Saturday 13th March 2010 - Kick Off 15:00

Football League Division One

Venue: Egdeley Park

Gills Recent League Form - last 6 matches

Stockport’s Recent League Form - last 6 matches

Saturday’s referee is Mr David Foster from Tyne & Wear. He started refereeing in 1999 in Newcastle and was promoted to the National List of referees in 2006. He spent two years as a contributory league referee and five seasons at panel league level. In 2003 he refereed the second leg of the Conference Play Off Final Morecambe v Dagenham & Redbridge.

To date this season, he has cautioned fifty-five and sent off two in twenty games. His last game involving the Gills was our 2-2 draw at Bradford City in October 2008, during which he booked three, including Barry Fuller and red carded Mark Bentley. He was last at Edgeley Park in January 2009 for the Hatters 4-1 win over Hereford.

How is it that a team with a home record that smacks of promotion form, but be struggling at the wrong end of the table almost exclusively down to their record on the road? Well, if anyone knew the answer and could turn round that situation, we’d be a top eight side.

County boss Gary Ablett has a number of injury worries ahead of the weekend's fixture. On loan winger Jemal Johnson is a doubt with a hamstring strain, as is skipper Johnny Mullins who missed last week's defeat at Charlton with an ankle injury.

Midfielder David Poole serves the second match of a two game ban after his dismissal in the recent defeat to Bristol Rovers.

Clearly Stimson has suffered criticism …  and rightly so sometimes, on tactics or lack of them when things aren’t going right and poor substitutions, both timing and selection of player … however I do think he has the desire (as well as Scally’s backing) to succeed at Gillingham (even if it is just to feather his own nest for the future).

It’s just at times, he doesn’t get it quite right, however that’s all part of a younger managers learning curve, whereas perhaps the likes of Stan Ternant would see the problem quicker.

That was evident last weekend … following recent results Stimson made his squad work extra hard through extra training sessions that he believes paid huge dividends with a fine 2-0 victory against play-off chasers Huddersfield Town last Saturday.

The players were given glowing tributes by their manager following this win that gives Gills a five point cushion above the drop zone. Stimson told the local media: "I’m a massive believer that if you try and cut corners in training, you have to cut corners in matches, and in a match you can’t do that.

The players worked extremely hard, especially in two tough days at the start of last week of doing the horrible side of the game and working hard on their fitness. They got their rewards and I’m pleased for them."

The win was only the clubs second this year, but their ninth at home where they have only conceded 9 goals in 18 games – the best home defensive record in the division.

The five point gap between them at the bottom four is a welcome sight, however that gap can soon disappear, especially with difficult games at home to Leeds and Southampton, along with away games at Norwich and Millwall to come in the final run in.

He added: "There is something about Priestfield that gets results. We have to maintain that if we want to stay in this division but we also need results away."

Stimson will use this week to further increase fitness levels and improve skills with extra training sessions before the Saturday’s game at bottom side Stockport. Without a win on the road this season, extra effort will be needed to try and secure three points against a side battling for survival on and off the pitch. Gills have a good recent record at Edgeley Park, losing just once since 1989.

Attack-minded midfielder Curtis Weston (above left), who was recalled to the starting eleven last weekend, has been given a clear task by boss Mark Stimson to work on his defensive play and take more responsibility for the team.

Stimson said: "He showed a little bit more discipline in his defending when he had to. It’s a big area of the pitch and if you are not disciplined then teams can run through the middle and cause you problems. If Curtis could defend better he wouldn’t be playing at Gillingham, he would be a top Championship player. That’s all that is holding him back.”

"For me, being a defender, I think that’s the easy part but for some it’s not. He has got absolutely everything else, he just needs to work and concentrate and sometimes forget about the ball and watch his man. He just wants to go and get the ball all of the time. I say just look for your man and don’t let him get the wrong side.”

"If he does that he will certainly be a top Championship player. That’s the big question, can he do it?"

Hatters boss Gary Ablett will be hoping the the club finally exits administration this week. After last weekend’s loss to Charlton leaving them ten points adrift of safety, some good news off the pitch would be welcome.

A consortium headed by ex-Man City striker Jim Melrose will take over at Edgeley Park provided the Football League agreed on Thursday to hand their Golden Share to the club's new owners. Melrose watched the game at the Valley, as did investors Kevin Tatum and Mick Horton, who say they're confident the deal will go through.

Administrators Leonard Curtis confirmed that they had reached a deal with Jim Melrose last week subject to the Football League’s approval.

Manager Gary Ablett said: "We'll be waiting for news with bated breath. I have had very limited contact with the lads behind the bid and I don't know what's going on. Hopefully this time we will get some good news."

Ablett's problems were clear to see last weekend … two down in the first ten minutes at Charlton ended any chance they had. Seven players on the treatment table or banned and four youth team players on the bench … even then he didn’t have seven subs to choose from?

