Report | Bromley 1-5 Gillingham

Reilly, Hanlan, Parker, List and Charles-Cook on target as Gills defeat Bromley.

Gillingham put in a fine display to overcome Bromley 5-1 in Tuesday’s pre-season friendly at Hayes Lane.

Callum Reilly opened with the scoring within three minutes with an accurate low shot before Brandon Hanlan secured a second goal with an excellent right-footed effort from a tight angle.

Bromley pulled one back before the break through George Porter but Josh Parker was quick to restore the two-goal deficit following the interval, latching onto Elliott List’s cross to smash home a shot from eight yards.

List added a fourth himself with a cool finish before Regan Charles-Cook added a fifth with an excellent effort from the edge of the box.

Steve Lovell again decided to field different XI’s in either half, however they were different teams to the ones that were picked in either half at Folkestone on Saturday.

Tomas Holy started in goal with Gabriel Zakuani, Mark Byrne, Callum Reilly and Conor Wilkinson all taking to the field for the opening 45 minutes.

Tom Hadler kept goal in the second half with Barry Fuller, Navid Nasseri, Liam Nash and Tom Eaves all getting the second 45 minutes.

Bromley fielded a familiar name in Roger Johnson; a former Premier League centre-back. The Ravens also welcomed back former players Josh Rees and Regan Charles-Cook.

The game wasn’t three minutes old when Gills took the lead. Hanlan found Wilkinson in space on the left wing; he turned and spotted Reilly in space 18 yards from goal and his low left footed strike was too much for Max Huxter who watched the ball roll into the bottom right corner.

Parrett had a shot blocked soon afterwards prior to Bromley’s first effort on goal. George Porter did well to turn inside the box but his left footed effort lacked power and Holy claimed at the second time of asking.

Bromley enjoyed a brief spell of possession just before the 20-minute mark but following a headed clearance from O’Mara Gills went on the break and Wilkinson played in Hanlan on the right wing, he burst into the penalty box and his strike across the body of Huxter settled nicely into the opposite corner.

However the hosts continued to ask a few questions of the Gills defence and on 26 minutes they finally found the answer when a cross from Omar Bugiel was only punched clear by Holy; the ball landed at the feet of Porter who drilled home a low shot from 20 yards.

Gills nearly restored their two-goal cushion on 37 minutes but O’Neill’s excellent cross to Hanlan, whose header was equally good, was brilliant kept out by Huxter to concede just a corner.

Bromley pushed for the equaliser before the break; the best of the opportunities falling to Roger Johnson who narrowly headed wide from 10 yards.

H/T: 1-2

Like the first-half, fans had hardly settled into their seats before the boys in blue struck. List used his pace on the right to get past his man; he delivered a great low cross and Parker rifled home from eight yards.

Moments later and it should have been four; Charles-Cook took advantage of a defensive lapse and advanced through on goal. Huxter made a good save but the ball fell to the feet of Nash. He steadied himself and went for power but the keeper was up quickly to make a second stop.

The next 20 minutes saw a comparative lack of goal mouth action, although there was an element of concern when Bromley sub Alan Dunne was carried off on a stretcher.

Gills bagged a fourth six minutes from time; Nash picked out an excellent pass to find List behind the home defence and the forward produced a clinical finish to beat Huxter, and a fifth soon followed when Regan Charles-Cook found the top corner with an accurate finish from 18 yards.

F/T: 1-5

Bromley: Huxter, Adebayo-Rowling (Dunne 56, Gnahore 72)), D Johnson, Higgs, R Johnson, Goodman, Mekki (De Silva 52), Raymond (Edge 65), Bugiel (Suraci 67) Porter, Taylor (Meekums 53)

Unused subs: Burba, Brefo, Enver, Kalala.

Gills: (First half): Holy, O'Neill, O'Mara, Zakuani, Simpson, Byrne, Rees, Reilly, Parrett, Wilkinson, Hanlan.

Gills: (Second half): Hadler, Fuller, Ehmer, Lacey, Garmston, List, Nasseri, Charles-Cook, Nash, Eaves, Parker.

Attendance: TBC

Referee: Mr W Finnie