Tony Adams fittingly scored as Arsenal finally disposed of Gillingham in the
FA Cup fifth-round at Highbury.
The Arsenal captain, returning after almost five months on the sidelines with
a stress fracture of the foot, headed home in the 66th minute to dash any hopes
Gillingham had of a replay.
Adams' return is particularly timely with the resumption of the Champions
League - a competition he has not featured in this season - on Tuesday.
His presence provided Arsene Wenger with a major fillip ahead of the trip to
Bayer Leverkusen.
But the German side will prove a different proposition to Division One
Gillingham, who nevertheless caused a degree of panic by twice levelling during
a frantic start to the second half.
Wenger, who gave a second start to Brazilian left-back Juan, 20, even needed
to employ Thierry Henry and Robert Pires as late substitutes to turn the tie
back Arsenal's way.
Adams, who received a standing ovation from the Highbury faithful, was into
the action immediately.
It took two lunges by the former England centre-back to dispossess Iffy Onuora
but both were greeted by cheers.
Francis Jeffers and Kanu, returning from African Nations Cup duty with
Nigeria, linked effectively in the opening exchanges and the latter created the
first chance of the contest.
Typical fleet of foot from the lanky striker gave him a sight of goal and
former Gunners keeper Vince Bartram turned his stinging shot aside.
That fifth-minute attempt was followed by a glorious chance for Edu, when Mark
Patterson misjudged Campbell's cross-field pass to allow the midfielder an
uninhibited run on goal.
But with just Bartram to beat, he drove high over the bar from eight yards.
In between those two Arsenal chances, Onuora wastefully shot wide on a
promising break with strike partner Marlon King better-placed to his right.
Andy Hessenthaler's Gillingham were inches away from going behind midway
through the first period as Sylvain Wiltord turned on a pass from Jeffers to
beat Bartram with a dipping shot of pace, only for the ball to cannon off the
cross bar.
Edu flashed the rebound wide but a linseman's flag would have ruled out his
effort, in any case.
Arsenal's Brazilian midfielder repeated Wiltord's feat four minutes later by
clipping the top of the woodwork from 25 yards from Kanu's lay-off.
A number of stoppages for injuries affected the early flow of the game.
The longest of which saw Onuora floored by Patrick Vieira's flailing elbow in
an aerial challenge.
But the disruption did not knock Arsenal out of their stride and the
Premiership side took the lead seven minutes before half-time.
As a visitors attack broke down, Vieira sent Jeffers galloping deep into
Gillingham territory and when the striker's shot on the run was repelled by
Bartram, Wiltord turned the ball past him with a clever, first-time flick with
the outside of his right boot.
Less than two minutes into the second period, Gillingham hauled themselves
level with a stunning strike from Marlon King.
Paul Shaw slipped the striker into the area, taking advantage of Sol Campbell
playing him onside, and King emphatically drilled across Richard Wright to the
joy of the 6,500 supporters of the Kent club.
That joy was short-lived, however, as Arsenal regained the lead with a
50th-minute goal from Kanu.
Bartram failed to deal with Edu's free-kick properly and left the Nigerian
with the simple task of lifting the loose ball into the roof of the net.
But, amazingly, Gillingham made it three goals in six minutes with an even
better goal than King's first.
Ty Gooden found room in midfield, stepped past Campbell's flimsy challenge and
flashed his left-footed shot over Wright from 20 yards.
Jeffers had the chance to all-but kill the match off with the score at 2-1 but
showed indecision and was foiled by the on-rushing Bartram.
David Perpetuini also hacked off the line moments before Gooden's good 'un.
But Bartram ensured the Premiership's fourth-placed side failed to regain
another immediate lead with two fine saves - parrying Wiltord's drive before
touching a Kanu bobbler around a post.
Wenger's response to the situation was to throw on Henry and Pires just after
the hour-mark and it paid dividends.
This time, Bartram was left helpless as a quality Pires centre picked out that
man Adams and his header found its way into the net off the back of Patterson.
Wiltord ensured their passage into the last eight in the closing stages by
tucking away his 14th goal of the season.
Pires squared for his fellow Frenchman and although his first prod goalward
was blocked, he swivelled to poke in with his right foot.
Then, three minutes from the end, Arsenal registered a stunning goal of their
own as Juan's cross looped off the head of Barry Ashby and Ray Parlour arrowed a
volley in off the underside of the crossbar.
Teams:
Arsenal: Wright, Dixon, Adams, Campbell, Maldondo Duarte,
Edu (Henry 63), Vieira, Parlour, Wiltord, Kanu (Grimandi 75),
Jeffers (Pires 63).
Subs Not Used: Seaman, Stepanovs.
Booked: Jeffers.
Goals: Wiltord 38, Kanu 50, Adams 67, Wiltord 81, Parlour 88.
Gillingham: Bartram, Patterson, Ashby, Hope, Perpetuini,
Osborn (Hessenthaler 77), Smith, Shaw, Gooden (Browning 78),
King, Onuora (Ipoua 78).
Subs Not Used: Butters, Nosworthy.
Goals: King 47, Gooden 54.
Att: 38,003
Ref: A D'Urso (Billericay).
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