cause Bristol Rovers a few problems defensively as Jack Bonham kicks the ball long down-field and John Akinde looks to try and flick the ball on towards Dominic Samuel, But Luke Leahy shields the ball out of play for A Bristol Rovers Goal-Kick.

Five Minutes Into The Match, And Dominic Samuel’s cross from the right side of the pitch in Bristol Rovers Final Third is blocked by Luke Leahy and the ball deflects out of play for A Gillingham Throw On, And From The Resulting Throw On, Gillingham create a half chance to try and open the scoring, Ryan Jackson throws the ball short to John Akinde, who manages to retain possession of the ball before passing the ball back out-wide to Ryan Jackson, And Ryan Jackson whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross and Vadaine Oliver’s glancing header was going wide of the far left post and Bristol Rovers Goalkeeper Anssi Jaakkola gathers the ball with ease, But despite that half chance not creating a meaningful goal-scoring opportunity, Gillingham were looking to open the scoring in the next passage of play, Anssi Jaakkola rolls the ball out-wide to Josh Hare, who was pressured by Scott Robertson to kick the ball long down-field and the ball runs through to Jack Bonham, who kicks the ball long down-field and John Akinde wins the aerial battle to flick the ball on towards Vadaine Oliver, who’s first time shot towards goal clears Bristol Rovers crossbar by some considerable distance - Although, It has to be mentioned that I thought the last touch had come off Josh Hare and Gillingham should have been awarded a corner kick.

Eleven Minutes Into The Match, And Gillingham create a very good opportunity to try and open the scoring, Ed Upson’s pass forwards towards Sam Nicholson on the centre circle is intercepted by Robbie McKenzie, And Robbie McKenzie runs forwards in possession of the ball before passing the ball square to Dominic Samuel, And Dominic Samuel takes one touch to control the ball and another touch to thread a pass through to Robbie McKenzie, who had continued his run forwards inside Bristol Rovers’s Penalty Area down the right side of the pitch, And Robbie McKenzie whips in a dangerous cross first time across the face of goal and John Akinde cannot make any contact on the ball and the chance had gone for The Gills, However, Bristol Rovers turned defence into attack because Josh Grant passes the ball centrally to Ed Upson, And Ed Upson passes the ball out-wide to Erhun Oztumer down the left side of the pitch in Bristol Rovers Half, And Erhun Oztumer runs into a more central position on the pitch in possession of the ball before picking out Luke McCormick with a cross-field pass, And Luke McCormick gets the ball under control before passing the ball through to Luke Leahy on the over-lap, And Luke Leahy passes the ball back to Luke McCormick, who passes the ball back to Ed Upson, And Ed Upson passes the ball back to Jack Baldwin, And Jack Baldwin takes a touch to control the ball before passing the ball forwards to Erhun Oztumer, And Erhun Oztumer takes a touch to control the ball before passing the ball out-wide to Luke McCormick, And Luke McCormick kicks the ball towards Brandon Hanlan on the edge of Gillingham’s Penalty Area, And Brandon Hanlan lays the ball off to Sam Nicholson, who runs forwards in possession of the ball inside Gillingham’s Penalty Area, And Sam Nicholson fires his effort towards goal across the face of goal and Sam Nicholson’s shot flashes across the face of goal and wide of the far right corner of the net with Jack Bonham diving at full stretch - Gillingham and Bristol Rovers have both created clear cut goal-scoring opportunities at either end of the pitch, But Sam Nicholson’s chance was the better of the two chances.

Thirteen Minutes Into The Match, And Gillingham created a decent opportunity to open the scoring, Jack Bonham kicks the ball long down-field and John Akinde brings the ball under control with his chest before passing the ball square to Kyle Dempsey down the right side of the pitch, And Kyle Dempsey passes the ball back to Ryan Jackson, who takes a touch to control the ball before kicking the ball long down-field and Scott Robertson wins the first aerial challenge and Jack Baldwin wins the second aerial challenge to header the ball clear and away from danger and Erhun Oztumer passes the ball back to Luke Leahy, who takes a touch to control the ball before kicking the ball long down the line towards Brandon Hanlan, who manages to retain possession of the ball despite pressure from Jack Tucker, But Ryan Jackson challenges Brandon Hanlan and pokes the ball back to Jack Tucker, who takes a touch to control the ball and kick the ball long down-field, and Vadaine Oliver wins the aerial challenge to flick the ball on towards Dominic Samuel, And Max Ehmer’s defensive header hits Dominic Samuel, and the ball deflects into John Akinde’s Path, And John Akinde see’s his initial shot towards goal blocked by Max Ehmer and the ball ricochets back to John Akinde, And John Akinde see’s his second shot towards goal blocked by Josh Hare and still John Akinde has possession of the ball for The Gills, And John Akinde passes the ball back to Kyle Dempsey on the edge of Bristol Rovers Penalty Area, And Kyle Dempsey works his way into a shooting position before curling a low shot centrally towards goal which was comfortable for Anssi Jaakkola to save in goal for Bristol Rovers.

Fifteen Minutes Into The Match, And Bristol Rovers were looking to make the breakthrough, Josh Hare has possession of the ball down the right side of the pitch just in Gillingham’s Half Of The Pitch, And Josh Hare passes the ball inside centrally to Ed Upson, Who gets the ball under control and passes the ball out-wide to Josh Hare, And Josh Hare passes the ball forwards towards Josh Grant, who passes the ball back to Ed Upson, who takes a few touches in possession of the ball, And Ed Upson passes the ball forwards towards Erhun Oztumer, who plays a first time pass through to Sam Nicholson, And Sam Nicholson is through on goal inside Gillingham’s Penalty Area, And Sam Nicholson’s shot towards goal takes a deflection off Connor Ogilvie and the ball goes wide of the near post and out of play for A Bristol Rovers Corner Kick - And Sam Nicholson came very close to opening the scoring for Bristol Rovers There - And From The Resulting Corner Kick, Luke Leahy whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross and the ball ricochets off Vadaine Oliver and Robbie McKenzie just boots the ball clear and away from danger, and Ed Upson headers the ball square to Josh Hare, who takes a touch to control the ball before kicking a diagonal cross-field cross towards Max Ehmer, who headers the ball down towards Sam Nicholson inside Gillingham’s Penalty Area, And Sam Nicholson gets the ball under control before laying the ball off to Luke McCormick, And Luke McCormick’s low shot towards goal is routinely saved by Jack Bonham In The Gillingham Goal.

And In The Seventeenth Minute Of The Match, Gillingham had a half chance to try and open the scoring, Gillingham have a throw on down the right side of the pitch just inside Bristol Rovers Half Of The Pitch, And Ryan Jackson throws the ball long down the line and Vadaine Oliver wins the initial aerial challenge and Ed Upson headers the ball partially clear and away from danger, However, Kyle Dempsey wins the fifty / fifty challenge and the ball ricochets into Dominic Samuel’s Path, And Dominic Samuel manages to pick out Tom O’Connor down the left side of the pitch in Bristol Rovers Final Third, And Tom O’Connor takes a touch to control the ball and another touch to whip in a dangerous in-swinging cross towards the far post and John Akinde’s low pull-back across the face of goal hits Jack Baldwin and Anssi Jaakkola dives on to the loose ball for Bristol Rovers, John Akinde, Dominic Samuel and Scott Robertson were all appealing for a penalty kick for Gillingham, and those penalty appeals were waved away, and also, I don’t think it was a penalty kick for Gillingham, The Penalty Kick John Akinde got against Charlton Athletic may have looked soft, But John Akinde was clearly tripped inside the penalty area in that match, this penalty appeal however isn’t a controversial decision and I don’t see anything in that to suggest it was a penalty for Gillingham.

But from here, Bristol Rovers were looking to open the scoring as Anssi Jaakkola kicks the ball long down-field and Jack Tucker wins the initial aerial challenge and Erhun Oztumer manages to pick out Sam Nicholson with a first time pass down the line and Sam Nicholson is through on goal down the left side of the penalty area - Gillingham’s Right - And Tom O’Connor is sticking with Sam Nicholson, However, Sam Nicholson cuts inside, inside Gillingham’s Penalty Area before skilfully evading the challenge from Tom O’Connor, And Sam Nicholson has fired his shot towards goal over the crossbar at the near post - AND THAT WAS THE CHANCE FOR BRISTOL ROVERS TO OPEN THE SCORING!!!!!!

And In The Twenty Second Minute Of The Match, Bristol Rovers had the chance to open the scoring again, Josh Hare has possession of the ball down the right side of the pitch, And Josh Hare passes the ball square to Josh Grant, who passes the ball square to Erhun Oztumer, And Erhun Oztumer takes a touch to control the ball before passing the ball forwards towards Sam Nicholson, who plays a return pass back into Erhun Oztumer’s Path, And Erhun Oztumer passes the ball out-wide to Luke Leahy down the left side of the pitch in Gillingham’s Final Third, And Luke Leahy fires in a low dangerous cross and Brandon Hanlan cannot get the ball under control and the loose ball almost falls kindly into Sam Nicholson’s Path but Tom O’Connor manages to header the ball partially clear and away from danger, however, Luke McCormick has scuffed his first time effort towards goal wide of the far left post - But Bristol Rovers are just starting to ask more questions of Gillingham defensively at this moment in time.

Twenty Four Minutes Into The Match, And Tom O’Connor’s in-swinging cross is charged down by Josh Hare at the expense of conceding a throw on for Gillingham in Bristol Rovers Final Third, And From The Resulting Throw On, Gillingham created a decent goal-scoring opportunity, Connor Ogilvie hurls in a long dangerous throw and Josh Hare can only header the ball clear towards the edge of Bristol Rovers Penalty Area and Dominic Samuel’s first time volleyed effort towards goal was heading towards the bottom right corner of the net and Anssi Jaakkola had to dive low quickly to save and then gather the ball at the second attempt to preserve the 0-0 score-line - And Dominic Samuel was so unlucky not to open the scoring for Gillingham There.

