Gillingham 1 Norwich City 0

Last updated : 25 February 2003 By Footymad Previewer

Gillingham stretched their unbeaten home record to eight League games with a 1-0 victory against fellow play-off chasers Norwich at the Priestfield Stadium.

It was the Gills' fourth successive League win, in the first of five successive home games in the next three weeks.

Rod Wallace hit the winner with 15 minutes left, after converting player-manager Andy Hessenthaler's cross from the by-line on a mixed night for the Priestfield boss.

Already facing a two-match ban which rules him out of the next two fixtures at home to Brighton and Nottingham Forest, Hessenthaler was booked for the 11th time this season and also fears he may be reported to the FA for 'gestures' made as the teams walked off at the final whistle.

The Norwich fans were furious at the final whistle that a 90th minute equaliser by Craig Fleming had been ruled out and angry visiting fans had to be held back by stewards and police.

Hessenthaler said: "I am disappointed because there was no gesture made by me whatsoever and I hope we have got video evidence to prove that because I have done nothing wrong.

"I went to celebrate with my own fans and did not even look at the Norwich fans and all of a sudden our police have got involved and one of our stewards who said I made some sign to their supporters.

"However, people who were standing nearby at the end of the game said I did nothing so perhaps I will need to take a few people up to the FA to speak up for me but we'll have to wait and see what happens." Norwich boss Nigel Worthington was mystified why his team's late equaliser was ruled out.

He said: "The referee had given the goal and we tried to get some sense from the linesman as to why he had disallowed it and he said someone was being held or pushed.

"I've asked Craig and he said that wasn't the case. He has come round the back and got his head on the ball and scored a perfectly good goal, but it's not been given and we're not going to have a moan about it because some you win and some you lose and we have just got to move on to the next one." Gillingham went close early on when Paul Shaw's close-range effort bounced away off Robert Green's right-hand post.

Then Norwich broke away and on-loan striker David Healy was denied by a good save by Jason Brown as he raced off his line to narrow the angle.

Hessenthaler shot straight at Green and then headed wide but Norwich absorbed the pressure and Healy was again denied by Brown just before half time.

The Northern Ireland striker tweaked a hamstring in that move and did not reappear for the second half and was replaced by David Neilsen.

In the second half Gillingham's pressure finally told when Wallace netted his eighth goal of the season.