GILLINGHAM 1, SHREWSBURY 0
Simeon Jackson puts Gills in dreamland
TWO relegations in three years. Mass player departures. Crippling debts that threatened their existence.
Yet Gillingham have risen again after Simeon Jackson's late winner re-ignited their love affair with Wembley.
The Kent club have endured a nightmare four years since fighting their way to the top half of the Championship in the early part of the millennium.
Only a decade ago, the Gills were famously beaten on penalties by Manchester City.
They returned to the old stadium a year later and overcame Wigan to move into the second tier for the first time in their history.
But while their opponents on both those occasions are now prospering in the Premier League, the Gills were forced into financial meltdown eight years ago - perhaps the worst affected of all clubs following the collapse of ITV Digital.
This time last year they hit a low when they found themselves in the bottom division for the first time in 12 years.
In the blink of an eye, glamorous cup dates against Chelsea, Arsenal, Leeds and Charlton gave way to more familiar trips to Rochdale and Shrewsbury - where they lost 7-0 back in September.
Twelve months on, former Tottenham and Newcastle defender Mark Stimson has rebuilt the team largely using non-League players who served him well during his successful years in charge of Conference side Stevenage.
He said: "Relegation last year hurt more than you can imagine. But football is all about decisions, some you get right and some you get wrong.
"Our plan was to pass the ball, keep switching the play and I was proud of the performance.
"Financially, it means a hell of a lot. I'll be wearing my winner's medal for a couple of days. I'm that proud.
"It has been a lot of hard work - but that is the game we're in. And if you put in the work, I believe you eventually get your rewards."
Jackson, his most celebrated signing, made the day his own with the 90th-minute header that took Gills into League One.
The Jamaican-born forward picked up for free from Rushden has repaid Stimson with 21 goals.
He has also been the main attraction for a host of Championship scouts at Priestfield this season and was even watched by Aston Villa.
Gills chairman Paul Scally can look forward to recovering some of the cash he lost as his team tumbled down the divisions in the last four years. This triumph is worth an estimated £1million to the man who once kitted out Priestfield with reject fixtures and fittings from the old Millennium Dome.
He has presided over three promotions and two relegations since buying the club out of administration in 1995.
Gillingham were well worth their victory on the day.
They dominated the first half and would have been ahead had it not been for the brilliance of Shrewsbury keeper Luke Daniels in denying a ferocious effort from the edge of the box from Josh Wright.
Boss Paul Simpson's Shrews came into the contest more after the break and Grant Holt was thwarted by a fine save from Simon Royce.
Wright's corner created the winner moments before the game entered stoppage time.
His kick found Jackson, whose header crept beyond full-back Neil Ashton on the line and into Daniels' net.
The Shrews were left with the bitter taste of injustice over the goal - as TV replays showed the ball hit the Gills Andy Barcham last and the decision should have been a goalkick, not the corner awarded by referee Clive Oliver.
But that did not matter to the 32,000 Gills fans behind the goal, who were delirious with joy at Jackson's strike.
Simpson said: "My head is mangled at the moment.
"I told the players there are not words to help them in a situation like this. You have to pick yourself up and move on.
"We didn't start the game properly and didn't give them problems.
"I don't know if we froze but we didn't play to the levels we're capable of. Over the 90 minutes, they passed the ball better and created the better opportunities."
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