Bute despite almost taking the lead with that chance from Dominic Samuel, Bristol Rovers almost opened the scoring with the next passage of play, Anssi Jaakkola kicks the ball long down-field and Jack Tucker wins the aerial challenge up against Brandon Hanlan, however, Luke McCormick is on to the second ball, And Luke McCormick passes the ball forwards to Sam Nicholson, Who looks to turn into a more central position just outside Gillingham’s Penalty Area, But Sam Nicholson turns back on himself, and this creates some space for Sam Nicholson to unleash a fiercely driven effort just wide of the far left post, And Sam Nicholson has been the player to watch out for the home side, Because Sam Nicholson has already had a few efforts on goal which have fortunately failed to hit the back of the net.

But the next passage of play does see Gillingham stick the ball into the back of the net and open the scoring in this competitive League One Fixture, Jack Bonham kicks the ball long down-field and Jack Baldwin wins the initial aerial challenge up against Vadaine Oliver and Ryan Jackson wins the aerial challenge up against Brandon Hanlan and Kyle Dempsey flicks the ball on towards Scott Robertson, who manages to hook the ball over his shoulder and pick out Dominic Samuel with a unorthodox pass, And Dominic Samuel flicks the ball on towards Vadaine Oliver and Vadaine Oliver’s attempted pass through to John Akinde is blocked by Max Ehmer and Luke Leahy passes the ball forwards towards Luke McCormick, And Luke McCormick passes the ball back towards Jack Baldwin, And Jack Baldwin passes the ball out-wide to Luke Leahy, who takes a touch to control the ball before kicking the ball long down the line and Brandon Hanlan manages to retain possession of the ball momentarily when protecting the ball between himself and Jack Tucker, But Ryan Jackson manages to regain possession of the ball for The Gills before passing the ball back towards Jack Tucker, And Jack Tucker has kicked the ball long down-field and Vadaine Oliver manages to get on to the end of Jack Tucker’s long pass and Vadaine Oliver has the strength to get to the ball ahead of Max Ehmer and Vadaine Oliver shows great composure to chip the ball past Anssi Jaakkola with a neat first time finish and Gillingham have taken the lead at The Memorial Stadium - BRISTOL ROVERS 0-1 GILLINGHAM.

When Gillingham drew 1-1 against Charlton Athletic at Priestfield Stadium, I was talking about Vadaine Oliver’s one on one effort being saved by Ben Amos and big moments in matches can change football matches one way or the other, and in that match, If Vadaine Oliver scored for 2-0, then Gillingham would have been in a fantastic position to pick up all three points, But this goal from Vadaine Oliver against Bristol Rovers is a big goal in a big moment, Because Gillingham have taken the lead against A Bristol Rovers Side who can move to just one point behind The Gills if they can win against Gillingham, But a win for Gillingham will move Gillingham seven points clear of Bristol Rovers, this goal wasn’t a thirty yard screamer, it wasn’t a over-head kick, But this is a very important goal that Vadaine Oliver has scored to give Gillingham the lead against Bristol Rovers.

Twenty Seven Minutes Into The Match, And Luke McCormick is penalised for fouling Ryan Jackson, and from the resulting free kick, Gillingham had the chance to go 2-0 up, Kyle Dempsey whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross and John Akinde’s first time effort towards goal clears Bristol Rovers Crossbar and the ball goes out of play for A Bristol Rovers Goal-Kick - Very difficult technique for John Akinde to get that effort on goal on target, But 2-0 would have put Gillingham in a strong position to pick up all three points.

Twenty Nine Minutes Into The Match, And Jack Baldwin is penalised for his challenge on Dominic Samuel right on the edge of Bristol Rovers Penalty Area down the right side of the pitch, and from the resulting free kick, Kyle Denpsey whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross and Max Ehmer headers the ball partially clear and away from goal and Sam Nicholson smashes the ball out of play for A Gillingham Throw On, Which See’s Tom O’Connor throw the ball long down the line and Vadaine Oliver wins the initial aerial challenge and Max Ehmer boots the ball clear and Tom O’Connor headers the ball forwards towards Vadaine Oliver, who flicks the ball on towards John Akinde, And John Akinde manages to retain possession of the ball before passing the ball short to Vadaine Oliver, who passes the ball out-wide to Dominic Samuel down the left side of the pitch, And Dominic Samuel manages to pick out Kyle Dempsey with a pass towards the edge of Bristol Rovers Penalty Area, And Kyle Dempsey passes the ball back short to Robbie McKenzie, And Robbie McKenzie manages to pick out Ryan Jackson with a pass out-wide down the right side of the pitch, And Ryan Jackson waits for passing options before managing to pick out Robbie McKenzie with a pass on the edge of Bristol Rovers Penalty Area, And Robbie McKenzie’s first time curling effort towards goal goes just wide of the far left post, AND THAT WAS THE CHANCE FOR GILLINGHAM TO GO 2-0 UP!!!!! - Difficult to say if Anssi Jaakkola had that effort on goal covered because The Bristol Rovers Goalkeeper had dived at full stretch, But that was a sensational strike from Robbie McKenzie though.

Thirty Three Minutes Into The Match, And Bristol Rovers manage to win themselves a corner kick, Luke Leahy has possession of the ball down the left side of the pitch, And Luke Leahy whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross towards Brandon Hanlan and Jack Tucker has to header the ball out of play for A Bristol Rovers Corner Kick, And From The Resulting Corner Kick, Luke Leahy whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross and Vadaine Oliver headers the ball partially clear and away from danger and Erhun Oztumer is first to the loose ball on the edge of Gillingham’s Penalty Area and Erhun Oztumer passes the ball short to Luke McCormick and Scott Robertson has put in a very strong robust challenge on The Bristol Rovers Midfielder and the ball ricochets towards Erhun Oztumer, who runs out-wide down the left side of the pitch in possession of the ball before passing the ball short to Jack Baldwin, who gets the ball under control before whipping in a dangerous in-swinging cross and Connor Ogilvie manages to header the ball clear and away from goal momentarily, however, Ed Upson is on to the loose ball and Ed Upson passes the ball out-wide to Josh Grant, who passes the ball back to Ed Upson, And Ed Upson tries to pick out Brandon Hanlan with a lofted crosses inside Gillingham’s Penalty Areas But Jack Tucker was in the right place at the right time to kick the ball clear and away from danger, And once there was a stoppage in play because John Akinde was penalised for his foul on Luke McCormick In Bristol Rovers Final Third, There was a stoppage in play because Luke McCormick requires some treatment from the physio’s, and after getting some treatment, Luke McCormick is back on his feat again and Bristol Rovers may well hope that Luke McCormick can get through to half time before getting properly assessed at the break.

In The Thirty Ninth Minute Of The Match, Ryan Jackson runs down the right side of the pitch in Bristol Rovers Final Third, And Ryan Jackson’s cross is charged down by Jack Baldwin at the expense of conceding a corner kick, and from the resulting corner kick, Gillingham had the chance to double there lead to 2-0, Kyle Dempsey whips in a high and hanging corner kick towards the back-stick and Vadaine Oliver has headed the ball wide of the far left post and I thought the ball had gone out of play for A Bristol Rovers Goal Kick, However, Referee Scott Oldham has awarded a corner kick to Gillingham (maybe the final touch came off Jack Baldwin perhaps ???) and it is from this corner kick where Gillingham almost scored for 2-0, Kyle Dempsey passes the ball short to Scott Robertson, who gets the ball under control before playing a return pass back towards Kyle Dempsey, And Kyle Dempsey curls a cross / shot towards goal from the edge of Bristol Rovers Penalty Area and Kyle Dempsey’s cross / shot towards goal curls just wide of the far right post, and if that cross / shot from Kyle Dempsey was on target then Gillingham would have scored for 2-0 - A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR GILLINGHAM TO SCORE - Also, any touch off Upson, Grant or Baldwin would have seen one of those three players for Bristol Rovers inadvertently divert the ball into the back of there own net because the penalty area was so crowded that any touch on the ball would have been enough for Gillingham to double there lead.

Forty One Minutes Into The Match, And Luke McCormick tries to pick out Brandon Hanlan with a long kick down-field, And Luke McCormick’s long kick towards Brandon Hanlan is too long and the ball runs through to Jack Bonham just inside Gillingham’s Penalty Area, And In The Forty Third Minute Of The Match, Bristol Rovers were pushing for the equaliser, Because Sam Nicholson has possession of the ball roughly twenty five yards from goal, And Sam Nicholson manages to pick out Josh Hare with a threaded pass down the right side of the pitch in Gillingham’s Final Third, And Josh Hare has whipped in a dangerous in-swinging cross first time and Connor Ogilvie has to header the ball over his own crossbar at the expense of conceding a corner kick, and from the resulting corner kick, Luke Leahy whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross towards the near post and Josh Grant has flicked the ball across Gillingham’s Penalty Area And Robbie McKenzie has smashed the ball clear and away from danger - anywhere will do as far as Gillingham are concerned.

And In The Forty Fifth Minute Of The Match, Gillingham had the chance to go 2-0 up, Ryan Jackson manages to pick out Vadaine Oliver with a long ball down-field and Vadaine Oliver gets to the ball down the right side of Bristol Rovers Penalty Area, And Vadaine Oliver manages to keep the ball in play by hooking the ball across Bristol Rovers Penalty Area and John Akinde’s shot towards goal is blocked by Max Ehmer and Anssi Jaakkola dives on to the loose ball and was able to gather the ball at the second attempt - And John Akinde had a half chance there to double Gillingham’s lead to 2-0 just before half time.

