This time a brace, he missed sitters to repeat his hat-trick feat, did the trick again as Cardiff triumphed 3-1, Cameron Jerome sharing the honours by scoring the opener, winning a penalty for the second and playing in a role in City's third in their "win or hell" encounter against a dire Gillingham at Ninian Park.
This time last year, we had 34 points off 21 games, were in the play-offs and dared to dream about playing Chelsea, Arsenal and Man United. One year on, and we went into this game with 19 points off 21 games and wondering if we could soon be playing Swansea, Yeovil and Hartlepool United.
Had someone told us that Gillingham at home would become our biggest and most important game of the season in a proverbial "6 pointer" relegation battle before the season was halfway through, we would have speculated what hospital they had escape from. Such is life at Ninian Park these days that our fall in the past year has been almost as dramatic as our rise to the Championship in the couple of years before.
Apart from Thorney's scoring exploits, the only other similarity from a year ago is that we're still waiting for the new stadium work to commence and that it will start soon, honest, promise. Oh yes, what a difference a year makes.
Gillingham represent a huge catchment area as Kent's only league club and have ambitions but life at this level remains a struggle for them. They just escaped relegation last season, they're right back in it this term. Like many other clubs, City now included, financial constraints are impacting heavily on them and they seem powerless to improve matters at present, sounds familiar doesn't it?
Gillingham were stuffed 5-0 at Ninian last term - Earnie, who was our crown jewel and would never be sold, got 4 - and we completed a fairly easy double over them. They're carrying on where they left off but, this time, we're there with the dead men and in trouble just like them.
The Gills are goners, make no mistake about it. If they finish above us, we're relegated, that much is already perfectly obvious. The visitors were so dire that it was incredulous we were only one place and one point ahead of them before the game started, that tells you how turbulent and poor it's been at City this season.
Credit to City, we won with ease, look a level ahead of Gillingham and should have recorded an even more convincing scoreline that it was. The problem is, was it due to City being so good or Gillingham being so poor. On balance, I think it was more of the latter, I can't think of the last time I saw a team so ineffective. Apart from an incredible 1st half period of self-inflicted damage as City stopped playing and made error after error, The Gills offered nothing all afternoon.
City did what they had to and, eventually, did it well but beating Gillingham proves little. We remain in deep, deep trouble and if we keep switching off - as we did for that 10 minute spell that let the visitors back in the game and almost take over - then we got every reason to worry about our fate. More than ever, it looks like Brighton, Cardiff and Nottingham Forest - who each won today - are in their own mini-division to decide who will be the third team to join Rotherham and Gillingham in League One next season.
Gillingham's problems off the pitch, just like City, also reflects itself on the pitch. They're in a state of chaos. Manager Andy Hessenthaler resigned last week but still seems to be on the scene, some suggest he may join the board. Assistant John Gorman resigned this week to take over at Wycombe. It was left to players Iwan Roberts and Paul Smith - both recent City targets, every club has them, don’t they? - to be in charge for the day with team selection chosen by a 5 man player panel - presumably, their job was to chose the other 6 were to play with them.
As if they didn't have enough troubles, first choice goalkeeper injured Steve Banks injured himself in the warm up so reserve Bertrand Bossu took his place. He was joined in a 4-5-1 system by Nosworthy-Hope-Ashby-Hills, Crofts-Spiller-Smith-Johnson-Jarvis and ex-Jack Sidibe.
Sidbe aka Big Mamma was the focus of some attention not just for being an ex-Jack but for looking like a right nonce too playing on a mild December afternoon in thick gloves to go with his short sleeve shirt. Very sensible. He looked in serious trouble early on when he flew upwards and across to challenge for a ball, got it horribly wrong and landed on his back, arms across his chest as though dead. He eventually recovered, presumably winded, so the abuse could carry on. Terrific.
Sam announced in the week that now was not the right time to spend money and buy players as he did not believe City would go down. What a visionary. This was in response to growing fury and discontent as his failure to bring in new players and spend any of Earnie's transfer money from August. Whatever the rights and wrongs, it did focus fans into backing what resources we had even though we seem threadbare and short on quality in crucial areas, so short that two teenagers were pivotal to the cause.
After watching the same team perform so weakly and ineffectively over the past fornight, Lennie was forced into change with Alan Lee injured but wanted to create more presence and creativity too going forward. Short on options but in desperation, we turned to the kids. Lennie's answers were to bring in 18 year old Cameron Jerome for his first full start alongside a fit again Peter Thorne to guide him, switch 17 year old Joe Ledley into midfield with Lee Bullock dropped after failing to take in chance with Kav suspended and Paul Parry reverted to his left wing role after playing as a stand-in striker.
