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Gillingham fans expect their side to come back from Chesterfield with at least a point in League 2 on Saturday

Gillingham fans
Gillingham fans

It's all of nothing for Gillingham as they bid to extend their League 2 season with a positive result at Chesterfield, and our panel are confident they can emerge with something... but will it be enough?

MALCOLM SMITH

Grimsby

Last game of the season, Gills missing the promised land on goal difference, needing the win to make it. We have been here before but at least it’s not relegation that we are trying to avoid. Although, to not make the play-offs would feel like relegation. Gills never do it the easy way and in this league it doesn’t come much harder than playing the potential champions on their home turf. However, therein may lie our hope. Chesterfield need the win as much as we do so if we nicked an early goal the pressure may be on the Spireites. However, with promotion already achieved and their fans in party mood I can’t see us getting the win. Saturday has all the ingredients to be an afternoon to remember and one where we have to depend on other scores to be in the running. It’s going to be tense but I hope a draw will be enough.

Prediction: Chesterfield 1 Gills 1

ALEX SARSON

Wellingborough

There is one simple task for this weekend, one simple aim. Win. If we do that then we can at least look back at the final game of the season and know we did what we could at the b2net stadium. Chesterfield will be eager to finish the season on a high after a small slip of late and clinch the title. It’s only going to make the task of winning more difficult, but thankfully Bury (the other team fighting for the title) are going to be visiting Stevenage. If they were to lose, a simple point against Chesterfield will be enough. We can never do things easily can we?

I feel I can only make one prediction about this weekend, in that phones, portable radios and the like will be out for the majority of the game, tracking the Torquay and Stevenage results. I know I will be. But in the interest of finishing this off correctly...a 2-2 draw.

Prediction: Chesterfield 2 - 2 Gills.

JAMES STAPLES

Greenwich

Once again us Gills fans travel away for the last game of the season knowing that 90 minutes can make or break the season. It’s crazy that such a gruelling campaign will now come down to just a single game.

It reminds me of the final game of the 97/98 season when we played Wigan at the Preistfield and needed a win to secure a play-off spot. The post denied Southall and the club that day so I’m hoping for better luck on Saturday!

I believe there are two crucial differences between the Chesterfield game and Wycombe away last season; first off we now have a manager who’s not afraid to make selection changes. Stimson would have kept the same starting 11 unless his hand was forced by injury or suspension. Hess has shown he will pick a team to go out and win the game on the day rather naming players simply based on performances now or in the past.

Secondly, after last weekend’s debacle we go into the game with less pressure as we are relying on other results. The mantra is simple... we must win, get the three points and do a job. What happens elsewhere with the teams immediately above us can then be assessed.

I hope and expect the team to go out in a positive manner and not show the nerves that have blighted us in the past; both at home in recent weeks and of course at Wycombe last May.

Chesterfield will be going all out for a win to secure the title but I actually think this helps our cause. They will have a bit of pressure on themselves and we can take advantage of that. I’m going to stay confident and predict a Gills win; whilst hoping one of the teams above us are not as efficient on the day.

Prediction: Chesterfield 1 Gills 3

PAUL BLAKELEY

Maidstone

Things have gone a little bit wrong at the end of the season haven’t they? Each time we have a good opportunity we’ve shot ourselves in the foot - possibly the recurring theme of the last couple of months.

I’m not filled with too much hope, we just haven’t been playing well enough as a team recently. Oddly enough, we actually played better than we have done in recent weeks after we went 3-0 down against Macclesfield, which is a little too late. The defending was woeful though and the goals conceded were so easy.

The lack of pace throughout the team is a real cause for concern. Only Barcham has any and he’s injured now and was not able to run full pelt even when he did play. I can see us grinding out a draw with Chesterfield but I’m not sure it will be enough. I have a suspicion it will be but if that’s the case I’m not sure we’d do well in the play-offs.

Prediction: Chesterfield 1 Gills 1

RICHARD PEPPER

Manston

As the end of last season showed us on the final day anything can happen. On our day we can beat anyone in League 2. The trouble is we have had too few of those days this season. For whatever reason, we just haven’t got going. Consequently, our fate is somewhat out of our hands. We have to get something and hope that one of the two teams above us does us a favour.

Hess must bring Matt Lawrence back into the starting line-up. It was surprising that he preferred Sinclair last week as Lawrence has been our most consistent player this season, despite a couple of recent errors, though these should not have kept him out of the side. Certain other players are consistently poor yet retain their place.

Cody hasn’t scored in a few games so is due a goal, or two, or three and figners crossed Curtis Weston is fit to return. I suspect Spiller will come back in for Barcham, who may not be fit in time.

As this season has proved, this one is also impossible to predict, I just hope we are quick out of the blocks, keep our composure and get an early goal to settle our nerves.

Prediction: Chesterfield 2 Gills 2

SAM LIVINGSTONE

Pangbourne

Unfortunately we have got ourself into the position where, going into the last game of the season, we need points away from home. My gut feeling is that a draw will be enough to get us into the playoffs with both Stevenage and Torquay playing against tough opposition.

The only trouble will be getting anything from the best team in the league on their own patch. However, unlike our previous home games, Chesterfield will come flying at us and allow us to play on the counter-attack.

I am still fairly confident of a result and getting into the play-offs and I think Cody and Barcham will score to rescue a 2-2 draw for the Gills.

Prediction: Chesterfield 2 Gills 2

JULIAN HART

Canterbury

It’s strange that Gills’ away form has kept us in the play off hunt of late and is better than our home form. We couldn’t hit a barn door away from home last year.

Hessenthaler needs to make drastic changes from last weekend. Let’s put Jack Payne in at right back to replace Fuller, he covered that position magnificently there last season. Sinclair got exposed against Macclesfield and against Chesterfield will be torn apart.

Lawrence back into CB alongside Richards. Jackman is far too light for central midfield, and looked lost against the bigger Macclesfield midfield. He needs to be reverted to left back or left midfield if we want the best out of him. Ideally I’d like to see a midfield of Barcham(RM), Maher(DM), Spiller(AM) and Jackman(LM). This game will be decided in the middle. If we have a weak midfield the defence will struggle and the attacks will stall. Critically we cannot lose out in such an important match.

Gills will have to be strong, bold and brave. Make us the Pride of Kent lads!

Prediction: Chesterfield 1 Gills 2

CHESTERFIELD FAN

David May

I think Chesterfield will hammer Gillingham on Saturday. Whenever we’ve failed against smaller teams this season, as we did against Torquay in our last game, we’ve always responded in our next match at home and blown the opposition away.

We’ve only one injury doubt for the game and our top scorer Craig Davies has promised us a goal before he leaves the club in the summer. We lost last time at home to Bury and I put that down to our lack of recovery time. We played Oxford two days before in 19 degree heat and Bury had an extra day’s rest. The players are nice and fresh now and we won’t be making the same mistake again.

We’ve are not worried about Adebayo Akinfenwa as he came here with Northampton before and never got a sniff. And I don’t think we have to worry about Cody McDonald as the Gills will be spending too much time defending and worrying about Jack Lester.

Lester will return to the starting line-up and will turn the Gillingham defence inside out. I don’t give Gillingham a chance of getting anything from the game.

Prediction: Chesterfield 4 Gills 1

How do you think the Gills will do? Leave your predictions below.

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