And just as we are into first half stoppage time, Bristol Rovers were looking to score the equaliser before the half time interval, Josh Hare see’s his low cross across the six yard box cleared out of play by Connor Ogilvie for A Bristol Rovers Throw On In Gillingham’s Final Third, And From The Resulting Throw On, Josh Hare throws the ball short to Erhun Oztumer, who passes the ball back out-wide to Josh Hare, And Josh Hare fires in a fantastic low cross and Jack Tucker and Brandon Hanlan both compete for the ball at the near post and Jack Tucker has headed the ball up into the air and Jack Bonham claims the loose ball to relieve the pressure building on to Gillingham’s Goal, and the final noteworthy moment of the first half see’s John Akinde charged down Luke Leahy’s attempted clearance out of play for A Bristol Rovers Goal-Kick, and after two minutes of stoppage time, Referee Scott Oldham blows his whistle for half time.

HALF TIME: BRISTOL ROVERS 0-1 GILLINGHAM

I uploaded the following comments on to Social Media At Half Time,,,,,, HALF TIME: BRISTOL ROVERS 0-1 GILLINGHAM - Vadaine Oliver's goal is the difference between both teams at half time, But Gillingham have created plenty of opportunities to add to the score-line, Ogilvie has headed over from Robertson's cross, Dempsey's cross / shot just goes wide. Dominic Samuel and Kyle Dempsey have forced Jaakkola to make important saves in goal for Bristol Rovers, Robbie McKenzie has curled one effort towards goal which goes just wide of the far left post, Akinde & Oliver up top allow Gillingham to win the physical battle in this match. But despite how impressive Gillingham have been in the first half, Bristol Rovers have had chances to score, Nicholson fires an effort narrowly wide, Nicholson has curled one effort towards goal just wide, McCormick has had an effort on goal just go wide of the far post as well. Gillingham deserve to be winning on balance of play in the first half, just a real shame that Gillingham have not extended there lead because Bristol Rovers will get opportunities to score in the second half, next goal in this match is huge, Hopefully Gillingham get a second goal.

And Gillingham switching to a diamond midfield formation with John Akinde and Vadaine Oliver up-front and Dominic Samuel playing in the central attacking midfielder role has worked (so far) John Akinde and Vadaine Oliver are winning the aerial battle up against Max Ehmer and Jack Baldwin, And Dominic Samuel is finding those pockets of space in various area’s on the pitch to cause Bristol Rovers problems and Dominic Samuel has seen his shot towards goal saved by Anssi Jaakkola, And Bristol Rovers are struggling to cope with the physicality from Vadaine Oliver and John Akinde, and at the same-time, Bristol Rovers do not have the physicality up-front because Brandon Hanlan is lining up as a lone striker.

But even though Brandon Hanlan is lining up as a lone striker,  Erhun Oztumer is a quality player in midfield and he is capable of creating something out of nothing, Sam Nicholson has caused Gillingham plenty of problems defensively and you can see Paul Tisdale looking to do something to try and get Bristol Rovers back into this match, because you cannot see Bristol Rovers not testing Jack Bonham in-between the sticks and there is still plenty of time remaining in this match for Bristol Rovers to get a point, or turn this match on it’s head to pick up all three points, hopefully, Gillingham can score the all important second goal at some point in the second half which would put Gillingham in a very strong position to pick up all three points - COME ON THE GILLS!!!!!!!!!

SECOND HALF:

And right at the start of the second half, Bristol Rovers do make a change because Alfie Kilgour comes on to replace Luke McCormick (A Substitution which I failed to spot initially) And I guess with Luke McCormick picking up that knock in the first half that Paul Tisdale is taking no chances and The Bristol Rovers Manger is not only making sure that Luke McCormick doesn’t pick up a serious injury, But also, Defender Alfie Kilgour comes on to line up alongside Max Ehmer and Jack Baldwin in a back three, as Bristol Rovers look to try and deal with the physicality from Vadaine Oliver and John Akinde.

Gillingham have not made any changes at the start of the second half, But Gillingham did create the first noteworthy attack, Bristol Rovers have a throw on down the right side of the pitch in there own final third, And Max Ehmer throws the ball back to Alfie Kilgour, who takes a touch to control the ball, and Alfie Kilgour passes the ball forwards to Ed Upson, who takes a few touches in possession of the ball before passing the ball square to Josh Grant, who allows the ball to run through to Josh Hare on the byline, And Josh Hare takes a touch to control the ball before clipping the ball down the line towards Brandon Hanlan, who gets the ball under control and Tom O’Connor intercepts the ball and the ball ricochets towards Kyle Dempsey, And Kyle Dempsey gets the ball under control and passes the ball forwards to Dominic Samuel, And Dominic Samuel is looking around for passing options before managing to pick out Vadaine Oliver with a superb pass over the top down the right side of the pitch just outside Bristol Rovers Penalty Area - Bristol Rovers Left - And Vadaine Oliver takes a touch to control the ball and Vadaine Oliver whips a cross / shot across the face of goal, And Vadaine Oliver’s cross / shot doesn’t pick out John Akinde at the far post and doesn’t hit the target and the ball goes out of play for A Bristol Rovers Goal-Kick.

Forty Eight Minutes Into The Match, And Scott Robertson is penalised for a high foot on Luke Leahy from Robbie McKenzie’s Pass, and from here, Bristol Rovers create a half decent goal-scoring opportunity, Alfie Kilgour passes the ball short to Luke Leahy and Luke Leahy passes the ball inside centrally to Ed Upson, And Ed Upson takes a few touches in possession of the ball before passing the ball back out-wide to Luke Leahy, And Luke Leahy kicks the ball long down-field towards Brandon Hanlan on the edge of Gillingham’s Penalty Area and Brandon Hanlan chests the ball down towards Sam Nicholson and Tom O’Connor boots the ball clear and away from danger and Jack Baldwin headers the ball square to Max Ehmer, And Max Ehmer passes the ball out-wide to Josh Hare, And Josh Hare passes the ball inside to Josh Grant, And Josh Grant runs forwards in possession of the ball before passing the ball out-wide to Josh Hare down the right side of the pitch, And Josh Hare takes a touch to control the ball before whipping in a dangerous in-swinging cross towards the far post, And Luke Leahy hooks the ball back across the face of goal and Connor Ogilvie headers the ball partially clear and away from danger and Ed Upson gets the ball under control on the edge of Gillingham’s Penalty Area and Ed Upson threads a pass through towards the byline and Josh Hare’s first time cross is low towards the near post, And Jack Bonham saves and then gathers the ball at the second attempt.

And from here, Jack Bonham kicks the ball long down-field and Vadaine Oliver does really well to not only win the aerial challenge, but to also keep the ball in play down the right side of the pitch, And Vadaine Oliver passes the ball back to Kyle Dempsey, who takes a touch to control the ball, And Kyle Dempsey takes a few touches in possession of the ball before whipping in a dangerous low in-swinging cross towards the near post and Jack Baldwin kicks the ball partially clear and away from goal and Erhun Oztumer lays the ball off to Ed Upson, And Ed Upson kicks the ball long down-field and Brandon Hanlan manages to header the ball back towards Sam Nicholson, who manages to retain possession of the ball, looking to be heading towards the left wing before turning back into a more central position on the pitch, And Sam Nicholson manages to pick out Josh Hare with a quality cross-field pass, And Josh Hare manages to get the ball under control before passing the ball inside to Max Ehmer, who runs towards the edge of Gillingham’s Penalty Area in possession of the ball, And Max Ehmer lays the ball off to Erhun Oztumer, who takes a touch to control the ball before pretending to shoot, shift the ball on to his left foot, and then Erhun Oztumer, quickly shifts the ball on to his right foot, And Erhun Oztumer has whipped a curling effort towards the far left side of the goal and Jack Bonham had to dive at full stretch to his right to parry the ball wide and away from goal and the ball goes out of play for A Bristol Rovers Corner Kick - GREAT STRIKE FROM ERHUN OZTUMER, (WHO REALLY IS A TOP QUALITY PLAYER IN LEAGUE ONE) AND THE QUALITY OF THE STRIKE FROM OZTUMER IS MATCHED BY THE SAVE FROM JACK BONHAM.

And from the resulting corner kick, Josh Hare whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross and Jack Baldwin has headed the ball over the crossbar from close range and the ball has gone out of play for A Gillingham Goal-Kick, Gillingham’s Six Yard Box was packed so any header on target from Jack Baldwin could well see Bristol Rovers score a early equaliser in the second half, and with Alfie Kilgour coming on at half time to play alongside Max Ehmer and Jack Baldwin in defence, then Bristol Rovers have got three centre back’s who can cause Gillingham problems defensively from set plays.

Fifty Three Minutes Into The Match, And Alfie Kilgour is penalised for his foul on Dominic Samuel on the halfway line, but just before that foul, Robbie McKenzie intercepted the ball from Sam Nicholson at the crucial moment and passed the ball forwards to Dominic Samuel, so well done Robbie McKenzie for that interception, and from the resulting free kick, Jack Tucker kicks a diagonal cross-field cross long down-field and although Vadaine Oliver wins the initial aerial challenge, Josh Hare was in the right place at the right time to kick the ball long down-field and Connor Ogilvie headers the ball towards Tom O’Connor on the left flank on the halfway line, And Tom O’Connor gets the ball under control before kicking the ball long down-field and Max Ehmer looks like he has put himself in-between the ball and John Akinde to shield the ball out of play for A Bristol Rovers Goal-Kick, But Vadaine Oliver almost manages to kick the ball against Max Ehmer to win Gillingham A Corner Kick, but the ball does in-fact go out of play for A Bristol Rovers Goal-Kick, And Again, Bristol Rovers just cannot cope with the physicality from John Akinde and Vadaine Oliver.

