A stunning strike from Sam Folarin was enough for Chatham Town to ease past a young Gillingham side on a balmy Friday night at the Bauvill. 

Folarin’s moment of magic just before the break sealed the triumph for Kevin Hake’s side but the young Gills ran the Chats very close, and the home side were indebted to two stunning saves from their trialist keeper to keep the Gills out. 

A good contested friendly which did a couple of times threaten to boil over as the crowd were treated to an enjoyable evening where the home side should have been in front early on as Fadahunsi snatched at a shot from the edge of the box, and then Sene-Richardson’s terrific run took him clear in the box only for his thunderous shot to crash into the side netting. 

The young Gills played themselves into things before the break and from Webster’s great run down the right, Theodore tested Molyneux with a low drive that the Chats keeper did well to hold. Theodore was to go close again as he raced onto a brilliant Nolan through ball only to be brilliantly denied at the point of shooting by a brilliant block. 

The half ended with the Chats in front as Folarin cut in from the right exchanged passes with Fadahunsi and curled a stunner into the top corner giving a despairing Holtham no chance in the Gills goal. 

Folarin almost made it two just after the break but was denied by a brilliant Dobbs block before the Gills defender was unlucky with a header at the other end following a free kick. 

Folarin was a threat all night and drew a fine save from sun keeper Heggarty with a stinging low drive before the Chats trialist sub keeper made two stunning saves in as many minutes to somehow keep out efforts from Sargeant and Dayal. 

The Gills management team of Gareth Ainsworth and Alan Dobson were at the Bauvill watching on ahead of the Gills final pre-season game on Saturday away to Dartford (their boss Ady Pennock was also a keen on looker) and they would have been pleased with the work out if some of their younger players. 

For the Chats, they too have a double header this weekend as Isthmian Southeast side East Grinsted come to Medway at 3pm on Saturday afternoon. 

CHATHAM TOWN – Molyneux (Trialist A), Evans (Belsham), Nelson, Butler, Aidoo, Moynes (Trialist B), Garlinge, Robins (Trialist C), Folarin (Trialist D), Sene-Richardson (Boissiere), Fadahunsi (Trialist E) 

GILLINGHAM XI – Holtham (Heggarty), Webster (Cox), Trialist A, Khumbeni (Dayal), Dobbs (Trialist B), Broadbent (Jones)(Adams), Nolan (Grant), Waldock, Beszant, Theodore (Melanga), Bridle (Sargeant) 

Images courtesy of Gillingham FC