City started with Warner, Williams-Collins-Gabbidon-Barker, McAnuff-Boland-Ledley-Parry, Jerome-Thorne. The subs bench featured Weston, Vidmar, Bullock, Alexander and Neil Harris, signed on loan less than 24 hours earlier from Millwall.
The day was grey and mild, the crowd were very quiet - not a surprise when just 10,623 turned up including 200+ from Kent - and the game had the nervous, low quality opening to be expected. Times are tense and it showed in the opening action.
City had a great chance in the opening minutes as Joe Ledley swung over a corner, Collins was first to react in the centre of goal but somehow missed an unmissable free header, he seemed to time his run a fraction wrong, didn't get there in time and the ball somehow floated past his forehead.
The first panic for City came shortly after as Tony Warner had his customary moment of madness where he inexplicably stops concentrating. This time, a City throw in to him that was a routine pick up, Warner treated it like a back pass and compounded that by half missing the ball, juggling it and then looping the ball in the air as he put himself under pressure, he just got away with it. Warner counts England's David James, a lookalike and who is also notorious for losing concentration, among his friends. It sometimes shows.
On an afternoon when the quality of the clash was best emphasised by unintentional defensive comedy and chaos being key factors in three of the goals, it took a moment of inspiration to get City going. The ball broke for City in midfield, Willie Boland drove forward and prodded the ball ahead to CAMERON JEROME and the rest was magic and belied his years as one touch saw him knock the ball past and turn Chris Hope, he then showed tremendous upper body strength to hold off his challenges and, inside the penalty area, he showed fantastic composure to take a shot on his left foot and stoke it firmly past Bossu. A fantastic moment for the youngster who rightly took the plaudits on his knees by the Canton Stand/Grandstand corner flag.
Nerves now settled, City assumed control and almost doubled their lead as McAnuff closed down a Gillingham defender then won the ball, swept it to Jerome who was blocked, the ball sat up for McAnuff in the 6 yard box with the goal before him but his header got nowhere then Parry brought a good save out of Bossu with a low shot. Shortly after, a free kick contested by various bodies kindly fell at Collins' feet but, leaning back, he hooked the ball over the bar from 10 yards.
Then, inexplicably, City just stopped playing all the good football or any football and shot themselves in the foot by allowing Gillingham back into the game in farcical style. I cannot fathom why City stopped going forward, passes went awry and then fell deeper and made an error a second. Collins missed tackles and then almost gifted Tommy Johnson the ball with a poor back header, defenders hit the ball straight to opponents and The Gills were now in a City half they hadn't even seen in the opening 25 minutes.
On 33 minutes, an equaliser arrived; it rightly caused fury and consternation amongst the City faithful. Gillingham so nearly equalised as Danny Spiller hit the visitors first shot, it deflected off Johnson but Warner pushed it away for a corner. Form that, another monumental Collins error as he charged in and headed back at goal, the ball ricocheted off the post, City still couldn't clear their lines and when Parry only nudged the ball outside the area, City fatally failed to come out and stood motionless in the area.
The ball was immediately played back into the box and found Tommy Johnson with Chris Barer standing off him on the left and the rest of City’s players - 7of them - all standing on the opposite side of goal. With clear sight of goal, JOHNSON took a pot shot and in it went deflecting off Collins as it did. Unbelievable stuff, Ninian was numbed as City remained in disarray, this time standing off as a Gills player waltzed through them and forced Warner to save. Gillingham could sense City were rattled, City won a free-kick on halfway and Johnson was doing everything possible to wind up Gabbidon who initially reacted but then clamed down.
Johnson gave away a needless free-kick and it cost his side as the ball fell to Jerome who beat Ashby inside the box, got to the by-line and went down under pressure. Ref Wright immediately awarded a penalty, it looked dubious, Gillingham even claimed Jerome handled it. I'm bias to City but even I will admit it was a lucky award, however I've seen us denied half a dozen blatant penalties this season so this redressed the balance a little.
Gillingham players were furious, Tommy Johnson trying to wind up City players moments earlier now completely lost it himself and charged back to the referee, pushed him with both hands and then verbally abused him for a good 10 to 15 seconds. Behaviour like that, including laying hands on the ref, earns a red card 100 times out of 100, Wright totally bottled it and gave Johnson a yellow.
No matter, PETER THORNE took on responsibility for the spot kick and was coolness personified as he strode up and powered an unstoppable effort to Bossu’s right and into the corner of goal. Firm and decisive, that’s how to take them. It was a defining moment in the game.
Half-time: CITY 2 GILLINGHAM 1
Back on the pitch after a fully deserved half-time rollocking for their first half calamities and wounds, City were in no mood to let the game slip again. As it turned out, the half was completely one sided, a third goal completely killed off Gillingham who never had an effort on or off target and City will wonder how they didn't score 4 or 5 minimum as they missed some sitters.