Fifty Five Minutes Into The Match, And Connor Ogilvie is penalised for his foul on Brandon Hanlan, And Bristol Rovers have been awarded a free kick, and from the resulting free kick, Bristol Rovers came close to scoring the equaliser, Ed Upson passes the ball forwards to Josh Grant, who takes a touch to control the ball before passing the ball out-wide to Josh Hare down the right side of the pitch in Gillingham’s Final Third, And Josh Hare takes a touch to control the ball before passing the ball back inside to Josh Grant, And Josh Grant takes a touch to control the ball before passing the ball back to Alfie Kilgour, And Alfie Kilgour passes the ball towards Sam Nicholson a left / central area of the pitch, And Sam Nicholson takes a few touches in possession of the ball before passing the ball forwards to Brandon Hanlan, And Brandon Hanlan passes the ball back to Luke Leahy, And Luke Leahy play a one / two with Josh Grant before whipping in a dangerous in-swinging cross which Connor Ogilvie manages to header the ball clear towards the edge of Gillingham’s Penalty Area, However, Josh Grant has possession of the ball for Bristol Rovers, And Josh Grant passes the ball short to Sam Nicholson, who takes one touch to control the ball, and another touch to get a shot off towards goal, And Sam Nicholson’s shot towards goal takes a huge deflection off Jack Tucker and the ball diverts out of play for A Bristol Rovers Corner Kick - AND THAT WAS THE CHANCE FOR BRISTOL ROVERS TO EQUALISE!!!!!! - And from the resulting corner kick, Bristol Rovers created a half decent opportunity to level the game up at 1-1, Luke Leahy whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross and Vadaine Oliver headers the ball partially clear and away from danger and Erhun Oztumer gets the ball under control before passing the ball out-wide to Luke Leahy, And Luke Leahy whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross and Brandon Hanlan’s glancing header bounces just wide of the far left post and Jack Bonham had dived at full stretch to ensure that Brandon Hanlan’s header was not on target and the ball goes out of play for A Gillingham Goal-Kick.

Fifty Seven Minutes Into The Match, And Gillingham had the chance to go 2-0 up, Connor Ogilvie kicks the ball long down-field and Jack Baldwin headers the ball clear and away from danger and Ryan Jackson gets the ball under control before passing the ball back to Jack Tucker, And Jack Tucker takes a touch to control the ball before kicking the ball long down-field and Vadaine Oliver flicks the ball on towards Scott Robertson, who manages to keep the ball in play and run wide away from goal and Scott Robertson passes the ball back to Tom O’Connor on the left flank, And Tom O’Connor takes a touch to control the ball before whipping in a dangerous in-swinging cross and Kyle Dempsey’s header towards goal loops up into the air and Anssi Jaakkola makes a comfortable save in goal for Bristol Rovers.

Gillingham were awarded a free kick in The Fifty Ninth Minute Of The Match, And From The Resulting Free Kick, Connor Ogilvie kicks the ball long down-field and Max Ehmer wins the aerial challenge up against Vadaine Oliver to header the ball partially clear and away from danger, But Tom O’Connor is first to get on to the loose ball, And Tom O’Connor goes on a driving run down the left flank in possession of the ball before whipping in a high and hanging cross towards the back-stick and Tom O’Connor’s cross is over-hit and runs out of play for A Bristol Rovers Throw On, And From The Resulting Throw, Luke Leahy throws the ball back to Jack Baldwin, who gets the ball under control and passes the ball forwards to Ed Upson, And Ed Upson passes the ball back to Jack Baldwin, And Jack Baldwin passes the ball forwards to Sam Nicholson on the halfway line, And Sam Nicholson manages to retain possession of the ball before laying the ball off to Erhun Oztumer, who plays a first time pass out-wide to Josh Hare down the right side of the pitch in Gillingham’s Final Third, And Josh Hare not only manages to keep the ball in play, But Josh Hare goes on a dribbling run forwards down the right side of the pitch and continue’s his run forwards inside Gillingham’s Penalty Area, And Josh Hare’s low cross is blocked by Scott Robertson at the expense of conceding a corner kick, and from the resulting corner kick, Luke Leahy whips in a dangerous in-swinging cross and Vadaine Oliver manages to header the ball partially clear and away from danger and Scott Robertson kicks the ball forwards and further away from goal, and Ed Upson is on to the loose ball and passes the ball square to Erhun Oztumer, And Erhun Oztumer takes a touch to control the ball before going in a skilful run forwards in possession of the ball, taking on Scott Robertson and Kyle Dempsey and Erhun Oztumer is challenged by Vadaine Oliver and the ball ricochets off Kyle Dempsey, And Erhun Oztumer’s shot on the turn is saved by Jack Bonham In The Gillingham Goal, And Erhun Oztumer is the one player on the pitch who is capable of creating something out of nothing, thankfully, Jack Bonham has saved Erhun Oztumer’s shot on the turn to preserve Gillingham’s 1-0 lead.

And from here, Gillingham go from almost conceding at one end of the pitch, to almost doubling there advantage to 2-0 in the next attack, Jack Bonham has kicked the ball long down-field and John Akinde flicks the ball on towards Dominic Samuel, And Dominic Samuel passes the ball forwards towards John Akinde down the right side of the pitch in Bristol Rovers Final Third, And John Akinde has whipped in a dangerous in-swinging cross and Josh Hare has headed the ball straight into Max Ehmer, and the ball ricochets back towards Vadaine Oliver, And Vadaine Oliver see’s his first time shot towards goal saved by Anssi Jaakkola at point blank range and the ball diverts out of play for A Gillingham Throw On and Anssi Jaakkola has kept Bristol Rovers in this match with a very important stop - BUT THAT WAS THE CHANCE FOR GILLINGHAM TO GO 2-0 UP.

Sixty Three Minutes Into The Match, And Bristol Rovers make a double substitution as Zain Walker and Ali Koiki both come on to replace Josh Hare and Luke Leahy as Bristol Rovers substitute both wing backs, And Paul Tisdale will be hoping that fresh legs in both wing back positions can help Bristol Rovers cause Gillingham problems defensively in the wide area’s, As far as any substitutions for Gillingham goes, I think Scott Robertson could be a player who gets taken off because Scott Robertson is one player who may well need protecting having been in and out of The Gillingham Side in recent weeks.

In The Sixty Eighth Minute Of The Match, Bristol Rovers have the chance to equalise, Erhun Oztumer has possession of the ball on the halfway line for Bristol Rovers, And Erhun Oztumer manages to retain possession of the ball before running forwards into Gillingham’s Half Of The Pitch, And Erhun Oztumer is looking around for passing options before passing the ball short to Josh Grant, And Josh Grant passes the ball out-wide to Ali Kolki, And Ali Kolki runs inside centrally in possession of the ball before passing the ball back to Ed Upson, And Ed Upson passes the ball out-wide to Josh Grant, who shrugs off the attempted challenge from Dominic Samuel, And Josh Grant runs inside into a more central position on the pitch and Josh Grant continue’s his run towards the edge of Gillingham’s Penalty Area and Josh Grant’s shot towards goal fails to hit the target and that was a bit of a let off for Gillingham, because it had just opened up for The Bristol Rovers Midfielder to get a shot off on goal.

Sixty Nine Minutes Into The Match, And Alfie Kilgour goes down to the deck requiring treatment for a head injury, and after getting some treatment from the physio’s, Alfie Kilgour was OK to continue playing for Bristol Rovers, But In The Seventieth Minute Of The Match, Bristol Rovers had the chance to equalise, Ed Upson passes the ball out-wide to Ali Kolki, And Ali Kolki keeps the ball in play before passing the ball inside towards Zain Walker, And Zain Walker passes the ball towards Ed Upson, who passes the ball forwards to Josh Grant, And Josh Grant passes the ball forwards to Erhun Oztumer, and Erhun Oztumer passes the ball short to Josh Grant, who is waiting around for passing options before laying the ball off to Erhun Oztumer, who manages to clip the ball towards Ali Kolki down the left side of Gillingham’s Penalty Area, And Ali Kolki cannot quite manage to get the ball under control and the ball ricochets towards Brandon Hanlan, And Connor Ogilvie times his challenge to perfection on Brandon Hanlan, and not only has Connor Ogilvie made a goal saving interception, but Brandon Hanlan is penalised for his foul on Connor Ogilvie and Gillingham have been awarded a defensive free kick - Had Ali Kolki got the ball under control then he would have surely equalised for Bristol Rovers. and that is a massive let off for The Gills.

Seventy Two Minutes Into The Match, And Jack Tucker is penalised for his fun on Josh Grant - And Bristol Rovers have been awarded a free kick right on the edge of Gillingham’s Penalty Area - And From The Resulting Free Kick, Erhun Oztumer’s free kick towards goal hits John Akinde and the ball loops up into the air and Robbie McKenzie wins the aerial challenge and headers the ball down inside Gillingham’s Penalty Area and Tom O’Connor kicks the ball clear and away from danger towards the halfway line, and Dominic Samuel does exceptionally well to retain possession of the ball and wait for his team-mates to come forward to offer some support, And Dominic Samuel passes the forwards to Kyle Dempsey in Bristol Rovers Half Of The Pitch, And Kyle Dempsey retains possession of the ball and runs across towards the right side of the pitch and Kyle Dempsey passes the ball out-wide to Ryan Jackson, who takes one touch to control the ball, and another touch to thread a pass down the line towards Kyle Dempsey, And Kyle Dempsey whips in a dangerous low cross across the six yard box and there was Vadaine Oliver to header the ball into the back of the net for 2-0 with a diving header and there was nothing that Anssi Jaakkola could have done to prevent Vadaine Oliver from scoring his second, and Gillingham’s second goal of the match - BRISTOL ROVERS 0-2 GILLINGHAM.

