WHILE everyone is raving about Port Vale’s strike force little has been said about Gillingham’s impenetrable defence.

In the last two games the Gills have kept clean sheets and left keeper Stuart Nelson as a virtual spectator.

Both Southend and Bristol Rovers had spells in those games where they put the pressure on but when the Gills need to defend, they defend well.

An opposition team can have the ball all they want but what Gillingham seem to be able to do lately is stop the shots coming in and that’s only done through hard work and organisation.

New signing Leon Legge is the experienced and mobile defender that Martin Allen has been hunting for ever since Tom Flanagan’s loan period was cut short with injury.

Callum Davies has proved what a quality addition to the squad he has become this season but even he admits that, at his tender age, he is prone to mistakes. His time will come.

For now the combination at the back between Legge and Adam Barrett looks formidable.

The fantastic reception that Barrett got from the Southend fans - where he was once captain - shows what they think of him and at 33 he has plenty left in the tank.

He is a natural leader and an organiser and now Legge has come in and immediately shown everyone what he is about. In the two games, I’m not sure he’s been beaten in the air yet and he has put in some strong tackles, as well as posing a threat at set-pieces for the Gills.

And while the Gills boss has been keen to rotate his midfield and attack, he has understandably kept things solid at the back.

Keeper Nelson has played every minute of every league game and right-back Matt Fish - who would certainly be a player-of-the-year contender if the season ended now - has started every game so far. Only injury has stopped left-back Joe Martin of doing the same in the league.

It’s a defence that is second only to League 1 Swindon in having the best defensive record of the 92 English league teams - averaging 0.84 goals conceded per game.

So Lee Hughes, Tom Pope and co at Vale are going to need to be at their very best if they want to break open the Gills defence.

It will certainly be an intriguing battle, especially now that Hughes is at Vale.

There was little doubt that when he was freed from his contract at Notts County the Gills would be interested. Allen had worked with him before and a record of 66 goals in 146 games speaks for itself.

The Gills boss was in the office at 5.30am on Tuesday trying to get a deal on the table but to no avail.

Luckily for the Gills they already have some quality of their own upfront - without criminal records - and Deon Burton is showing this season what a quality signing he is.

The goal in Bristol was stunning but he doesn’t just score. For a veteran striker his work-rate is phenominal and he can often be seen helping out in defence.

So let’s not worry what Port Vale have to offer. There is quality aplenty in the Gills ranks.

Gillingham's front-line strikers have taken much of the credit for the blistering start to the season but a run of three clean sheets is testament to the work done where it was needed most.

Wins over Bristol Rovers, Southend and Port Vale have been achieved without conceding and credit must go to the way Martin Allen and his team have set up the team to defend.

Key arrivals over the summer have helped, with the likes of experienced keeper Stuart Nelson and no-nonsense defender Adam Barrett joining the Gills. The presence of Crystal Palace loan-man David Wright has also given extra assurance at the back.

And Allen has also played it safe in games after going ahead early, by introducing more defence-minded players like Andy Frampton, to ensure there are no last-minute dramas.

The Gills head into Saturday's game against Rochdale with the best defensive record in the division (conceding just a goal every other game) - a stark contrast to last season where goals flew in at both ends on a regular basis.

Fans were certainly put through it, with games against Northampton (4-3), Wimbledon (3-4), Hereford (5-4), Crewe (3-4), Accrington (3-4) and Bournemouth (3-2). Enough drama to fill a ‘how not to defend’ manual many times over.

This season the Gills have only conceded more than one goal twice, and both in cup games, against Championship Middlesbrough (0-2) and League 1 Crawley - where an understrength Gills team lost 3-2.

Only for a brief spell, against Chesterfield, have the Gills been behind in any league game. Eight minutes to be precise.

Individual performances have gone up another level, with Matt Fish now looking much more at ease on the right and Joe Martin looking steady on the other flank. The transformation of Callum Davies from a bench-warmer to a solid League 2 defender has been a great bonus. Even if it has meant his mate Connor Essam has needed to go out on loan to get games.

And it hasn't just been individuals who have made an impact.

The Gills are organised well and defend as a unit. With Allen drumming the message home from the sidelines throughout games, that message is getting through. Runners are tracked, crosses are being blocked and headers are being won.

During this week's chat with Allen he made a point of noting the improvement of Lewis Montrose. The big midfielder was sent away with instructions to improve his heading and against Vale he constantly won the ball in the air on the edge of the box, time and again alleviating pressure on the defence.

Much of the day-to-day training is taken by assistant John Schofield and his input to what we're seeing on the pitch shouldn't be underestimated. The coaching team of Schofield, Carl Muggleton and Allen is certainly one that is helping to shape the Gills into a rigid, organised team when defending and a fluid, fast-paced and exciting one going forward.

It's a joy to watch at the moment but it's not through luck, or by out-scoring the opposition, that the Gills are sitting pretty at the top of League 2.

