The match started with both teams setting out their attacking intentions with chances at either end as Town looked to avenge the 3-0 reverse at Priestfield in January.  Swindon had a free-kick in the 7^th minute for a late challenge on Aaron Brown but the Gills defence cleared the resulting cross. Shortly afterwards Gary Mulligan's persistence earned his side a corner after he pressurised the Town defence into putting the ball out but Rhys Evans did well to clear the ball when it was crossed.

Jamie Cureton was set up with a superb opportunity when a through ball by Sean O'Hanlon reached the Town striker just outside the visitors goal area but his first time effort went narrowly over the bar with goalkeeper Jason Brown furiously backpedalling.

Aaron Brown sent a superb ball down the left wing for Lee Peacock to chase and he tricked his way into the Gills area before sending a looping effort across goal only for the ball to land on the roof of the net in the 17^th minute.

Gillingham were continuing to have the better of the play as they pushed Town upfield and Gary Mulligan earned another corner for the visitors with some aggressive attacking play which needed the attentions of three Town defenders to cut out the danger. Mike Flynn's powerful corner flicked off the head of captain Ian Cox and the ball went out towards the corner flag where Andy Gurney was penalised for pushing. However the Town defence was eventually able to clear the danger after withstanding more pressure from Gillingham.

Paul Smith had to receive treatment midway through the first half for a cut and had to leave the field temporarily to change his shirt and reappeared with no number on his back. No sooner had he rejoined when Lee Peacock fed a superb ball to Jamie Cureton on the left wing and he advanced forward a couple of paces into the penalty area before flicking the ball across goal and over the head of Jason Brown to give Town a 27^th minute lead.  The goal was Cureton's third of the season for Town and the Swindon fans responded by lifting the volume around the County Ground with chants of 'we are staying up' reverberating around the stadium. The  visiting supporters were stunned into silence after previously generating a good deal of noise on the Stratton Bank.

Gillingham responded with a shot by on-loan player Tommy Black who unleashed a shot from thirty yards which was always rising but close enough to goal to give Rhys Evans something to think about.

Swindon had two corners in the space of a minute before the keeper Brown finally gathered the ball at the second attempt in the 35^th minute.

The referee Scott Mathieson angered the Town fans and only showed a yellow card to Jason Brown who handled outside his area under pressure from Ricky Shakes but the referee deemed that the keeper had not denied a clear goalscoring opportunity. Incidentally this meant that the referee had kept up his record of not showing his red card this season!

Paul Smith left the field in the 38^th minute to be replaced by Stefani Miglioranzi after failing to fully recover from his earlier injury and the substitute was quickly in the action unleashing a shot from the edge of the area which was well saved. Shortly afterwards Jamie Cureton tried to double his goal tally for the night but his shot went high and wide.

The visitors were being restricted to breakaway attacks after Cureton's goal appeared to knock the stuffing out of them and Town almost went further ahead when Aaron Brown's backheel set up Jack Smith to fire in a fiercesome shot which rebounded off the keeper to a defender who almost knocked the ball into his own net. Lee Peacock was penalised in the attack as he tried to get his foot on the ball just as the goalkeeper dived on it to cut out the danger in the three minutes of added time.

The half time whistle was blown with Town on the attack and the Swindon players left the field to a good round of applause.

Half Time: Swindon Town 1 Gillingham 0

Town started the half brightly with some good attacking play but there was a moment of drama in the 49^th minute when Darren Byfield charged into Rhys Evans as the Town keeper caught a high ball and the referee wasted no time in brandishing a red card at the Gillingham player who took an age to leave the field. Amazingly Rhys Evans was shown a yellow card despite the bad challenge on him and the card could only have been shown for something he may have said to the referee after being clattered.

The game eventually settled down and Town won a corner through Jack Smith's persistence after charging down the right wing in the 55^th minute and he cleverly played the ball off a defender but the resulting cross was cleared.

Jamie Cureton showed more attacking flair on the left wing when he whipped over a vicious cross into the area where it was met by Lee Peacock who flicked a fine effort goalbound but the ball flew over.

Ricky Shakes will be kicking himself for missing a gift wrapped opportunity after Jack Smith had played the ball into the Gills area and Shakes found himself in one-on-one situation with the keeper Brown but his shot struck the keeper's legs and rebounded to safety.

Ian Cox showed some good defensive qualities for the visitors as Jamie Cureton charged down the right wing but Cox timed his tackle to perfection with Cureton about to dart into the penalty area and the chance was lost.

Cureton again featured in a strong Town attack with the visitors defence outnumbered by five to two but the goalscorer managed to squander possession with his colleagues screaming out for the ball.

Ricky Shakes earned Town their 5^th corner of the night when his attempted cross was cut out and Aaron Brown whipped in a powerful cross which saw the ball ping around the area before being hoofed clear by the Gills defence.

Shakes was again involved in the 69^th minute when he received the ball in plenty of space on the edge of the area but he delayed his shot and Ian Cox cut out the danger.

Town had a corner in the 73^rd minute after Andy Nicholas's cross was deflected out of play but  the keeper Jason Brown took the cross cleanly.

The Gills threatened briefly in the 74^th minute after Jerel Ifil had cut out an attack by Danny Jackman and a minute later Mike Flynn found himself in space in front of goal but his header was weak and easily caught by Evans.

Stefani Miglioranzi carved out a good opportunity for himself in the 77^th minute after beating three visiting players in midfield but the final shot was weak.

Gillingham manager Ronnie Jepson made his first substitution in the 78^th minute when he replaced Justin Cochrane with Danny Spiller. One minute later there was a tremendous roar as Christian Roberts returned to the County Ground as he replaced  Ricky Shakes. Roberts went  straight on the attack and he unleashed a shot which was deflected for a corner within a minute of him entering the field of play.

Gary Mulligan - on loan from Sheffield United - sent a dipping shot just over the crossbar as Town appeared happy to sit back and soak up the visitors pressure despite Gillingham being down to 10 players.

Ian Cox gifted Town with a fantastic opportunity in  the 88^th minute when his attempted backpass was woefully weak and the ball went straight to Jamie Cureton who charged towards goal supported by two colleagues but his powerful shot managed to strike the keeper with the goal at his mercy.

The visitors still had not given up and were making a tremendous fight of things playing with the wind and managing to keep Town at bay despite good attacks by Cureton and Roberts.

Three minutes of added time were played to stretch the Town supporters nerves further but Iffy Onuora's team held on to secure a narrow but well deserved victory and the Gillingham supporters will have left rueing the red card shown to their leading scorer early in the second half.

The three points gained tonight coupled with results elsewhere have seen Town move 5 places up the table and out of the relegation zone and they now sit just one place below Gillingham !