But we have got to mention the quality of play from Gillingham to hit Bristol Rovers on the counter attack, Dominic Samuel retains possession of the ball and passes the ball short to Kyle Dempsey, who passes the ball out-wide to Ryan Jackson, And Ryan Jackson plays a return pass down the line towards Kyle Dempsey, who whips in a first time cross with quality and Vadaine Oliver has scored that all important second goal to give Gillingham a two goal lead, However, Vadaine Oliver has collided with the post after scoring for The Gills and requires some treatment, thankfully, Vadaine Oliver is back on to his feat again, but with that all important second goal, Gillingham can possibly look to bring on Trae Coyle for Vadaine Oliver and Gillingham can substitute Vadaine Oliver to ensure that he is available for selection for the home game against Swindon Town On Saturday.

However, straight from the kick off, Bristol Rovers almost halved the deficit straight away, Max Ehmer passes the ball out-wide to Sam Nicholson, who takes a touch to control the ball, and Sam Nicholson threads the ball down the line towards Zain Walker, And Zain Walker takes a touch to control the ball before playing a short pass back to Sam Nicholson, And Sam Nicholson see’s his cross charged down and deflected into Zain Westbrooke’s path, And Zain Westbrooke has kicked the ball up into the air and Ali Kolki is there first to get to the loose ball and play the ball back into Zain Westbrooke’s Path, And Zain Westbrooke’s first time shot towards goal clears Gillingham’s Crossbar by some considerable distance, Bristol Rovers have also made there fourth substitution of the match with Zain Westbrooke coming on for Ed Upson, this substitution must have taken place when Vadaine Oliver was getting some treatment.

Seventy Eight Minutes Into The Match, And Jack Bonham saves Sam Nicholson’s dangerous in-swinging cross with considerable ease, And In The Eightieth Minute Of The Match, Zain Westbrooke has whipped in a dangerous in-swinging cross and Jack Bonham has gathered the ball with ease, Bristol Rovers just do not have the physicality in the final third to cause Gillingham problems defensively in the air, And with Gillingham winning 2-0 and quite happy to let Bristol Rovers have possession of the ball, Then Bristol Rovers have to find a way to stick the ball into the back of the net very soon to set up a grand-stand finish to this match.

Eighty Two Minutes Into The Match, And Bristol Rovers were looking to find that goal which would set up a grand-stand finish, And Sam Nicholson has whipped in a dangerous in-swinging cross towards the far post and Ryan Jackson has got the faintest of touches on to the ball to header the ball away from goal, And Ryan Jackson was clattered into by Zain Walker and Gillingham have been awarded a defensive free kick and well done Ryan Jackson for that defensive header, and Ryan Jackson requires some treatment on the pitch, and this stoppage in play allows Gillingham to regain there composure and slow down the tempo of the match to our level.

Eighty Four Minutes Into The Match, And Ali Kolki times his sliding challenge to perfection on Ryan Jackson, And Gillingham have won a throw on in Bristol Rovers Final Third Down The Right Side Of The Pitch, And From The Resulting Throw On, Ryan Jackson throws the ball short to Kyle Dempsey, who passes the ball back out-wide to Ryan Jackson, And Ryan Jackson passes the ball short to Kyle Dempsey, who passes the ball back to Dominic Samuel, And Dominic Samuel clips the ball over the top for Ryan Jackson to run on to, And Ryan Jackson manages to keep the ball in play by standing a cross up towards the far post, and there was John Akinde to header the ball over the crossbar, and the ball has gone out of play for A Bristol Rovers Goal-Kick.

And that header was John Akinde’s last involvement in this match, Because Alex MacDonald comes on to replace John Akinde, And John Akinde has been superb up-front alongside Vadaine Oliver all evening, and this is probably one of John Akinde’s best performances in A Gillingham Shirt, Alex MacDonald will come on to sure things up defensively for The Gills, And In The Eighty Seventh Minute, Bristol Rovers created a half decent goal-scoring opportunity as Jack Baldwin passes the ball forwards towards Brandon Hanlan inside Gillingham’s Penalty Area, And Brandon Hanlan has gone to ground underneath Connor Ogilvie’s challenge and Jack Tucker takes no chances and kicks the ball clear and away from danger at the expense of conceding a throw on, and from the resulting throw on, Ali Kolki throws the ball back to Jack Baldwin, who takes a touch to control the ball before whipping in a high and hanging cross towards the back-stick and Jack Bonham was able to gather the ball with ease.

And In The Ninetieth Minute Of The Match, Bristol Rovers came close to scoring again, Sam Nicholson has managed to pick out Brandon Hanlan with a low cross across towards the near post, And Brandon Hanlan manages to retain possession of the ball before eventually being challenged by Alex MacDonald, However, Alfie Kilgour has possession of the ball down the right side of the pitch, and Alfie Kilgour passes the ball down the line towards Sam Nicholson, And Sam Nicholson uses his pace to take on Alex MacDonald and stand the ball up towards the far post and Josh Grants Header towards goal goes wide of the far left post, and the ball goes out of play for A Gillingham Goal-Kick.

Gillingham then make there second substitution of the match as Declan Drysdale comes on to replace Scott Robertson, who has put in a exceptional performance in the middle of midfield, And Declan Drysdale will come on to sure things up defensively for The Gills, The next attack see’s Bristol Rovers on the front-foot as Zain Westbrooke plays a one / two with Sam Nicholson and Zain Westbrooke passes the ball inside centrally to Erhun Oztumer, who passes the ball square to Jack Baldwin, And Jack Baldwin passes the ball out-wide to Ali Kolki down the left side of the pitch, And Ali Kolki whips in a dangerous low cross and Brandon Hanlan flicks the ball across the penalty area and Tom O’Connor boots the ball clear and away from danger and Erhun Oztumer gets the ball under control, takes a few touches in possession of the ball and passes the ball forwards towards Brandon Hanlan, And Brandon Hanlan lays the ball off to Zain Walker, who passes the ball backwards towards Zain Westbrooke, And Zain Westbrooke passes the ball out-wide to Sam Nicholson, And Sam Nicholson passes the ball back inside to Zain Westbrooke, And Zain Westbrooke takes a touch to control the ball before whipping in a dangerous in-swinging cross and Zain Walker’s diving header fails to hit the target and the ball goes out of play for A Gillingham Goal-Kick.

And In The Ninety Third Minute Of The Match, Trae Coyle comes on to replace Vadaine Oliver, And you have got to applaud Vadaine Oliver, not just for the two goals, but his overall performance was exceptional again for Gillingham and Vadaine Oliver has now scored three goals in his last two appearances for The Gills, And the final noteworthy moment of the match see’s Max Ehmer’s low cross across the face of goal go out for a goal-kick for The Gills, and neither Brandon Hanlan, Zain Walker or Ali Kolki can divert the ball goal-wards, and after over four minutes of stoppage time, Referee Scott Oldham blows his whistle for Full Time and the final score at The Memorial Stadium Is Bristol Rovers 0-2 Gillingham.

FULL TIME: BRISTOL ROVERS 0-2 GILLINGHAM

I uploaded the following stats update on to Social Media,,,,,, FULL TIME: BRISTOL ROVERS 0-2 GILLINGHAM - A brace from Oliver earns Gillingham three valuable points and Gillingham now move up to 12th in The League One Table after this win tonight, Gillingham's win against Bristol Rovers was also The Gills third away league win of the season. Vadaine Oliver will get all the praise and plaudits for scoring both goals tonight - and rightfully so - But you can pick a additional seven or eight players who were exceptional this evening, Robbie McKenzie is one of those players, who again was superb in-front of the back four, Kyle Dempsey whipped in a sensational cross for Oliver's second goal, Tucker and Ogilvie were brilliant in the heart of Gillingham's Defence, and when Jack Bonham had to be called upon, he prevented Oztumer from scoring from a free kick when the score-line was 1-0 to The Gills. After losing 3-2 against Exeter City In The FA Cup Second Round on Saturday, we wanted to see Gillingham respond tonight, And The Gills have responded by putting in our best performance and our most professional performance of the season by winning 2-0 against Bristol Rovers.

And the latter part of my status update is the big talking point, we wanted to see Gillingham respond with a result against Bristol Rovers, But this wasn’t a smash and grab 1-0 win, this was a exceptional 2-0 win for The Gills against A Bristol Rovers Side who were tipped by many at the start of the season to be dark horses for a playoff challenge in League One, And I do believe that this was Gillingham’s most professional performance of the season, and we have seen the players put that 3-2 home defeat to Exeter City In The Second Round Of The FA Cup behind them with a hard fought win against Bristol Rovers At The Memorial Stadium, If there is one negative on the result, it is the fact that we as supporters could not be inside The Memorial Stadium to celebrate Gillingham’s 2-0 win tonight, Traveling back from a away ground with a win, three points, a clean sheet, and celebrating the win with your fellow supporters are moments to savour that is for sure.

Gillingham are now twelfth in The League One Table, and more importantly, seven points clear of The League One Relegation Zone, that win against Bristol Rovers has opened up a gap between Gillingham and the bottom four, and if Gillingham can back up this win against Bristol Rovers with another win against Swindon Town, Then that gap between Gillingham and the bottom four is only going to increase, and hopefully, by the time we get to the home game against Peterborough United on Boxing Day the gap between Gillingham and the bottom four is ten points at the very least.

Bristol Rovers just could not cope with the physicality from John Akinde and Vadaine Oliver in there own final third, and Bristol Rovers were lacking a striker with that physicality up-front to cause Gillingham problems defensively, Sam Nicholson, Zain Westbrooke, and Erhun Oztumer are not players who can cause Gillingham problems defensively in the air, and the one player who can win the ball in the air in Brandon Hanlan was either isolated, or double marked to perfection from Jack Tucker and Connnor Ogilvie, and it was interesting to hear Steve Evans mentioned that these two trained attack verses defence against Brandon Hanlan when Brandon Hanlan was playing for Gillingham, So we knew how to prevent Brandon Hanlan from causing Gillingham problems defensively, and to keep a clean sheet away at The Memorial Stadium is a incredible response from how Gillingham conceded three goals against Exeter City, the entire team responded and put in a exceptional team performance, and just when Gillingham needed one as well.

