Gillingham must hope that Walsall do them a favour and fail to win next weekend, because they are unlikely to receive any succour at Stoke City, whose manager Tony Pulis they sacked four years ago, days after losing the Second Division play-off final to Manchester City.
Pulis took the club to the high court claiming he was owed a substantial amount of money from his salary, bonuses and expenses, and eventually won an out-of-court settlement of £75,000. Feelings still run deep.
"I am a great believer in fate and I don't know where ours lies," said the Gillingham chairman Paul Scally. "We are in control of our destiny, although we couldn't achieve it on Saturday. We are positive but, if you are writing the script for the end of the season, it couldn't have been done any better. You could write the next chapter now."
If Gillingham play like this again next Sunday the ending is predictable, with Pulis exacting the revenge he is so desperate for. At least Gills' player-manager Andy Hessenthaler will be available, despite being sent off for a second bookable offence after clattering into Michael Doyle, because his suspension will not start in time for the final game.
"I bet Pulis is licking his lips about next week," Scally said. "I have been there [Stoke] since he took over but I have no time for him whatsoever. I couldn't care less about him. I won't speak to him.
"He has walked past me outside the ground before but I ignored him. Nothing would give him more pleasure than to send us down."
On Saturday, having fallen behind to a superb Doyle free-kick on eight minutes, Gillingham's desperation to claw themselves back into the game proved to be their undoing. After being exposed repeatedly at the back they succumbed to a delightful free-flowing move when Bjarni Gudjonsson floated the ball to Gary McSheffrey, who nodded into the path of Andy Morrell to shoot beyond Steve Banks.
Seven minutes later McSheffrey curled home from 25 yards to send Gillingham into the break in some confusion. But Gills came out for the second half with renewed confidence. Gary Wales pulled one back on 64 minutes, only for Hessenthaler to be dismissed two minutes later.
A great escape seemed possible after Mama Sidibe fired in from close range with 20 minutes left. But the impressive McSheffrey scored a well-taken fourth before the substitute Richard Shaw completed the rout with a powerful strike from the edge of the box . How Pulis would love a similar outcome next weekend.
"There can be a number of outcomes but you don't want it to go to the last game," Scally added, "especially not against someone who wants to send you down. On the other hand, if we can stay up then that will be great for everyone. Even if we lose it may still be OK."
Man of the match: Gary McSheffrey (Coventry)
