Saturday, May 23, 2009

Live text - League Two play-off final

GOALFLASHES AND MAJOR INCIDENTS (all times BST)

606: DEBATE

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By Sam Lyon

"Spotted a few Shrews in the crowd with their rubber gloves on in homage to Ben Davies, who was featured in the Shropshire Star doing the dishes with his fiance sporting a pair of the gloves."
BBC Sport's Alex Gulrajani at Wembley

1441: 'What about the teams' head-to-head record', I hear you cry! Well, this pair have met 50 times, Shrewsbury winning 19, Gillingham 16 and with 15 draws. Earlier this season, the Shrews stuffed the Gills 7-0, before a late Grant Holt double denied Gillingham revenge in the reverse fixture in a 2-2 draw. Of course, though, as we all know - the form book often goes out the window on days like today. And it's a game of two halves. And there are no easy games at this level etc.

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"I just hope Curtis Weston is on his game, he is such an awesome player and i think he will run the midfield, and he surely is the key to our success along with Simeon Jackson and Andy Barcham attacking wise."
Gills-Matt on 606
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The sun is out
1433: The sun is bright and blaring at Wembey, now - what a day to celebrate promotion huh? Or, indeed, cry into your post-match pint. This gives me the opportunity to use our sun graphic - plenty more where that came from, I tell ya. Anyway, looks like the stands are filling up nicely - our boys' tip of a bumper crowd looks like coming good and then some. Nice.

Text in your views on 81111
"Made a little £2 single bet on Gillingham, Millwall, Burnley and Barcelona to win the upcoming playoff and European finals at combined odds of 50-1. I may be a neutral, but as a poor student, this week just got a lot more interesting...! Good luck, Gills!"
Darren, Warwickshire via text on 81111

1427: TEAM NEWS
Gillingham boss Mark Stimson sticks with the side that saw off Rochdale in the semi-finals, meaning Adam Miller and Mark McCammon both have to settle for places on the bench. Shrewsbury make two changes from the side that put them through to the final, with Omer Riza and David Worrall dropping to the bench and Nick Chadwick and Chris Humphrey coming in.

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"I've got a feeling Gills will blow it like they did against Man City in 1999. Shrewsbury have already come back from 2-0 down against them to get a draw this season."
Dan from York via text on 81111

1421: TODAY'S LINE-UPS
Gillingham: Royce, Fuller, Richards, King, Nutter, Lewis, Weston, Wright, Oli, Jackson, Barcham.
Subs: Julian, Bentley, Miller, McCammon, Jarrett.
Shrewsbury: Daniels, Darren Moss, Langmead, Coughlan, Ashton, Humphrey, Davies, Murray, McIntyre, Holt, Chadwick.
Subs: Garner, Worrall, Cansdell-Sherriff, Ashikodi, Riza.
Referee: Clive Oliver (Northumberland)

"Had a chat with a couple of Gills fans over a lunchtime shandy. Veterans of two previous finals, they were quietly confident of a victory today. Anyway, hoping for a good crowd today - Gills fans were saying they were expecting as many as 50,000 today, with Shrewsbury bringing 20,000!"
BBC Sport's Alex Gulrajani at Wembley

1416: So, a bit of background for you ahead of today's match - I may quiz you all on this later. Gillingham, unbeaten in six league and play-off games, qualified for the play-offs courtesy of their fifth-place finish and reached the final after beating Rochdale 2-1 over two legs in the semis. Shrewsbury, meanwhile, edged into seventh spot on the final day of the season thanks to their 2-1 win over Dagenham and Redbridge and then snuck into today's final by beating Bury on penalties in the semi-final. Paul Simpson's boys have been beaten just twice in 14 matches and are hoping to earn promotion via the play-offs for the first time in their history. Now put down your pens.

"The relaid pitch at Wembley looks good from 50 yards - not sure we'll get too many complaints about it today, though it will be interesting to see if it cuts up over the weekend. Fans are starting to filter into the stadium and the consensus of opinion is that the attendance will break the League Two record, which stands at 61,589, set in 2007 when Bristol Rovers defeated... Shrewsbury."
BBC Sport's Paul Fletcher at Wembley

1409: Now then, if you're not familiar with Paul Fletcher's work, get to the back of the class and face the wall of shame. Fletch is to Football League journalism what Celine Dion is to lift music - ie, the king. Read his thoughts on all this weekend's play-off finals, including today's Gills-Shrews clash, take notes and then quote the odd soundbite to your mates in an attempt to sound like you know what you're talking about. Happy days.
Who will win at Wembley?

1405: Today's fare is certainly a cracking prospect as two of the form sides of the division meet up to battle for promotion to League One - and we have all angles covered with our resident Football League expert Paul Fletcher alongside Alex Gulrajani in situ to bring the biggest and best chat from Wembley. Still, don't feel like my arms aren't stretched out wide to welcome all your banter by way of 606 or via text on 81111 - I crave your chat like a pregnant lady craves gerkins dipped in mustard. Or something like that.
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1400: Ah, the smell of freshly cut grass, white lines glistening off Wembley's green turf, excited chatter among fans as they pass under the arch, hot dog sellers pedalling grease in a bap on street corners and sets of Gillingham and Shrewsbury players scrapping for position in rest-rooms as they expel pre-match nerves down the U-bend... it can only mean one thing - it's the League Two play-off final folks!


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