Canaries flying as Gills feel that sinking feeling

Norwich City 1 Gillingham

Paul McVeigh's fourth goal of the season proved enough to lift Norwich nearer the top of the First Division and depose Gillingham, who had arrived with a 100 per cent record and no goals conceded after three matches. They held out for another 39 minutes – five hours nine minutes in all this season – before this excellently organised side capitulated.

Gillingham were unlucky to lose after more than holding their own in an excellent match. Understandably, the large contingent of fans from Kent were downcast, but the chairman, Paul Scally, was probably relieved at not having to pay out a fourth win bonus. The club has debts of £6m and Scally will have talks with the players this week about pay cuts.

No one worked harder to produce another of those bonuses than the player-manager, Andy Hessenthaler. He and his captain, Paul Smith, ran the midfield, ushering the ball around and inviting colleagues to do something with it. Three previous games had produced 1-0 wins for the Gills but this time fortune was not with them. Paul Shaw twice saw efforts come back off the woodwork and Norwich goalkeeper Robert Green made a flying save in the opening minute of the second half to keep out a Mark Saunders header.

Norwich, who had done the double over Gillingham last season, were given an embarrassing run-around for the first half hour as the visiting supporters chanted: "We are top of the league". Only Mark Rivers, with his eager running down the Norwich right, was able to lift the siege and it was one of these dashes which ended in deep misfortune for Gillingham's Simon Osborn.

The midfielder ruptured his Achilles tendon when nowhere near ball or opponent, and suffered the further sadness of being booed as he was carried away, the home fans convinced he was faking injury.

Osborn's replacement, Saunders, almost scored with his first touch, being denied only by Green's dive to turn his shot round the post. Towards the interval, Norwich began to get a grip and they scored shortly before the break. Gary Holt lobbed a hopeful volley into the penalty box, Norwich captain Iwan Roberts made contact with his head and the ball fell invitingly for McVeigh, who drove across Jason Brown into the far corner of goal.

Green's spectacular save immediately after the interval helped to steady Norwich as they endured a spell of heavy pressure. The manager, Nigel Worthington, praised his team's resilience. "Everybody showed character," he said. "They dug in."

Gillingham were a constant threat, with their 6ft 4in Mali international striker, Mamady Sibidé, known to his team-mates as Big Mama, winning plenty of aerial possession in Norwich's box. But the breakthrough never materialised, even when Tommy Johnson, with his pedigree of Derby County, Aston Villa and Celtic, was introduced.

In one desperate bid to win a second goal for his side, Phil Mulryne went down in the Gillingham area but referee Lee Cable flourished a yellow card under his nose for diving. Roberts could have made it safe for Norwich, missing three clear chances, but the closest to a goal came at the other end in the final minute, when Green made another fine one-handed stop from Johnson's volley.

Norwich City 1 Gillingham 0
McVeigh 40

Half-time: 1-0 Attendance: 20,588