Whitney takes the point from drab draw

ONLY the 209 Walsall fans basking in the unseasonal Kent sunshine were the winners of this game; a tight, uneventful match that wasn’t helped by a poor Priestfield pitch.

Gillingham striker Tom Eaves hit both the bar and the post in a match that Steve Lovell’s in-form side dominated.

And while Walsall’s run without an away league victory is now seven games, Jon Whitney’s side moved to four unbeaten with this draw.

“When we came to set up we saw that the pitch was really lively, which I wasn’t expecting, so we had to adapt our plans,” said Saddlers boss Whitney.

“We’d love to have come here and played nice football like we have done at times this season, but we had to do the basics right and grind out the result.”

Eaves should have arguably hit a hat-trick: he headed onto the crossbar from ten yards after meeting Connor Ogilvie’s cross on 21 minutes, and then missed the target following Luke O’Neill’s deep delivery 60 seconds later.

He shot wide from distance on the hour following good link-up play with strike partner Josh Parker.

Then, despite lying on the ground, he hooked an effort against the post as Walsall struggled to clear.

“Eaves is playing well for them up top now he’s showing his full potential,” added Whitney.

“We defended a lot of crosses and we put our bodies on the line. The application from the lads was really good out there.”

Walsall’s best chance of the opening half came on 33 minutes, when George Dobson’s low shot forced Gills goalkeeper Tomas Holy into a routine save.

Joe Edwards wasted a rare Walsall break midway through the second period when he selfishly shot over from 25 yards despite having three teammates in good positions.

Substitute Justin Shaibu also saw his effort parried by Holy in stoppage time after a surging burst into the Gills box.

“I’ll take the point and move on,” said Gills boss Steve Lovell, whose side have now lost just twice in 18 league games.

“Walsall defended reasonably well but we still had three or four good opportunities in the first half, and another three in the second half, we should have put the game to bed.

“We looked leggy. We didn’t play with the level of sharpness that we’ve had in recent weeks. I think we’d be out there now and we still wouldn’t have scored.”