“Are we there yet, Dad?” Unfortunately, we’re not, as this disastrous season still has two games to go, but at least we’ve arrived at the last away game. It’s just a pity it has to be at the home of the team which was Colin Lee’s nemesis and which sent us down last time we were relegated with that 0 – 0 draw at Sjoke City. Let’s just hope that salt isn’t well and truly rubbed in the wounds and Darren Byfield gets a winning goal, or the notorious Tommy Black (remember him?) goes down for a penalty in the last five minutes. One or the other probably will, though, in the spirit of “Life’s a bitch and then you die”.

Mark Kinsella will be taking charge for what looks like being the first of only two games in charge, with his options limited with the end of loan periods. Mads Timm has gone back to Manchester United, thus saving his vastly inflated salary, and Grant Smith, who will be missed, back to Bristol City to recover from his injury. With Oakes in goal, therefore, the defence will line up from:

Pead, Gerrard, Roper, Mills and Fox. Westwood is, of course, suspended following his ridiculous sending off in last week’s debacle.

In midfield, we have a choice of Wright, Leary, James, Osborn, Keates, Kinsella himself and Demontagnac.

Up front, it looks like Claridge with Constable, Barrowman or the returned Atieno.

The interesting thing may well be if any of the more promising youngsters, such as Bradley, get a chance.

Gillingham seem to have a few injury and selection problems. Defender Brent Sancho will be missing, after his sending off last week at Yeovil, whilst old “friend” and former Grimsby midfielder Alan Pouton is injured. They will also have to give fitness tests to three strugglers, defender Danny Jackman, veteran defender Ian Cox and former Dingle Gary Mulligan, one of seemingly three million forwards out on loan from Sheffield United.

Predictions? Well, this is an historic occasion, being no less that the 100th League game between the two sides. At times this season, it looked as if this might turn out to be a six pointer at the bottom of the table, but that is long past. Last week’s defeat at Yeovil (which, indirectly, was the final nail in our coffin again), ended a superb run of six consecutive wins and the sending off of Sancho might well have been the only thing that stopped them achieving a magnificent seven. With a run like that, even with the players relaxed and the pressure off, I can’t see us getting even a point from this.

It’s a very long, lonely road back from darkest Kent. Oh dear, another metaphor.