Bristol Rovers Supporters have spoken about Gillingham on there forum, and one comment in-particular stood out, "Gillingham everything you need in league 1 with a mid table budget. Big, tough , experienced , hardworking , confident and organised.” And Bristol Rovers have the experience, they have the quality in there side to be pushing higher up the table, but they are perhaps lacking the organisation, the confidence and the toughness you need to dig out a unconvincing 1-0 win when your not at your best, And when you look at the likes of Sam Nicholson, Max Ehmer, Jack Baldwin, Brandon Hanlan, Luke Leahy, Ed Upson, Abumere Ogogo, Zain Westbrooke, and Erhun Oztumer in Bristol Rovers First Team Squad, then Bristol Rovers should be pushing much higher up The League One Table, and maybe Paul Tisdale will be hoping to bring in a few reinforcements when The Transfer Window Opens In January.

This was a professional performance, this was precisely the response we wanted to see from Gillingham after losing 3-2 to Exeter City In The Second Round Of The FA Cup, we were wondering how Gillingham were going to cope with the absence of Jordan Graham from the starting line up, and Vadaine Oliver and John Akinde up-front gave Gillingham the physicality in the final third and Dominic Samuel put in a superb performance for Gillingham in The Central Attacking Midfielder Role, But it wasn’t just the attacking players who put in a superb performance, defensively, Gillingham were out-standing and to go to The Memorial Stadium and keep a clean sheet is something that Gillingham have not done too often, even though we have picked up quite a few points away against Bristol Rovers in recent season’s, this was a very good win, Because the players have put that defeat to Exeter City behind them and Gillingham are now twelfth in The League One Table.

As for Gillingham being twelfth In The League One Table, I think any talk about challenging for the playoff is very premature, and with Gillingham playing against Swindon Town, Doncaster Rovers, Accrington Stanley, and Rochdale over the next four league games, the challenge has to be to get as many points as possible from these four matches and to open up a huge gap between Gillingham and The League One Relegation Zone, so much so that we are not even talking about looking over our shoulder at the bottom four, And four wins out of four from these four league games would put Gillingham on Thirty Two Points from Eighteen Matches.

Hopefully, the first of those four wins can be achieved on Saturday when Gillingham take on Swindon Town At Priestfield Stadium, this would also be another fixture that Gillingham Supporters would have loved to have gone to, But this match will be played behind closed doors, and hopefully, Gillingham can build on this 2-0 win against Bristol Rovers and pick up another three points against Swindon Town - COME ON THE GILLS!!!!!!!!

[alittlenomadchristina]

Guide to Hot Air Ballooning in Luxor [+Videos]

If you're thinking about hot air ballooning in Luxor, this is your guide!

I've been living in Egypt since 2016 so I know the in's and out's of this country and I'm sure I can help you make the most of your hot air balloon experience in Luxor.

Bucket List Experience: Hot Air Ballooning in Luxor

I will speak a bit about whether you should even do the balloon ride, how and when to book, the prices as well as what to bring and what to expect from this experience.

And, of course, I will share lots of stunning images of my hot air balloon ride in Luxor!

[mv_video key="rs676tlteqie9qm9k5hd" title="Readers Favorite Blogs about Egypt" thumbnail="https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/v1567428958/pbn7g2xjaz6lzlosfggu.jpg" volume="70" doNotOptimizePlacement="undefined" doNotAutoplayNorOptimizePlacement="false" ratio=""]

Is the Hot Air Balloon Ride in Luxor worth it?

YES, YES and YES!!!!

Chrissi happy!

I've been to 56 countries and have experienced some of the coolest things you could imagine, from skydiving to scuba diving to volcano climbing and whatnot.

This balloon ride was one of the Top 3 experiences of my life. I'm usually an adrenaline junkie and parasailing e.g. bores me, but this was just WOW!!!

It's an incredibly peaceful time in the air. The balloon is literally floating, you don't feel a thing, and it's so silent. All the while you fly over one of the most amazing sceneries worldwide.

The height depends on the wind, so sometimes you fly so low over the sugarcane fields that you can almost touch them, and other times you fly high over all the other balloons.

If the wind is right, you even fly over the Valley of the Kings! It's honestly so amazing, you really can't miss this!

Flying right over the graves of Luxor

Matador Network ranked Luxor the second-best place to go hot air ballooning in the world!

Is the Hot Air Ballooning in Luxor safe?

So you've heard about the balloon crash in Luxor years ago and now you're worried whether the balloon ride is even safe?!

I get it. In foreign countries, especially not so much developed ones as Egypt, the question of safety has to come up.

There's no denying, there have been a handful of accidents over the last decades. Since then, the Egyptian government has increased their safety measures profoundly.

They can't afford people being afraid of one of their most famous tourist attractions.

Just becoming a pilot takes many years of studying now and there is no reason you should feel more afraid to go hot air ballooning here than in any other country.

Civil Aviation Observer Mahmoud Zain also said that the balloons are checked daily by accredited engineers and trainers to ensure your safety.

The "hot air balloon airport"

Just walking or driving around Cairo, for example, would be much more dangerous if you look at your chances of getting hurt in traffic vs. during a balloon ride.

My friend was terribly afraid before we went and she almost canceled. Even when she was already in the basket, she was shaking and thinking about jumping out again.

But then the balloon slowly ascended and it was such a peaceful and magical experience that all her fear was gone just like that.

What is the best time for a hot air balloon ride in Luxor?

I wrote an extensive article on the Best Times To Visit Egypt and have included the best time to travel to Luxor/do a Nile Cruise, so check that one out for more information.

In short: Avoid the summer months like the plague as it gets insanely hot. The best time to go hot air ballooning in Luxor is from October to March.

I went in October and we were lucky in the sense that it was mostly overcast (which is extremely rare in Upper Egypt) so it didn't get crazy hot during the day.

If you're especially sensitive to heat, don't go before November.

The good news is that the sunrises and sunsets are much more spectacular in winter, and the balloons go up for sunrise.

Unfortunately, because it was cloudy the day I went, the sunrise wasn't as great as it usually is.

You will see from the pictures that it's absolutely stunning either way, and most likely your experience will be even better!

Hot Air Balloon Luxor - Prices and Booking

Prices vary greatly and depend on a few different factors such as the season and where you buy your tickets from.

The balloon ride prices rise during peak seasons. It's especially busy during the holiday weeks for Europeans, as this is where most tourists are flying in from.

Prices are therefore quickly increasing in October, December, and April and you can easily pay double.

During high season it's also important to book ahead as spots quickly fill up.

Another major factor that determines the cost is where you get your balloon tickets from.

If you're on a Nile Cruise, you will be able to book a hot air balloon ride through the ship/travel agency.

Since they want their commission on this sale, they obviously charge you that on top.

Also, if you are on one of the more expensive cruise ships, or staying in a fancy hotel, you will pay much more than if you book through a hostel for example.

I paid $75 for my hot air balloon ride (I went during high season in October), and that was the absolute best price you could get.

All the other people in my group paid anywhere between $140 and $250.

Since the devaluation of the Egyptian Pound in 2016, shortly after I moved here, prices in general are constantly increasing and everything is about 2-3x more expensive now than it was then.

Therefore, if you read this article even a few months after I published it, prices might have increased again. There's no better time to go to Egypt than now!

Even though costs are going up, this is still the cheapest place to do a balloon ride pretty much anywhere in the world, especially considering the breathtaking scenery you get to see here.

The other two most famous hot air balloon spots are Cappadocia in Turkey and Bagan in Myanmar, where you pay AT LEAST twice the price, often $400-$500 for the same experience.

So where do you book your hot air ballooning experience in Luxor to get the best price?

I can only recommend booking via Getyourguide. They offer the balloon ride ticket for about 95€, and you likely won't get it any cheaper. It is operated by Sindbad Balloons, the most reputable company in Luxor from what I've heard.

Also, you really want to avoid going anywhere in Luxor figuring out buying tickets by yourself, as you're bombarded by literally everyone trying to sell you something.

Luxor is the worst city in Egypt when it comes to hassle and harassment. Honestly, if my very first trip to Egypt had been to Luxor, I surely wouldn't have moved here.

It's not dangerous, but it's annoying as F***!!!

I'm usually not someone who does group trips or books much in advance, but in this case I highly, highly suggest it. It will save you years of aging ;)

Just book the ticket online and let them pick you up straight from your hotel or cruise ship, no hassle involved.

Unless you speak Arabic and are really good at haggling, there's also no way you'll get it cheaper anywhere else.

Luxor Hot Air Ballooning - What You Need To Know Before

[mv_video key="ugj8qwolqk06gxdqwaht" title="Hot Air Ballooning in Luxor - Sunrise Takeoff" thumbnail="https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/ugj8qwolqk06gxdqwaht.jpg" volume="70" doNotOptimizePlacement="undefined" doNotAutoplayNorOptimizePlacement="false" ratio=""]

1. Go ballooning the first day you arrive

Whether or not the hot air balloons can go in the air depends on the weather conditions.

Though they fly more often than not, there is a chance that you might not be able to do the trip on the day you wish.

I highly recommend, therefore, that you book a ticket for the very first day you arrive in Luxor. That way, if weather conditions make it impossible to go that day, you can still go do it the next day (if the weather has improved).

Don't worry too much about it, most of the time they do fly, but it's always better to be prepared and have a buffer.

That's about the highest you will fly

Safety Tip: I don't know where you'll book your ticket but if that company decides to actually fly on a day that is very windy or rainy, I recommend you don't go with them.

Accidents only really happen because of bad weather conditions, so be sure to take care of your own safety first.

They're pretty careful with this now due to those mentioned accidents in the past, so it's unlikely they will go.

But you never know if there are bad sheep out there, so don't risk anything and tell them you want to go the next day instead. Shouldn't be a problem!

2. Dress in Layers

Since all the hot air balloon rides in Luxor take place around sunrise, it's still a bit cooler than in the daytime.