Those that witnessed Myles Weston’s opening performances for the Gills will be forgiven for getting a bit excited.

Not since the days of Matt Jarvis have the Gills had a winger to make full-backs quake in their boots.

He may not be Jarvis class, but Myles Arthur Euguene Wesley Weston – his full name according to Wikipedia - certainly proved too hot to handle for Wycombe in the opening periods of Tuesday night’s game and that pace is something that has been badly lacking at Gills in recent seasons.

On Tuesday they were able to use Weston as predatory attacker in the first half and then, when up against it with ten men, the Gills were able to feed him the ball and let him do what he liked as an outlet to give the rest of the team some much needed recovery time.

Gills, under Martin Allen, are set up with just three midfielders and someone sat infront of the Back four (Jack Payne on Tuesday). It means the full-backs are required to get forward as often as possible, which does tend to suggest a winger is not required.

But Weston has shown versatility already. His favoured position is on the left flank, where he made an impressive substitute showing at the weekend, but on Tuesday he went upfront with Danny Kedwell and appears to have been given license to roam.

He is fast and direct and it is just a shame his early run down the flank on Tuesday, where he jumped two sliding tackles and even got the home fans off their seats, wasn’t rewarded with a goal. A fine save denied him a really special moment.

But no doubt we will eventually see a run and finish, assuming Weston can maintain that quality, and there is no reason he can’t. He is young, he has dropped down a level and he just wants to play games and express himself. Allen seems set to give him that opportunity.

Consistency, like all lower division players, will be his biggest obstacle.

Another to have impressed since signing has been Charlie Allen. He will be facing doubters after being signed by his father but young Charlie is proving what a class player he is. And again, it is his pace from midfield which is unsettling opponents. He also has an eye for a pass, like the one he served up for Danny Kedwell to open the scoring on Saturday.

It is early days for both Weston and Allen but both, so far, have given the Gills so much more energy and certainly made them more entertaining to watch.

GILLINGHAM fans face a 460-mile round trip in the pursuit of happiness this weekend.

It takes a serious amount of dedication to spend nine hours on the road to do anything - let alone watch 90 minutes of League 2 football.

I’m told Torquay’s Plainmoor ground is also under development so what awaits us when we arrive is anyone’s guess. They have already ruled out seating for visiting fans.

Not that many people will be complaining having spent the best part of the day staring at either the backside of another car or the headrest on a train/coach.

The press facilities last time out were minimal, to put it mildly, so don’t be surprised to see a few journalists wrestling with a laptop in the terraces.

But if Gillingham fans thought they were dedicated spare a thought for the Italian Gianfranco Giordano he regular travels 1,100 miles from his home in Italy to watch Ebbsfleet United.

Now I know the standard of football in Italy has taken a plunge since the heady days of Channel 4’s Football Italia but surely it can’t have got that bad.

The 50-year-old from Turin was once a season ticket holder at AC Milan but couldn’t resists the tempation of Ebbsfleet and the prospect of parting with a few Euros to take a share in the club, through their MyFootballClub ownership.

“My wife thinks I’m crazy” he said. She’s not the only one.

He’ll make the trek 18 times in a season to make sure he gets full value from his £300 season ticket.

Apparently he’s a policeman and they must pay well for him to afford a £200 the fortnightly air-fare.

It’s the kind of jet-set lifestyle that only Gillingham’s very own chairman Paul Scally would be able to compete with.

I have in the past laughed at the sight of a miserly bunch of away fans spread out in the top of the Brian Moore stand in recent seasons, but I should be a little more kind. Perhaps the lack of away fans at Priestfield shows how many sane people are around these days. You certainly have to worry aboue the 50-odd Barnet fans who made the trip for a first round JPT game.

I made the same mistake myself some years back, for an Auto Windscreens Trophy tie between Wigan and Lincoln. This was when Wigan were rubbish and played at a rubbish ground infront of a handful of people. We missed the first half (bad traffic) and wished we had missed the second.

At least nowadays I am doing those ridiculous journeys for work-purposes rather than ‘pleasure’.

Let’s hope the Gills fans get rewarded for their efforts this weekend with another Hereford-style goal blitz and Mr Giordano gets a bit more joy for his Euros. He’s only seen one win so far this season.

GILLINGHAM have made it clear they will be keeping a close eye on local talent after missing out on some high profile players in recent years.

Boss Andy Hessenthaler will be hoping another Chris Smalling doesn’t slip through the net and at present they don’t have to go far from home to see some quality talent just waiting for a chance to impress.

The Gills recently plumped for West Ham’s Frank Nouble to give their attacking options an immediate boost but the club will no doubt also have noticed some familiar figures doing the business upfront in the lower leagues.

Raw talent needs nurturing, so it was no surprise Hessenthaler went for someone of Nouble’s stature for a quick fix, but in the long run he could be turning to some of Kent’s top non-league sides as he did when he went back to Dover to land Adam Birchall.

