Cody McDonald equalises to give Gillingham hope of reaching the play-offs but it was not enough Picture: Barry Goodwin

by Luke Cawdell

Gillingham’s hopes of a play-off place in League 2 ended after losing at newly-crowned champions Chesterfield on Saturday.

Two goals in the final 15 minutes put Chesterfield out of sight and with it ended any hopes of the Gills extending their campaign beyond the regular season.

The Gills found themselves a goal behind and out of the play-off positions early in the second half but soon bounced back.

McDonald was the man to make it 1-1 as he latched onto a fantastic ball through from strike partner Adebayo Akinfenwa just before the hour mark.

At that stage, with fellow promotion-chasers Torquay losing, the Gills had a place in the play-offs.

Things looked even brighter when Bury took the lead against Stevenage, moving the Gills up to sixth, but a second Chesterfield goal put Andy Hessenthaler’s men back out of the play-off positions and a third on 82 minutes finished their hopes off.

With Torquay losing their game the Gills only in the end needed a point but must now face another season in the Football League’s basement division.

Chesterfield, who needed just a point for the league title, were restricted to shots outside the box in the opening half and Gills keeper Alan Julian was rarely troubled.

At half-time the Gills sat seventh, thanks to Torquay being 2-1 behind against Rotherham, but there was more drama to follow.

With 10 minutes of the second half played the Gills found themselves with it all to do after Danny Whitaker took the ball off Matt Lawrence, rounded keeper Julian, and just as it looked as if the ball was running out of play he slid the ball in from an acute angle.

The goal was the first shot on target in a match that up until that moment had seen little action up-front from either team.

Gillingham’s first shot on target came from Danny Jackman but keeper Tommy Lee was equal to it and he palmed the powerful effort out for a corner.

Just moments later and the Gills were on level terms when Akinfenwa played a perfectly weighted through-ball into the path of McDonald and he slid in to connect just before keeper Lee. The ball bobbled slowly into the net to the delight of the 1,000 visiting fans.

Nine minutes after levelling the scores the Gills were a goal behind again when Jack Lester netted from close range.

Gillingham were 3-1 down with eight minutes left when Scott Griffiths burst down the flank and his cross was guided home by Deane Smalley. The goal finished the Gills off and ended their season.

Gillingham: Julian, Sinclair (S Payne 83mins), Martin, Richards, Lawrence, Maher, Spiller (Weston 60mins), Jackman, Bentley (Rooney 79mins), McDonald, Akinfenwa. Subs: Cronin, Nutter, Palmer, J Payne.

Chesterfield: Lee, Holden, Mattis (Breckin 83mins), Ford, Griffiths, Smalley, Whitaker, Allott, Talbot, Davies (Morgan 75mins), Lester (Boden 87mins). Subs: Redmond, Morris, Bowery, Djilali.

Attendance: 10,023