Substitute Sheldon Kendall scored twice at MEMS Priestfield to secure a convincing 3-0 win for the home side, with James Brophy having opened the scoring earlier in the second half.
While the Gills were slightly wasteful in the first half, with the industrious academy product Harry Waldock creating several chances that weren’t converted, the second half was a different story. Brophy opened the scoring with an effort from outside the box, before Kendall slotted home twice from close range having just been brought on to replace Waldock.
The Gills were looking for their third league win in a row, having convincingly beaten Rochdale and Tranmere Rovers in consecutive weeks. Despite their well-documented injury concerns, they started the game one point away from the play-off places and unbeaten in their last five fixtures.
Gareth Ainsworth made one change to the starting line up – Conor McManus was replaced by Lamin Sillah. Centre-forward Will Goodwin also returned to the bench following a spell sidelined with injury.
Steve Evans made three changes to the Rovers side who lost 2-0 away at Grimsby Town. Riley Harbottle was ruled out through injury; Tommy Leigh was suspended and Fabrizio Cavegn dropped to the bench. They were replaced by Ellis Harrison, Ciaran Kelly and Jack Aitchison.
Bristol Rovers had the better of the opening minutes, creating opportunities, while never troubling Ollie Wright. TThe first clear chance fell to the home side as Harry Waldock received the ball from a lofted, cross-field pass into the Rovers box. He cut the ball back for Sillah, but it was slightly behind him and his attempted backheel finish came to nothing.
Gillingham went close again a few minutes later through the same combination of players. Having won the first header, Sillah again found himself unmarked in the box, but Waldock’s cross was cut out by a diving block and put behind for a corner, which came to nothing.
Ronan Hale had an excellent chance to open the scoring as Waldock’s cross found him in the Rovers box, but his low, stinging shot was well-stopped by Brad Young.
The visitors came back into the game, with some dangerous attacks on the left from Bobby Kamwa, who received some ‘advice’ from the fans in the Rainham End, who felt he had been less than honest about the severity of Omar Beckles’ tackles.
Right at the end of the first half, Gillingham should have gone ahead. A looping cross from Nick Freeman had Young in two minds about whether to claim it, eventually choosing to back off. Robbie McKenzie had a free header, which he couldn’t get over, sending it over the bar.
As the second half got underway, Gillingham continued to be the main aggressors, with Robbie McKenzie having an early shot that went narrowly wide but had the keeper scrambling to cover it.
Finally, the deadlock was broken in the 56th minute. Following a Gillingham attack on the right, Freeman’s cross initially looked to have been dealt with, but it broke to James Brophy on the edge of the box. He gave himself a yard of space and threaded a right-footed shot past the defender and the outstretched Young into the net.
The Rovers should have equalised minutes later as Ben Purrington had a shot from the centre of the Gillingham box. However, he shot straight at Wright.
The home side were inches away from doubling their lead. Following a Rovers attack, Waldock picked up possession on the right and ran half the length of the pitch to deliver a low, sharp cross that went across the front of goal, but the waiting players couldn’t get the touch it needed.
Rovers had another chance as Shaq Forde had a shot from the edge of the Gills box, but Wright was equal to it.
Following some slightly nervy, attritional football where both managers made their substitutions, Gillingham found the net for the second time.
Freeman made a run on the right flank and put a perfectly weighted cross into the box for substitute Sheldon Kendall to calmly convert with his first touch of the game.
Kendall was at it again four minutes later with his second goal.
This time, the ball came in from Brophy on the left flank and, with Bristol committing numbers forward, Kendall had only the keeper to beat. His first shot was saved, but not convincingly, so he slotted home the rebound from point blank range.
Will Goodwin should have scored with the final kick of the game as he had only the keeper to beat, but it was saved and went behind.
The win sees The Gills climb to 4th place in the League Two table.
Gillingham: Wright, Smith, Hale (McCleary 62’), Sillah (Goodwin 75’), McKenzie, Brophy, Beckles, Freeman, Waldock (Kendall 83’), Dobbs, King (Luxton ’83).
Subs Not Used: Holtam, Daley, Webster.
Goals: Brophy 55’
Booked: McCleary 95’
Bristol Rovers: Young, James, Balmer, Mola, Forde (Russell-Denny 72’), Kamwa (Cavegn 64’), Aitchison, Purrington, Kelly, Harrison (Quigley 80’), Smallwood.
Subs Not Used: Binns, Sparkes, Kilgour, Sanyaolu.
Goals: None.
Booked: Harrison 65’, Balmer 68’
HT 0 – 0 FT 3 – 0
Attendance: 5947 (634 Bristol Rovers)
Referee: Mr Adam Merchant
Picture supplied by Gillingham Football Club.