Three games in four days clearly caught up with Chatham Town as a young Gillingham side were simply too good on the night for their Medway neighbours.

Some of the football that the young Gills played particularly in the first half was a joy to behold with Matt MacArthur the undoubted star of the show, and it was only after the introduction in the second period of Matt Bodkin that the home side looked like they could unpick the blue and black door that was slammed in their faces time and time again.

With Neil Harris and the first team squad heading across the Dartford bridge for their last friendly at Southend on Saturday afternoon, Mark Moss was in charge of the young Gills and had barely taken his seat in the dugout when a touch of MacArthur magic put the visitors ahead. Awarded a free kick some twenty-five yards out on the left angle, MacArthur’s set piece was so precise that keeper Harry Brooks could have climbed a step ladder and still not got anywhere near the ball as it arrowed into the top corner.

Brooks, who wasn’t originally named to start in the social media team that was announced by the Chats, must have wished he was still on the side-lines as repeatedly early on the Gills cut through the home defence and it was little surprise that a second duly followed. Kai Garretts run forward was stopped in its tracks, but the young man persevered and found Ronald Sithole who in turn found MacArthur backing up and he shot beyond a bewildered Chats keeper and into the bottom corner.

The game was all but over as a “contest” just after the break when Sithole got the goal that his nights work deserved as sub-Julien Kuhr did brilliantly down the right and the Gills number nine powered the ball past Dan Ellis in the Chats goal giving the replacement keeper one of his first touches as he claimed the ball out of the back of the net.

Ellis then pulled off a very smart save as the young Gills looked to underline the wine and it was only after Bodkin’s introduction that the home side looked like possibly breaking their duck. Indeed, but a really terrific late save from Tobey Smith to deny Domafriyie, the home side would have registered on the scoresheet.

The young Gills fully deserved their win but for the Chats and boss Kevin Hake, playing three games in four days – which will become four in five after Saturday’s game at Canterbury City – may not prove to be the best preparation for the clubs return to the Isthmian League after all…

Image courtesy of Gillingham FC