GILLINGHAM 3-1 COVENTRY CITY
City: Allsop, Haynes, Webster, Willis, Martin, Fleck, C.Thomas (Barton 66) Swanson (Finch 81), Nouble, Jackson (Miller 77), Madine. Subs: Burge. Dion Kelly-Evans, G.Thomas.
Gillingham: Nelson, Garmston ( Egan, Ehmer, Loft, Hessenthaler, Pritchard (McGlashan 69),Dack, Foyte, McDonald, Marquis. Subs: Legge, Galbraith, Norris, Dickenson, Romeo, Morris.
HT GFC 0-1 CCFC
FT GFC 3-1 CCFC
ATT 5141
Goals Gary Madine pen 34, John Marquis 81, Cody McDonald pen 87, Jermaine McGlashan 93
Referee James Linnington.
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Coventry City snatched defeat from the jaws of victory losing 3-1 at Gillingham.
At the end of a week which saw heavy defeats for all three of City side's, the Sky Blues first team travelled to Kent to face Gillingham in a must win fixture for both sides.
The Priestfield Stadium has an open end for the away support and on a bitterly cold but sunny, it was no surprise that City did not sell their initial allocation of tickets.
The City support which was present, saw a City side which had Jordan Willis and Danny Swanson back in the team with Matt Pennington injured and Jim O'Brien on paternity leave.
City in whiite shirts and shorts and sky blue socks, had the first corner of the game in the fourth minute.
Four minutes later, Ryan Allsop in what could be his last game, pulled off a good double save to deny McDonald and then Marquis.
As the City support were laughing at the antics of one drunken supporter from Bell Green, Max Ehmer drove wide with a fourteenth minute effort at the end where the City support were.
A corner for the Gills followed as did another in the eighteenth minute, which this time Marquis sent well wide.
In the 21st minute, two Gillingham players were allowed to turn in the area and the second Jack Hessenthaler was able to send a bicycle kick onto the crossbar.
A City free kick led to a corner which was clearly far too easily as was the way Hessenthaler was able to fire across in the 27th minute.
McDonald was the next to run at the City defence but he lost the ball and City were able to clear with a great ball upto Danny Swanson who cut in to the area before being taken down.
Mr Linington awarded a penalty and up stepped Gary Madine to give City a 34th minute lead.
Jackson who had a good reception from the home fans, had City's first chance of the second half firing at Nelson .
Gillingham, who came out fired up for the second half, despite not having a permanent manager, won a corner. That was cleared and allowed Jordan Willis to make a surging run upfield.
Pritchard fired wide and the Gills won another corner but in the 55th minute, Jackson attacked but lost possession just as he was looking for another City player to pass to.
Jackson fired wide before a Haynes cross gave City a 63rd minute corner.
Pritchard fired well wide in a move which saw Conor Thomas go down injured. Adam Barton came on for the Sky Blues who tried a quick attack, only for the assistant on the main stand side to raise his flag.
With thirteen minutes left and with the Gills on the attack, Pressley sent on first Shaun Miller and then Jack Finch.
But another attack from Gillingham came in and there was John Marquis to score the equaliser which had been coming.
The City fans looked at each other and five minutes later, Mr Linington awarded Gillingham a penalty which Cody McDonald dispatched.
The misery was compounded in stoppage time when McGlashan scored a third to send City to defeat and put even more pressure on Steven Pressley, who had some of the 481 City supporters on the final whistle, telling him to resign following a game City should never have lost.