A very young Gills side are beaten by Deal put in a strong performance at the Charles Ground.
A young Gillingham side were beaten by Deal on Tuesday evening but put in a brave and spirited display in the process.
Despite being 2-0 down at the break the visitors were a lot brighter after the interval and were unlucky not to get back in the game with chances falling to Ronald Sithole and Leighton Murray.
The hosts scored with the final touches in both the first and second halves.
Mark Moss took control of the team with Sam Gale, Will Dempsey, Julian Kuhr and Elliott Moore all starting. Ronald Sithole, Josh Bayliss and Will de Wilde were among the subs.
Deal started on the front foot and had a penalty appeal in the first minute turned away by the referee with Gills having to defend in numbers to clear the danger, with Dempsey having to back track minutes later to head a deep cross off the line at the far post.
On 12 minutes, with the visitors having settled into the game by this point, Deal took the lead when a ball on the right hand side set up nicely for a 20-yard volley which flew over the head of keeper Tate Holtam and into the back of the net.
Having struck the post to miss the chance of increasing the lead, Gills had a half chance to level the scores when a corner from the left was delivered towards Dami Taiwu-Pratt, only for keeper Henry Newcombe to get out quickly to block the resulting goal effort.
Holtam was needed on 35 minutes to punch away a loose ball into the box, with a follow up lobbed effort going over the goal and into the stand.
With seconds left in the half, Deal added a second when a cross from the left looked to be going out of play, only for a forward to slide in at the last moment and divert an effort beyond the Gills keeper.
H/T: Deal Town 2-0 Gillingham
The visitors made four changes at the interval and were a lot brighter in the second half. Murray headed just wide before Ronald Sithole struck the side netting with a low right footed drive.
Just before the hour, Holtam made an excellent double save to his left to stop a third goal with the resulting corner well defended.
Another Murray header was guided inches wide of the far post, following a Will Dempsey cross, with Nil Grau next to go close with Josh Bayliss finding the striker with a well placed delivery.
With the clock ticking down, Deal were awarded a corner in the closing seconds with a close range effort ensuring a third goal was netted with the last kick of the game.
F/T: Deal Town 3-0 Gillingham
Gills: Holtam, Giles (Webster 46), Gale (Woodliffe 65), Taiwu-Pratt, Allen, Dempsey, Kuhr (de Wilde 46), Murray, Garrett (Sithole 46), Grau, Moore (Bayliss 46).
Attendance: 422