Peschisolido's treble punctures Gillingham pride

"Something's not right here at the moment," the Gillingham player-manager, Andy Hessenthaler, observed after his team had been comprehensively shredded by Sheffield United.

He may have a point. Certainly some locals have been aware of a dark shadow hanging over Priestfield in the last few days. Ever since, in fact, the draw was made for the fourth round of the FA Cup.

So what is going on? Why the doom and gloom? Could it possibly be... the Burnley factor? This is a common malaise affecting little clubs who have just done big things in the Cup. They dream of a day of glory at Old Trafford, only to be sent to some frozen outpost, at least six further north.

The Gillingham fanzine, Brian Moore's HeadLooks Uncannily Like the London Planetarium, described the draw which pitted them against a side who have inflicted a 3-0 home thrashing in the League as "a nightmare scenario'' that had "taken the wind out of everyone's sails.''

Yet you would never have thought it at the start of this game. Seldom can a team have begun a match with such a whirlwind of attacking energy. It reignited the feelgood factor and threatened to engulf Sheffield United, who were rocked back on their heels within 30 seconds as Gillingham set up camp in their box.

One of the heroes of the Charlton game, the giant Mali striker Mamady Sidibe, burst through with only the goalkeeper to beat, but hit his shot straight at Paddy Kenny.

Still the whirlwind kept coming: Darius Henderson, Gillingham's new signing from Reading, was twice foiled from close range. He would later be guilty of missing Gillingham's best chance, heading wide from 10 yards when unmarked.

Costly. Because, after weathering the early storm, the Blades began to assume control, their sharp attacks emanating from the rampant running of Jack Lester from central midfield. The more he ran at them, the more Gillingham's frayed defence unravelled, and despite Wayne Allison's best efforts to put the ball high into the stand, the writing was on the wall.

Allison atoned by flicking the ball through to Paul Peschisolido, who knocked it over the goalkeeper. From this point on it was all Sheffield; Peschisolido had a taste for blood. He completed an impressive hat-trick by pumping home a reflex header from close range and then punishing poor defending by Ian Cox to thrash home a third goal from six yards.

Hessenthaler was not impressed but eschewed the Burnley factor for a less speculative analysis. "Too many of our players had an off day," he said. "We have gone from one extreme to the other. Our defending was poor for the second goal, we lost confidence and the crowd got frustrated. We are just too inconsistent." True. A struggle could loom in the League. But at least the Old Trafford dream is still alive. All roads lead to Burnley...

Goals: Peschisolido (38) 0-1; (58) 0-2; (66) 0-3.

Gillingham (4-4-2): Vaesen; Nosworthy, Cox, Hope, Hills; Johnson (James, 66), Smith, Spiller (L Johnson, 78), Southall (Saunders, 70); Sidibe, Henderson. Substitutes not used: Bossu (gk), Rose.

Sheffield United (4-4-2): Kenny; Jagielka, Page, Morgan, Cozluk; McCall, Lester, Montgomery, Tonge; Peschisolido, Allison. Substitutes not used: Wright, Ndlovu, Rankine, Whitlow, Parkinson.

Referee: J P Robinson (E Yorkshire).

Man of the match: Peschisolido.

Attendance: 8,353.