LIST’S BELTER HAS GILLS IN DREAMLAND
ELLIOTT List’s late winner earned League One strugglers Gillingham a shock victory over big guns Cardiff.
Midfielder List buried his finish past Bluebirds keeper Alex Smithies with nine minutes remaining at Priestfield to see off the Premier League visitors.
Cardiff had been the better side in Kent, but were unable to make a breakthrough as they twice hit the woodwork in the second period and squandered numerous other chances.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing went closest for the visitors when he curled against the bar 20 minutes from time, while Gills defender Gabriel Zakuani earlier diverted the ball against a post.
With top-flight survival the priority, it looked like they would have to be content with an unwanted replay in south Wales before List emphatically intervened.
Gills manager Steve Lovell, who was born in Swansea, described the victory as the best of his career.
“It means everything at the moment because it’s the game we’ve just played and we got a result out of it,” he said. “Obviously I haven’t played against many Premiership teams before so it’s got to be the best, hasn’t it? “It’s a great result.” Lovell said of 21-year-old List: “He’s a great young player and a great prospect and a great character. He worked really hard and he thoroughly deserved it.”
Cardiff controlled proceedings early on and should have been ahead after 16 minutes.
A superb cross-field pass from Mendez-Laing found left-back Joe Bennett in space inside the box, but his closerange effort was repelled by Gills keeper Tomas Holy, before Joe Ralls’ goal-bound follow up was blocked by Alex Lacey. City defender Sean Morrison was then denied by an excellent save from Holy after stabbing towards goal as the one-way traffic continued.
Neil Warnock’s men were given a warning minutes before the break.
Full-back Bradley Garmston produced an inviting cross from the left and unmarked Gills top scorer Tom Eaves headed narrowly over.
Gillingham, just a point above the third-tier relegation zone, should have broken the deadlock in the 58th minute but Josh Parker somehow fired over from close range. But List made up for it when he made the most of Eaves’ ball into the box to powerfully find the net from 15 yards. Warnock said: “It seemed like we just wanted two or three more seconds every time we got a chance. “I’ve no complaints with the attitude, just we wouldn’t have scored in a million years.”