Still confident, Ablett believes his team can still beat the drop: "The table doesn't lie and we're in the position we are because we haven't been good enough, but I think there's been an improvement in the level of performance over the past six or eight games, certainly since the turn of the year, and that gives us hope."

No doubt they will be relying heavily on striker Jabo Ibehre (right) on loan from the MK Dons. Ablett said : "We've got to try and keep Jabo fit, and wrap him up in cotton wool because on his day he's an absolute handful."

The manager insists that the spirit among his players has never wavered despite their desperate circumstances this season. They have been in administration since last April and Saturday's defeat at Charlton left them 10 points adrift of safety.

However, Ablett said: "We just stay positive and work hard. The lads all get on really well and despite the situation we find ourselves in, the spirit remains high."

Manager: Gary Ablett (Record to date: P39 W7 D8 L24).

Nickname: The Hatters.

Colours: Home – Blue & White. Away – Black & Yellow.

Ground: Edgeley Park.

Capacity: 10,832.

Transfers in: Paul Huntington from Leeds – free, Ritchie Partridge from MK Dons – signed, David Poole from Darlington – free, Adam Griffin from Darlington – free, Paul Gerrard from Sheffield United – free.

Loans in: Matt Sadler from Watford, George Donnelly from Plymouth, Danny Swailes from MK Dons, Jabo Ibehre from MK Dons, David Perkins from Colchester, Jemal Johnson from MK Dons, Christian Ribiero from Bristol City, Liam Bridcutt from Chelsea.

Transfers out: Michael Raynes to Scunthorpe – free, Oli Johnson to Norwich – signed, Carl Baker to Coventry – signed, Josh Thompson to Celtic - £250,000, James Tunnicliffe to Brighton – signed, Gary Dicker to Brighton – free, Dominic Blizzard to Bristol Rovers – free, Darren Green to Barrow – free, Tommy Rowe to Peterborough – signed.

Loans out: Michael Rose to Norwich, Peter Thompson to Linfield, Declan Edwards to Northwich.

Released: None.

We’ve met 37 times in competitive league and cup action. The first ever meeting was in December 1952, ironically in the FA Cup 2nd round, at Edgeley Park which we lost 1-3.

Our last meeting was at Priestfield last December when we were 3-1 winners thanks to goals from Dennis Oli, John Nutter and Febian Brandy, who was on loan at that time from Manchester United.

The overall record reads: Gills wins - 11, Stockport wins - 15, draws – 11.

•  Most capped County player – Jarko Wiss: 9 caps for Finland

•  Best attendance: 27,833 v. Liverpool 11/2/1950 – FAC R5

•  Most league appearances: Andy Thorpe – 489 – 1978/92

•  Most goals in a season: Alf Lythgoe - 46 – 1933/34 – D3 North (old)

1. • Biggest transfer fee received: £1.6 m for Alun Armstrong from Middlesbrough – Feb 1998
   

2. • Biggest transfer fee paid: £800,000 for Ian Moore to Nottm. Forest – Aug 1998

Boss Mark Stimson has the luxury of being able to name an unchanged side at Stockport this weekend.

Loan striker Chris Dickson has recovered from the calf injury which confined him to the subs bench last Saturday, so defenders Simon King (ankle ligaments) and Barry Fuller (broken arm) are the only ones unavailable.

Gills eleven from (4-4-2): Alan Julian (GK), Simon Royce (GK), John Nutter, Josh Gowling, Garry Richards, Kevin Maher, Curtis Weston, Stuart Lewis, Chris Palmer, Danny Jackman, Mark Bentley, Dennis Oli, Simeon Jackson, Chris Dickson, James Walker, Andy Barcham, Jack Payne, Tom Wynter, Luke Rooney, Rashid Yussuff, Rene Howe, Darren Dennehy, Adam Miller.

Hatters eleven from (4-4-2): Owain Fon Williams (top left, GK), Paul Gerrard (GK), Lloyd Rigby (GK), John Mullins, Paul Turnbull, Richie Partridge (top middle), Paul Huntington, James Vincent, Greg Tansey, Jabo Ibehre, Jemal Johnson, Adam Griffin, Matty Mainwaring, Danny Pilkington, Andy Halls, Declan Edwards, Gianluca Havern, Craig Roberts, Daneil Rowe, Danny Swailes, David Perkins, Sam Barnes, Louis Barnes, Tom Fisher, Matty Kosylo, James Disney, Cameron Darkwah, Matt Sadler, Sam Hare, Sean Williams, Reiss Lee, George Donnelly (top right).

His assistants are Mr Marvyn Amphlett from Worcestershire and Mr Robert Jones from Cheshire. Our fourth official is Mr Paul Graham from Greater Manchester.