I went in October and was picked up at 4:30 am, but that time changes depending on what time of the year you go.

Also, temperatures go down because you'll be at a much higher altitude.

The fire heating the air in a hot air balloon

That was my thought process - I freeze easily so I always try to dress warmly.

And it was good I did, the AC was cranked up in the minivan on the way to the "balloon airport" and it was chilly on the boat.

As soon as you're surrounded by the balloons that fire up though, it gets really warm! I guess they aren't called "hot air balloons" for no reason ;)

My sweater went off pretty quickly, it got quite hot fast!

Once you're in the air, the fire is burning above your head. Not constantly, but every few seconds the captain fires it up and then lets it rest again, depending on the wind and direction he wants to go.

My best advice would be to wear a t-shirt but bring a light sweater or cardigan as well.

3. Smile for the camera!

Nowadays, everyone has a smartphone with a camera and you will surely take a lot of photos.

If you bring a DSLR ( any bigger camera), they will tell you not to use it before takeoff. Once you're in the air, you can do whatever you want.

The reason is mostly that they want to sell you the video they're taking of your group.

Sunrise over the Nile in Luxor, unfortunately, it was overcast that day!

And that's why I'm telling you you should smile ;)

From the moment you get on the boat in the morning to cross the river and get to the balloon airport until you took off, there will be a guy filming everything.

I didn't think about the camera at first, but when I later decided to buy the video, I surely didn't look my greatest at 5 in the morning, haha.

My facial expressions didn't exactly show any excitement whatsoever before having a coffee, and let's just say, it wasn't the best part of the video.

Therefore, if you're one of the people who would like to get a video to remember this amazing experience, make sure you at least look decent in it and don't keep repeating the same poses, waves, at the camera, etc.

Maybe that's a travel blogger/instagrammer disease, but I guess we all like to look good in our photos/videos.

The video costs $10 on DVD and $15 on a USB stick. Quite a steal, considering you get a 32GB USB stick with it as well.

A lot of the footage is pre-filmed as they don't actually go up in the air with you, but all the moments before and after take-off are on camera.

Most people don't really like to be filmed much, so if you do, you can definitely get a few good scenes as the cameraman is happy he has someone actually motivated to film and create some good scenes.

Swirl around, jump in the air, whatever you think you want to have on camera later.

They told me they would have the video ready an hour after they dropped us back at the hotel and I honestly didn't believe that for a second, knowing Egyptians and their time management after living here for years.

I only ordered it because I was staying a few more hours and also returning to Luxor in a few days so I thought that would give them enough time and I would actually get it.

I almost couldn't believe it when an hour later the USB stick was actually waiting for me at the reception!

So you can really trust to get your footage unless you're leaving Luxor right away after your hot air balloon ride.

4. Bring some change to tip the crew

Before you take off and as soon as you land, there's a bunch of guys holding down the basket to make sure you're not flying away.

The Ground Crew Doing The Hard Work

Upon landing, they gather the huge balloon and have quite some hard work to do. They follow your balloon while it's in the air and quickly drive to the spot you're about to land.

There is no set landing point, it always depends on the wind. So when your captain starts descending and preparing for landing, you will see they usually already arrived on ground and are waiting to help you land.

These are the guys who you're expected to tip. Remember, people make very little money in Egypt and the rising prices are due to rising costs.

Life has become quite hard for Egyptians, so they really appreciate a tip.

5. What to expect from your hot air balloon ride

A few more things you might find interesting to know:

After they pick you up from your hotel or cruise ship, you go to the docks and cross the river with a small boat (not a felucca).

They provide tea and coffee there, much needed this early in the morning!

Oh, and they ask you for your weight so they can determine who to put where in the basket to balance it out. Maybe have a diet day before ;)

It's helpful for them to know it in kilograms, so maybe calculate your weight beforehand if you use a different system to make it easy for them.

The hot air balloon baskets are quite big. They will take up to around 20 people in one balloon. It can get quite cozy.

The basket of the hot air balloon in Luxor

You have to climb a bit to get in and out of the basket, but they help you with small stairs and lift you if needed.

It's not important where exactly in the basket your spot is. The balloon turns around itself and in all possible directions all the time. You will get to see everything anyways, so don't stress.

The balloon is literally floating in the air, so you don't have to worry about motion sickness or anything. It's as smooth as can be, you don't feel anything.

The hot air balloon ride in Luxor takes around one hour.

The whole experience takes up more time, of course, with transportation and all that. We got picked up at 4:25am and were back at the hotel by like 7am.

What you see during your balloon ride depends entirely on the wind. It blows in different directions on different heights and the captain adjusts direction according to that.

Watch this video I took to get a better idea of what to expect from your hot air balloon ride:

[mv_video key="p79jfsewnjey1guqal2s" title="Hot Air Balloon Ride in Luxor" thumbnail="https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/p79jfsewnjey1guqal2s.jpg" volume="70" doNotOptimizePlacement="undefined" doNotAutoplayNorOptimizePlacement="false" ratio=""]

They will always try to give you the best experience! With a bit of luck, you even get to fly over the Valley of the Kings!

Either way, you will see the Nile river from above, the farmland (mostly sugarcane), locals waving at you from the streets and rooftops, and for sure some of Luxor's open-air museum.

We flew right over the huge graves and a temple, pretty cool!

After the ride was over, we got a certificate for the completion. A nice memory if you're into collecting tickets etc.

Hot Air Ballooning in Luxor - Conclusion

Finishing up, I just want to say again that hot air ballooning in Luxor is a total bucket list experience that you really shouldn't miss!

I loved it so, so much, and I don't easily get excited.

Even my friend who had already canceled in her mind and was so afraid said that she would have regretted it so badly if she hadn't gone and it was such an amazing experience.

For me, it was the best part of my entire Nile Cruise and trip to Luxor, Aswan, and Abu Simbel.

Pin this Luxor Hot Air Ballooning Guide for later:

See Full, Original Article Here: Guide to Hot Air Ballooning in Luxor [+Videos]

[smile-smile-ichthys]

A Princess and Her Maid

Title: A Princess and Her Maid Game: Be My Princess Characters: Zain X @hifftn and Butler Luke X Me Description: A bond between a princess and her maid can be unbreakable, and the things they are willing to do for each other to be happy in love go beyond the call of a normal friendship.

Sooooo I finally wrote it @hifftn haha you said Zain so this popped into my mind. A while ago I said to Jazz I wanted to write something Butler like (well Be My Princess app was making a come back for a few sub stories, I got in the butler mood again) and since I owed her a fic, she said I could do this as her request, and so was born this fic. It’s very fluffy, a little funny but mostly fluffy. I hope it’s ok and you guys enjoy it! No smut, only suggestion between, surprise surprise, Jazz and Zain ;)

H POV

“Once upon a time in a faraway land, a young Prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then, one winter's night, an old beggar-woman came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold” the TV spoke to me and my Lady as we started the film she had promised to watch with me.

“Do you think if I dress up as an old beggar woman like that and gave Prince Keith a rose he’ll change his attitude?” My Lady laughed and I couldn’t help but laugh with her.

“I am not sure my Lady, do you reckon we should give it a try?” I asked.

I loved serving my Lady Jazz, every day was a joy, she was so loving, generous and we were almost like best friends. You’d think being the granddaughter of the great Nobel Michel would mean she was snobby and treated her staff awful. You couldn’t be farther from the truth. I had been serving her for several years now and she still made time for us on a Friday night to watch a film together. No-one objected to it, even Master Zain made sure we weren’t disturbed.

“H, remember you’re not around staff now, call me Jazz” she insisted again.

“Sorry” I chuckled.

Even though we had agreed behind closed doors I could call her Jazz, when other staff were present, or anyone else for that matter, I had to call her My Lady. It was a fair agreement. But an agreement I kept forgetting. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to care that I kept forgetting, she found it more amusing than anything.

“I have your snacks you requested, My Lady” Zain said, interrupting us, smiling at us laughing at the idea of Prince Keith as the Beast.

“Thank you, Zain, just put them down here” she pointed to the end of the bed.

“Are we comparing His Highness Prince Keith to a film character again?” he asked playfully, eyeing my lady. Something he did often.

“Maybe, I mean I have to get ready for his visit tomorrow anyway, so may as well have a bit of fun before he gets here” she grinned.

I, myself, was a little too excited for this visit. If Prince Keith was coming to visit, it meant his personal butler was too.

“So, who’s the character this time?” Zain asked, after placing the snacks on the end of the bed for us.

“The Beast from Beauty and the Beast” I said, chuckling.

“Ah, that’s strange, I would have said you two would have said he’s like Gaston” Zain chimed in the argument.

“He may be a little…you know, but he’s not as mean as Gaston, and Luke is a lot like Cogsworth at times” my Lady laughed hard the comparison, causing me to laugh again too.

“Well, it’s better than last week, comparing him to Iago from Aladdin was a new low for you My Lady” Zain stifled a laugh also.

“Hey, as long as we saw the comparison, that’s all that matters” Jazz grinned. It was always a joy to see those two bouncing off each other, like a married couple…maybe they’d be that one day.

“If you need anything else, just call My Lady” Zain bowed, and I’m sure I saw a small wink from him.

“I will, Zain, thank you” she said, watching the door close behind him.

“Ok, tell me” I said as soon as he was gone.

“Tell you what, exactly?” she teased “Nothing is going on”

“Oh come on, tell me, please?” I asked, moving closer to her to beg.

Her and Zain had been having a very secret relationship for several months, something I was incredibly pleased about, but man, she could be stubborn in telling me about it. I didn’t blame her, if someone on staff found out, it would spread like wild fire and become a scandal for her, it just wasn’t worth it. Problem was, since I was vowed to serve her for the rest of my life, whenever I wasn’t with her I was going boring duties around the palace, so hearing about what she got up to when I wasn’t around was almost the highlight of my day. But why wouldn’t she share this stuff with me?