As Danny Kedwell is proving, since getting his dream move to the Gills, it can be a long route into the professional game but there are so many players out there just waiting to show what they can do.

At Ebbsfleet they have an attacking threat in Michael West who would no doubt do the business at a higher level. He came through Fleet’s youth set-up and has grown into a key player for Liam Daish’s side.

He’s a skilful player, hampered by injury this season, who loves to run at defenders. Although not a striker, he knows where the net is. His goals in last season’s successful Blue Square South play-off campaign were crucial.

It wasn’t long ago that Charlie MacDonald was banging in the goals for the Fleet. He was linked to the Gills but ended up at Southend and then Brentford. He reportedly cost MK Dons £1m this summer and has hit three goals in eight games so far.

Andy Pugh, meanwhile, who was released by the Gills in 2007 has become a big hit at Welling since taking a step backwards. The 22-year-old top scored for the Wings with 17 last season and has 10 in 10 so far this season. He is quick and skillful and will surely be back in the league some day.

Another former Gillingham youngster, Frannie Collin, has netted double figures for Tonbridge Angels and will be just as determined to prove that he has developed and is ready for another shot at the big time.

Charlie Sheringham meanwhile has the name, thanks to his father Teddy, and is fast developing a good reputation at Dartford. He has 11 goals to his name already and after spending his younger days with Tottenham he has been brought up to play decent football.

Dartford have certainly produced some talent in recent years. Cody McDonald wasn’t there very long but they cashed in when he went to Norwich City just a few years after wing-wizard Dave Martin moved to Crystal Palace.

Kent may not be awash with top teams but is developing some good footballers and the Gills need to remain alert so it’s them that benefit and not others.

Chris Smalling went from Maidstone United to Manchester United and the Champions League in the space of a whirlwind three years, which included a £10m move from Fulham to Old Trafford. Despite going to Chatham Grammar he bypassed his local club completely.

Young defender Jack Baldwin moved from Faversham to Hartlepool in the summer, despite brief interest from the Gills. Will he prove to be another that got away?

Clearly the Gills can’t sign every half-decent player in Kent but the good thing is that Hessenthaler has made a point of keeping in with the locals, by spending the summer playing numerous pre-season friendlies and loaning a number of players to local clubs. It is unlikely local talent will by-pass Priestfield so easily in the future and the next big star could be turning out in blue and not elsewhere. Just who can make it remains to be seen.

IN recent years the big question among Gillingham fans has been ‘why can’t the team win away’.

The worrying trend of late is the team’s inability to impress on home soil.

Home form is crucial to anyone’s hopes of success and at present things at Priestfield are not going to plan.

An opening day win over Cheltenham gave everyone high hopes of success this season, and those certainly haven’t been written off yet, but since then the form on home soil hasn’t been great.

The 3-0 win over Plymouth may look good on paper but the two penalties converted by Danny Kedwell gloss over what wasn’t the best of performances against a team crumbling into oblivion due to financial problems.

A failure to do the business on home soil isn’t confined to this season but seems to have rolled over from the previous one.

Last season the Gills narrowly missed out on a play-off spot after successive 4-2 defeats to Barnet and Macclesfield. That had followed draws against Morecambe and Hereford. All four games were certainly winnable.

So what’s gone wrong at home?

It wasn’t long ago that Priestfield really was a fortress. The 2009/10 season saw the Gills sweep aside the likes of Southampton, Leeds, Huddersfield and Millwall. It really was a place to be feared.

Unfortunately that was a time when the Gills were the small fish in a big pond. Teams weren’t coming to Priestfield shutting up shop but going out for the win. At the time it suited Gills’ attacking style at home.

They enjoyed teams coming at them because with a fired up crowd behind them they had the confidence to exploit the space left and make the most of it.

Nowadays, back in the basement division, the Gills are no longer small fry.

Most of the opposition journalists, when I speak to them, admit their side will be just happy to take what they can from Priestfield. A draw at Gillingham in League 2 is thought of as a big result.

Managers will always say they are going to a win but League 2 teams appear to be heading to Priestfield with some basic instructions to their players. Number one would be to stifle the Gills and frustrate.

Once frustration sets in the players start over-playing and forgetting to do the basics. Some players try to be too clever and then the spiral of frustration just gets worse.

Gills boss Andy Hessenthaler has been banging the ‘patience’ drum into his players and that is key. At the moment it seems clubs are coming to Priestfield and disrupting play. There has certainly been a lack of quality this season, not just from Gillingham.

An early goal is always key to settling a side down and drawing opponents out of their shell. Opposition will protect a 0-0 draw all day long, but 1-0 down, they will have no choice but to leave gaps at the back.

So when Burton arrive in a fortnight let’s hope the Gills players come out positively and keep doing the basics. Smart-arse play won’t get them anywhere.

One or two wins and then the team will be flying. It’s still early days in the season and the Gills shouldn’t be written off yet.

Defeat to Burton though won’t go down well with the home fans who are fast deserting their team.