Joe Ledley set the mood early in the half as an excellent one-two with McAnuff put him in space and his 20 yard piledriver was superbly tipped over by Bossu, Ledley's only error was that he shot high which gave the keeper a chance.
On 57 minutes, it was clear daylight between the sides and game over. Jerome received the ball 35yards out, flicked it cleverly into the path of McAnuff who ran at goal with menace, his attempt to slip an angled ball into the path of Paul Parry was intercepted by a falling Gills defender who unintentionally, but very nicely thank you very much, diverted the ball straight to PETER THORNE who was given a free shot at goal from 10 yards and buried it. Thank you, oh thank you. Up went the magic hat chant, the emotions that of pure relief a little more than celebration.
The rest of the game saw some brilliant fluent passing moves by City, good to see it return, and more key chances. Willie Boland let fly for his first shot in four years - only joking Willie - that forced Bossu into a sprawling save then Peter Thorne missed two outstanding opportunities for a hat-trick, chances he would usually despatch with closed eyes.
Both created by the hard and direct running of Jobi McAnuff, first he was played clear on goal at angle but screwed his effort past the far post when the goal was gaping, the second was miss of the season as a brilliant McAnuff run and pass to Thorney saw his first shot blocked but the ball ran clear for him 6 yards out where he incredibly scooped his shot over the bar. I still don't know how he missed it.
Gillingham worked but had few redeeming qualities, Cardiff's only problems were all afternoon were completely self-inflicted. Take away that few minute spell where City were a shambles and the visitors never mustered a single effort on goal or even a speculative distance effort into the stands. They were poorer today than we were at QPR last week, that takes some doing.
You can only beat what is in front of you and City showed the character and tenacity to do that. The defence got over their mad spell but they know they won't get it much easier than this all season. Midfield did well, Ledley was much talked about for his role but I thought he was quiet. The key influence was Willie Boland who did very well indeed. He is a natural defensive and holding midfielder but he took on responsibility and always looked to carry City forward, always sent his passes forward and he worked his socks off as usual.
Paul Parry was quiet too but Jobi McAnuff shone and showed a welcome return to form. The front two did excellently and hit it off, whether they can repeat it against other teams who are infinitely better than Gillingham will have to be seen. Cameron Jerome went off for the final 15 minutes to a standing and fully deserved ovation, he has to stay in the side as he did nothing wrong and didn't look tired either. Neil Harris came on and nearly scored with his first touch as Gillingham under hit a back pass and he showed good ability on the ball and did the right thing running down the clock and helping to keep City in the ascendancy as the game was closed out with no problems at all.
Final whistle brought another huge ovation from those who had stayed behind, a hefty number had gone early, the players responding to the applause. None more than Darren Williams who walked to all four sections of the ground to applaud the fans still inside, his loan spell is about to end and City must sign him or let him go and he can't play for City against his own club, Sunderland, next week. It did strike me that the player was saying goodbye in his gestures.
City won a game and got three points. That’s all we wanted and all that mattered. Yessssss!!!!!
Report from FootyMad.
Livewire teenager Cameron Jerome turned in a match-winning performance on his first start for Cardiff City to ease relegation worries at Ninian Park.
The 18-year-old was involved in all three goals before leaving the field with 40 minutes to go as mangerless Gillingham's gloom deepened.
Jerome opened the scoring after 14 minutes after latching onto a Willie Boland throughball to fire past Bertrand Bossu in the Gills goal. Bossu was a late replacement for Steve Banks who was injured during the pre-match warm-up.
Gillingham clawed their way back into the match after 33 minutes. City defender James Collins inexplicably headed the ball off his own post and failed to clear the subsequent corner, allowing Tommy Johnson to rifle home from six yards.
Cardiff were back in front before the break after Jerome was pulled down by Nyron Nosworthy in the Gillingham box.
Johnson was booked for his protests as the visitors felt Jerome had handled the ball but, Peter Thorne, making his first start for five weeks following neck trouble, coolly despatched the penalty to Bossu's right.
Cardiff started the second half brightly and Bossu reacted smartly to tip a Joe Ledley drive over the bar.
Thorne then found himself acres of space to seal the match on 55 minutes. Some clever link up play by Jerome and Jobi McAnuff led to the latter having a shot which cannoned off the unfortunate Danny Spiller right into a grateful Thorne's path.
Thorne should have then completed his hat-trick after 74 minutes but he blazed over from six yards.
Cardiff then introduced new loan signings Neil Harris in place of Jerome, who was given a standing ovation.
Gillingham chairman Paul Scally has promised to have a new manager in place by next weekend but the new man won't have his troubles to seek on evidence of the Kent club's second-half showing.
External reports
Western Mail
The Echo