City 1, Gillingham 1

IT WAS a flashback moment for Peter Taylor as he was asked to explain away another episode of Valley Parade frustration.

A reluctant substitute, that his team had tried to send out on loan, had just stolen City's thunder deep into time added on.

The mood around the place had changed in that instant and another home win had gone begging.

Taylor had seen this scenario before during his underwhelming year at the helm. Only this time, the boot was on the other foot.

For the second season running, the former Bantams boss headed for the long trip back to Kent with a comeback point in his pocket.

Once again it was Phil Parkinson gnashing his teeth at another one that got away. Even worse, this sting in the 'Tayl' was of the foot-shooting variety.

For 92 and a half minutes, City had coped fairly comfortably with what Gillingham had to offer. Jordan Pickford had made a couple of regulation saves, Leon Legge wasted one header, Bradley Dack whizzed a well-struck volley over the bar.

Then Gillingham won one last corner and Legge was allowed to rise beyond the far post and head it back into the six-yard box, where it dropped for an unmarked Antonio German to stab home.

German is no fans' favourite with the Gills; far from it if you use Twitter as a barometer. Taylor himself admitted that the striker "frustrated the hell" out of him at times.

But he was the right man in the right place when it mattered on Saturday as League One's worst travellers bagged only their third point on the road.

For City, it means they are still not averaging a point a game at Valley Parade – a shocking shortfall this far into the campaign.

Coming the week after they had upset the division's best home record at Preston, it was even harder to stomach.

In hindsight, Parkinson may have opted to give Francois Zoko his first taste of City life when Billy Clarke was replaced for the final ten minutes.

The Ivorian frontman had beaten the midday deadline to sign on loan in time from Blackpool but spent the afternoon an unused substitute in the dugout.

Parkinson had instead gone with the more cautious choice of Jason Kennedy to bolster midfield and left just one man up top.

In his defence, he could argue that Gillingham were not really threatening to knock down the door at that stage – and Zoko had hardly met his new team-mates, let alone played with them.

The safety-first policy would have paid off if City had kept the ball with any composure in the closing stages.

But having got their advantage, you sensed a feeling that they thought the job was already done. Passes got sloppy, possession carelessly given away and Gillingham seized their opportunity.

It was all so avoidable. Such a dramatic finale should have been out the question long before. City had the positions and the chances to put the game to bed – but how often have we said that?

They forced nine corners in the first half alone and penned Gillingham in their own end for long periods. But what was there to show for it?

Gillingham had been clinging on to the contest by the fingertips of Stuart Nelson.

The keeper made two crucial interventions to keep his side alive by fingering shots from Billy Knott and James Hanson on to the woodwork. But he should have been worked more if the promise shown in some of City's build-up play had extended into the penalty area.

Admittedly, the hosts had been dealt an early blow when Filipe Morais landed heavily on his shoulder.

He tried to play on while holding his arm in the sling position and admirably still managed to whip over one very good cross.

But his exit before even a quarter of the game had passed robbed the home side of one of their most in-form outlets.

Andy Halliday switched wide to accommodate the arrival of Knott, still desperate to rekindle that August spark in his play.

He almost found it ten minutes before the break when the excellent Jon Stead cut back an inviting pass from the byline. The midfielder went for placement with a precise side-foot but Nelson got a thick enough touch on it to push his shot against the upright.

Parkinson had warned before the game of the need for patience against a Gillingham side prepared to sit deep. True to form, the back five became a back eight at any hint of danger as City tried to squeeze their way through a wall of blue.

They were rewarded just before the hour thanks to a couple of slices of good fortune.

The first was a slip by centre half Kortney Hause, which allowed Halliday space to slip into the corner of the box and drill in a low cross.

And there was Gills defender Legge, back-pedalling towards his own goal, sending his attempted sliding interception into the net.

Hause had not been the first player to lose his footing and neither manager was particularly happy with the heavy surface which was cutting up.

Parkinson tried to be diplomatic afterwards, stressing that as the home team City have to get used to the pitch and adapted well. But it is not helping matters.

That goal should still have been the starting point for a first Valley Parade victory since October 4. But then City rarely do the bog-standard home win.

Stead had led the line magnificently, pulling Gillingham's trio of centre halves around with his movement and general all-round play.

But he had run himself into the ground and made way for James Hanson.

Like the Doncaster game, City's one-goal advantage when Stead departed never lasted.

On Saturday they at least finished with a point – but the manner of the equaliser made it feel like a defeat for all concerned.

Hanson's three-month wait to add to his five-goal tally should have ended 12 minutes from time. But again Nelson diverted his effort against the post.

The importance of that save was soon borne out beneath the eyes of a disbelieving Kop where another substitute was making his mark. And Valley Parade was left with a familiar feeling.

Attendance: 12,434

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