“Not unless you tell me about Luke” she said.

Ah…maybe because of that.

I blushed hard.

“What about him? There’s nothing to say” I said honestly.

“Then, I’m not telling you anything” she winked at me.

I sighed, sitting back to watch the rest of the film. There really wasn’t anything going on between me and Prince Keith’s butler, Luke. Sure, we had worked closely together to ensure My Lady and the Prince got on together, but romantically wise? Nothing. I mean, even if I did like him, how on earth would I start something? We hardly saw each other. And we had to be professional when we did. Oh, but seeing how frustrated he got with the tea sometimes, it was rather cute to watch. Even at the dance my Lady had to attend with all of the princes present, Luke had approached me to talk, and I was sure I could see some red in his cheeks. But I never thought anything serious of it.

“When you’re ready to admit you like the guy, then I’ll tell you everything about me and Zain” she said kindly.

“I do like him, but in the way you see Master Zain? No” I said.

“And how do me and Zain see each other?” she asked.

“You love each other, I’ve seen the way you look when he comes into the room, your eyes sparkle with pure excitement, adoration, and it’s the same for Master Zain, whenever you call for him and I’m with him in the servants kitchen, he jumps to his feet instantly, his enthusiasm is something to truly behold” I explained “You two just…fit, does that make sense?” I looked up at Jazz to only see her blushing but smiling.

“It does” she said “thank you for the compliment”

“It’s not a compliment, it’s the truth, I do hope that one day you and Lord Nobel can work out a way for you two to be openly together”

“We’re working it out, don’t worry” She assured me “but, what do you feel when you see Luke? Because, I’ve seen him when he’s not around you just like you have with Zain, and believe me, whenever I mention you, he almost stands to attention, he’s even asked after you”

“What?” I asked just as the clock rang 10pm, I had to get back to work now “Excuse me, Jazz, please, sleep well and I shall see you tomorrow” I bowed once I was off the bed.

“We’ll talk more then” she winked “You sleep well too”

 Jazz POV

The morning meeting of Prince Keith went just as smoothly as ever, all thanks to Zain’s planning and co-ordination. I was proud of him, well, I always was proud of him, but more so today for some reason, maybe it was because of what H had told me the night before. Either way, Keith had been taken to his guest room and had settled well, he was even outside playing some tennis while I had slipped off to the grand hall for my dance practise.

H always came to watch when I practised, sometimes even joined in, it was this time I was determined to show her how much she liked Luke. So, I quickly pulled Zain into the room a good few minutes before I usually started.

“My Lady, a little forward today” he teased.

“Easy Mister Butler” I chuckled, placing a gentle kiss to his lips “I need a favour, if that’s ok?” I asked, as I kept a hold of his jacket.

“Anything, what can I do?” he asked and I quickly explained the plan.

Once Zain had left, I happily waited for H to turn up, and when she did, I handed her a practise skirt.

“You’re joining in today” I said simply “just follow me”

“What? B-but…” she started.

“No buts!” I grinned and clicked play on my IPod.

I could tell she was a little hesitant as she stood next to me, beginning to follow my steps. I had hoped that dancing with me would loosen her up, calm her down before what me and Zain had planned for her, and it seemed to work. She tried to sway her hips like mine and she was picking up the moves as best she could, until Zain knocked on the door.

“Miss H? You are wanted by Luke” he said, popping his head round the door.

“By Luke? Is there something wrong?” she asked, pulling her practise skirt off.

“Something about Prince Keith’s meal tonight I do believe” he said “He’s in the kitchen”

“Thank you, excuse me My Lady” she said, bowing to me, so cute.

I smiled at Zain as she disappeared and gestured for him to enter.

“Do you think he’ll tell her how he feels?” I asked, taking Zain’s hand.

“Well, he said he would next time he saw her alone, so here’s hoping” he said, kissing my hand.

It was rare we had times like these nowadays. My public and royal duties were getting more and more difficult and time consuming as the weeks went by. It was getting closer to my coronation and plans were being made, thankfully, though, not about a marriage. Even though Prince Keith, and the other princes, had offered themselves up, there was only one man I wanted by my side, and I couldn’t have him officially yet. Even if we had…had each other already.

“I miss you, daily” he said, pulling me close so we could dance together for a bit.

“So do I, I think I and my grandfather are making progress though, hopefully we can come out to the public about it soon” I said. It was a little lie, me and my grandfather still weren’t entirely sure how to do it, and we both knew that the public were almost demanding I marry one of the princes. But I couldn’t hurt Zain like that, I had to give him hope for now. I knew I’d work something out, it just wasn’t in the see-able future, yet.

“I understand, I will wait for you forever my love” he said, kissing me ever so gently. I couldn’t resist in pulling on his jacket to deepen the kiss. He was addictive, and it crushed me knowing we couldn’t go any further than this for now since I had to share lunch with Keith.

“Tonight? As promised, yes?” he asked when we parted.

“Tonight” I said, ignoring the pain in my chest. I didn’t want to say goodbye and go back to our professional relationship, it was becoming harder and harder every time we did. Why couldn’t we just have a whole day together? Just us two, never leaving the bedroom. Well, maybe after the coronation, I’d find a day to do just that. I’m sure H would help.

During lunch, I could clearly tell that Luke had told H how he felt, his cheeks gave him away, constantly being painted a bright red and struggling to pour the princes tea. His hands were shaking, bless him.

“Luke, you spilled the tea again!” Prince Keith shouted.

“I think your butler had something…or rather someone else on his mind” I teased, sipping my perfectly poured tea. Thanks Zain.

“Look, Luke, I don’t care if you finally grew a pair and told that maid how you felt, but seriously, I won’t allow you to go on your so called date tonight if you don’t just pour my tea!” Keith threatened and I couldn’t help but smile. This was why we compared him to the Beast, deep down he was kind and cared for his staff, and it made my heart swell more realising Luke had asked for the night off to spend with H. Finally.

“I am sorry, your Highness” he said, quickly getting his little ginger head in the game and poured his tea perfectly.

I smiled to Zain who smiled back knowingly, the whole lunch went without a hitch, if only I could have a love that could go somewhere like H.

 H POV

I couldn’t believe it. Luke liked me. He liked me. Me. Of all people. I felt like someone from those romance films, the feeling of being in love for the first time. It felt scary…but I was excited to get to know Luke better, outside of our work.

I knew Jazz and Zain had set us up, I mean, when I reached the kitchen Luke just blurted out how he felt, taking me by surprise. How was that not a set up? Even though we were both a bundle of nerves, we happily told each other how we felt after the initial shock. He even asked me to go on a walk with him that night, something I eagerly agreed to. Would he kiss me? I certainly hoped so.

But, Jazz. She had done so much for me, and I knew that talks weren’t going well with Lord Nobel. It wasn’t that he was against the relationship, quite the opposite, I was quite sure he was the most eager for them two to be together out of everyone who knew. It was quite amusing to watch how doe eyed he got when those two were in the same room. But he knew how harsh the paparazzi could be, how harsh the kingdom could be to an out of the norm relationship for a princess.

I wanted to help them. I thought my plan would come in to play in a few months’ time, not now. I still wanted to spread information, stories, be more certain that it was working, but it looked like it was now or never. With my Lady’s coronation ever approaching, the expectation of Jazz to release who was courting her were mounting. I just hoped everything I had done until this point was going to pay off. With my fingers crossed, I approached Lord Nobel before I had to go meet Luke in the gardens.

 Jazz POV

My next day started without incident, until I turned my phone on and received several texts, e-mails, general notifications swamping my home screen, all of them saying congratulations to me. What the Hell? I stretched in bed, slowly getting up to get dressed before I even began to think about what they meant. I was still half asleep after all. I even spotted Luke walking with H down in the gardens, both of them giving her favourite horse a little walk around to stretch his legs. So, their date went well, good. But why were people congratulating me? Surely they should be celebrating them two?

It wasn’t until I got to my office I realised what had happened. The newspaper said it all. ‘Our Princess Dating a Butler’. Oh no. Who had told? Who had snitched? Oh no. I couldn’t have a scandal, not so close to the ceremony. My heart sank, worry settling in in an instant. What would happen now? To Zain? To me? To our relationship? I didn’t want to read the article, I knew how cruel the paparazzi could be, and yet, I couldn’t stop my eyes from continuing.

‘It has been finally confirmed’, ‘the stories are true’ and ‘calm those aching hearts’ were what caught my eye most, these sounded more positive than negative. What was going on? Instead of skimming, I decided to give the article a proper read.

My heart began climbing back up into its rightful spot, nearly jumping into my throat. This was a positive article. It explained how ideas from the general public about the princess falling for a butler was a fantasy that nearly everyone admitted to having, and the official release of a statement of mine and Zain’s relationship had sent the public into an enthusiastic frenzy. They were happy, extremely happy. But how? I rushed over to my grandfather’s office, but not throwing away the newspaper, after all, I saw further down the kingdom of Charles was jumping on the bandwagon. I kinda wanted to read about the stories of Prince Edward and his Butler coming out together. But that was a later read.

“Ah, wondered when you’d appear” my grandfather chuckled, Zain standing behind him, giving me his usual smile.

“What’s going on? Did you release a statement?” I asked, completely confused.

“I did, after I was assured the public would be happy at the news” Lord Nobel explained.

“What?” I asked.

“Someone had been planting seeds of an idea of us being together a long time ago” Zain said, smirking a little “that idea soon grew into stories, fantasies, it spread like wild fire throughout the kingdom, and soon almost everyone wanted their princess to marry whoever she wanted, the idea of a prince marrying her long forgotten”

“But…who…?” I asked.

“I think you know my dear, now, go thank her, I have some business with Zain so we can plan how you two are thinking of making an official appearance later today or tomorrow” my grandfather said happily.

I knew? Who…oh…oh she was going to get a talking to…and a big hug. God bless H.