The Gills head back to Kent empty handed following 3-0 loss at Tranmere.
Gills fell to their second defeat of the 2022/23 season after losing 3-0 to Tranmere at Prenton Park on Saturday.
Neil Harris named an unchanged side from the 1-0 win against Rochdale last weekend. Stuart O’Keefe returned to the matchday squad as he returned from injury, Joe Gbode was also included following concussion.
Kane Hemmings came close to giving Tranmere an early lead. The hosts managed to pull two Gills players towards the ball, allowing a pass to be made inside. Hemmings received the ball in the area and tried to dink the ball over Glenn Morris from a difficult angle. The ball hit the face of the bar before Ryan Law cleared away.
In the 11th minute, Tranmere had a great chance to score. Paul Lewis managed to get down the left and chipped a ball into the box. Law initially slipped, allowing Josh Dacres-Cogley to receive the ball at the back of the area. He drilled his shot goalward, but the Plymouth loanee did well to recover and block the effort.
In the 18th minute, Elliott Nevitt gave the hosts the lead. A ball forward allowed the striker to run beyond the Gills defence before getting into the area, shaking off Elkan Baggott and slotting beyond Morris.
Nevitt almost has his second goal nine minutes later. Ethan Bristow’s low ball managed to find the striker inside the area, and he got a touch to send it towards the back post. The ball beat Morris, but also the post, as the effort went inches wide.
Ben Reeves had a half chance in the 29th minute. A throw into the box eventually fell to the midfielder 20 yards out, but his attempt went over the bar leaving Ross Doohan untroubled.
HALF-TIME: Tranmere Rovers 1-0 Gillingham
Gillingham made a half-time change as David Tutonda replaced Law. It also saw a change of formation as Harris opted for a 3-4-3 to start the second half.
Jordan Green came close to finding an equaliser in the opening seconds of the half. Reeves laid it off to the winger, who managed to create a shooting opportunity for himself. He shot across the goal as it beat Doohan, but it hit the inside of the post. The rebound struck a Tranmere defender before they eventually cleared for a corner, which came to nothing.
Green was at the heart of the action again in the 52nd minute and went down inside the penalty area following an aggressive battle with a defender. He and Gillingham supporters were appealing for a penalty, but the referee ignored the claims.
Bristow made it two for the hosts in the 67th minute. Hemmings held the ball up on the edge of the area before playing the wing-back through who sprinted down the left side to get on the end of it. He rifled his effort beyond Morris and into the back of the net, leaving the Gills keeper with no chance.
Dacres-Cogley made it three eight minutes later as he latched onto a loose ball before dinking it over the oncoming Morris.
Elkan Baggott came close to a consolation in the dying seconds. However, his header from Shaun Williams’ free-kick went wide of the post.
FULL-TIME: Tranmere Rovers 3-0 Gillingham
Tranmere Rovers: Doohan, Dacres-Cogley, Byrne, Turnbull (Hawkes 77’), Jameson, Bristow, Merrie, Lewis (Mumbongo 72’), McAlear, Hemmings, Nevitt (Nolan 87’)
Unused Substitutes: Hewelt, Hockenhull, Hughes, Lomax
Gillingham: Morris, Wright, Ehmer (Walker 72’), Baggott, Law (Tutonda 46’), Williams, Lee (O’Keefe 60’), Green, Reeves (Alexander 79’), Kashket (MacDonald 79’), Mandron
Unused Substitutes: Turner, Gbode
Referee: Scott Oldham