Town fans left Portman Road angry and depressed once again as Gillingham took three points back to Kent. A Mamady Sidibe goal in the first half, again after Town had failed to defend a corner, was enough to take Andy Hessenthaler's side to victory.

With it appearing that Joe Royle will take over at Portman Road on Monday, Tony Mowbray lined-up a side again with few changes, Wayne Brown coming in for the injured Mark Venus and Alun Armstrong continuing in the absence of Marcus Bent.

The game started somewhat surprisingly without a minute's silence in tribute to former chief scout Ron Gray whose funeral it was yesterday.

The minutes prior to the game starting were punctuated with songs outlining negative feelings towards Joe Royle. The early stages of the game were scrappy with the first significant chance going to the away side, Tommy Johnson screwing a shot wide of Andy Marshall's goal.

Town's first chance fell to Pablo Couñago in the 10th minute. He was played in on the right by Ambrose but his shot was deflected away off a defender. Three minutes later Ambrose himself hit an effort past the post.

Town's best chance of the half came on 26 from a Jamie Clapham freekick. His ball in from the right was met by Wayne Brown deep at the far post and his header appeared to come off the bar, a rebound then being saved by the impressive Jason Brown in the Gills' goal.

The Blues had hardly started impressively, but had improved as the half went along. However, their defending of a corner was again to let them down. Player-manager Andy Hessenthaler sent in a corner from the Gills' right, Chris Hope got away from Hermann Hreidarsson and flicked the ball on for Mamady Sidibe to head in from a few yards out.

As so often lately an opposition goal was the signal for Town's confidence-lacking side to lose any direction they previously had. On 41 former Arsenal man Paul Shaw hit a shot wide when free in the box after a number of defenders had failed to clear.

More promising for Town was an Alun Armstrong header from a deep Hermann Hreidarsson cross which was saved by Brown.

Shaw had another chance to put the Gills further ahead as again the Town defence was at sixes and sevens, this time an attempted one-two rebounded into the striker's path inside the area, but he hit his shot by the post.

As the whistle went there were again boos and chants of “what a load of rubbish”, before the inquests into another well below par half from Town.

Caretaker-manager Tony Mowbray clearly felt that changes needed to be made, Darren Bent and Tommy Miller coming on for Jamie Clapham and Chris Makin, the side switching to an attacking 3-4-3 formation

This, arguably, was the first significant decision by Mowbray which wouldn't have been made by former manager George Burley and in the initial stages of the half appeared to be paying dividends.

On 48 there were claims for a penalty from Darren Ambrose after he was upended by Andy Hessenthaler as a John McGreal cross flew over. It would have been a brave referee who would have awarded it, the same at the other end when Sidibe went to ground under pressure form Hreidarsson a minute or so later.

The attacking approach from Town was inevitably going to leave space at the back and on 50 Andy Marshall saved well from Shaw after Holland had lost possession.

Armstrong hit a shot off a defender seconds later after he had been found in space on the right by Couñago. The former Boro man spent a lot of the game wide on that flank and caused the Gills a number of problems.

The Blues had an even better chance in the 53rd minute when Couñago played in Darren Bent. The youngster hit a shot from the right of the Gillingham area which Brown again saved.

The chances were coming fairly regularly for Town and two minutes later Armstrong hit the ball wide from 40-yards with Jason Brown out of his goal having chased a wayward back-pass.

A minute later Tommy Miller headed a deflected Armstrong cross to keeper Brown, although the midfielder had done well to get his head on the ball at all. Within a minute Brown had made another good save, this time from Armstrong who had been found by a Couñago ball on the Town right, inside the area.

Just before the hour Ambrose's header was yet again saved by Brown. The ball went out to Wright on the flank who sent in a cross towards Armstrong who hit a shot which was deflected over the bar. Surprisingly referee Conn gave a goal-kick.

On 65 there were big cheers from Gillingham as Marlon King came off the bench. The striker had been released from prison earlier this week, prompting some colourful songs from the North Stand.

Despite Town having a number of chances the goal hadn't come. Gillingham were far from unthreatening and Marshall made an excellent save on 67 at the feet of Hessenthaler, completely unmarked in the middle. Shaw had broken quickly down the left after a Town corner and sent in a low cross.

Couñago had been the creator of several earlier chances, but on 70 came close to a goal himself, however his turn and shot inside the area on the left were too close to keeper Brown. The young Welsh keeper had impressed many, some even chanting that he should be signed-up.

His opposite number was again in action in the 70th minute when he saved from the determined looking King who hit a shot from a narrow angle. For all his recent criticism and poor performances Marshall, who again suffered abuse from some Blues' supporters, had kept any chance of a Town revival alive with some important saves.

With 19 minutes left, Mowbray decided another change was required, Jermaine Wright coming off and Ian Westlake making his senior debut. The midfielder, a real box-to-box player, has impressed in central or left midfield for the reserves and U19s for some while now. Darren Ambrose moved to a right sided role as Westlake entered the fray on the left and looked by no means out of his depth.

It was Tommy Miller's turn to have a shot stopped by a defender on 78. Couñago had played the ball across the box from the right. Bent picked it up with his back to goal and teed up Miller whose shot was deflected over.

Town were pushing more men forwards, Hermann Hreidarsson increasingly getting involved in attacks on a permanent basis. With eight minutes to go the Blues had their best opportunity of the half. Armstrong sent back a cross after a corner, Hreidarsson headed across goal to an unmarked McGreal. He seemed to have time to pick his spot but his header was too close to Brown who got a foot to it and scrambled it away.

While it was a fine save, had the ball fallen to a player with more experience of taking chances the Blues would have been back on terms. As it was it was to prove Town's last serious chance of the game.

Gillingham though, were taking advantage of the increasingly gaping holes in the Town defence. Shaw hit a shot just wide and inexplicably King hit his effort well over when all he had to do was tap a cross from the right into an empty net from a few yards out.

As four minutes of injury time was counted down chants of “you're not fit to wear the shirt” began in sections of the North Stand and Wayne Brown's shot from 25 yards flew high and wide, summing up Town's whole afternoon and season so far.

Once more it was boos on the final whistle and calls for David Sheepshanks to “sort it out.” Promotion now looks a very distant dream, defeats against Gillingham, Grimsby and Reading hardly bode well. Town are at their lowest ebb for some years, more than a decade perhaps. It looks very much like an uphill job for the new manager.

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls