A terrible season can’t end quickly enough for Gillingham as they were thrashed again on Saturday.
A week on from a home collapse against Grimsby Town, the Gills were torn apart by play-off chasing Barnet, losing the League 2 clash 6-2.
Striker Callum Stead scored a hat-trick inside the opening 16 minutes, ending the rout with five goals to his name. The Gills had some brief joy when teenage debutant Sullivan Booth cancelled out a sixth-minute opener but the floodgates soon opened. Josh Andrews scored Gillingham’s second with the last kick.
Barnet were seeking a fourth straight win to keep alive their outside play-off chances and take it to the final weekend. The Gills offered no resistance.
The Gills started the weekend sitting 18th in the table and the visiting fans were determined to enjoy themselves despite the on-pitch woes, travelling in good numbers again for the final away game of the season and out-singing the home support.
But, once again, that loyalty wasn’t matched on the field as the Gills crumbled time and again in defence.
Just six minutes were on the clock when the Gills conceded yet another set-piece goal, a common theme for them. A corner was taken short, crossed in by Glover and Stead headed in the opener. He was to score four goals inside the opening half hour.
First-year Gills youth player Booth, 17, had been handed a surprise start by manager Gareth Ainsworth – one of five changes to the team which kicked off the week before.
Booth was making his first appearance in the Football League after impressing with the youth team this season and he was picked out by Bradley Dack with a low cross and the teenager slotted home.
Fellow youngster Harry Waldock was also back in the team for the Gills with Sam Gale, Seb Palmer-Houlden and Remeao Hutton all missing. Lenni Cirnio and Nelson Khumbeni were dropped to the bench.
Ronan Hale was wearing a face mask after suffering a broken nose prior to the game. Defender Andy Smith didn’t have protection but was also returning after a nose break.
Gillingham’s joy at equalising was short-lived.
Just two minutes after Booth’s goal and they found themselves behind again.
Conor Masterson’s clearance hit Stead, ran to Kabongo Tshimanga and he returned the ball to striker Stead who made no mistake.
Sixty seconds later, Stead had completed his hat-trick, with only 16 minutes played. Crichlow poked the ball into his path, he dropped a shoulder to avoid a challenge and stroked home the ball.
Idris Kanu went close to a fourth for Barnet while Glenn Morris made a save.
At the other end, it was Booth who was Gillingham’s best route to a goal. His alertness continued to pose Barnet’s defence problems, and when he got in on goal again, it needed a last-gasp block to deny him a second.
It was a shame Booth’s performance was overshadowed by some rank bad defending.
It was sheer determination that led to Stead’s fourth goal on 30 minutes, shrugging off several tackles and forcing the ball home past Morris.
Barnet continued to threaten with Crichlow and Danny Collinge going close after meeting free-kicks, while Morris saved another effort before the visitors added a fifth in first-half stoppage-time.
Goal number five came from another corner, Glover whipping it in and Crichlow heading home.
Ainsworth made a triple change at the break in an attempt to stem the tide, changing their approach upfront, with big striker Josh Andrews on for Garath McCleary.
Centre-half Masterson was swapped for loan man Travis Akomeah and young Waldock taken off for experienced Jonny Williams.
Gillingham did, for a time, stop the flow of goals against, but Barnet had total control and took the opportunity to rest some legs, with a quadruple change with just over 20 minutes left.
The respite didn’t last as Barnet scored from another corner, dropping for Stead, and the striker was quickest to react, prodding home the ball from close range.
Barnet wanted more and Morris had to beat away a shot from Crichlow.
Five-goal man Stead was finally replaced to a standing ovation from all sections, the away fans singing, “Sign him up,” as Barnet gave former Gills man Oli Hawkins a few minutes at the end of the game.
Mark Shelton was denied a goal when his shot hit the back of the net, thwarted by a flag for offside. Morris had to react quickly to claw the ball away from goal moments later.
With the last kick of the game, Andrews swept the ball in from Booth’s low cross.
Gillingham: Morris, McKenzie, Clark, Masterson (Akomeah 46mins), A Smith, Little, Waldock (J Williams 46mins), Booth, Dack (Khumbeni 72mins), McCleary (Andrews 46mins), Hale. Subs not used: Turner, Vokes, Cirino.
Barnet: Slicker, Collinge (Smith 67mins), Senior, Stead, Kanu (Chinedu 67mins), Glover, Hartigan (Winterburn 67mins), Shelton, Tshimanga (Jaiyesimi 67mins), Crichlow, Tavares. Subs: Evans, Ofoborh.
Referee: Ollie Yates
Attendance: 3,704 (1,078 away)
