Championship club clinch victory at ME7.
Kevin Nisbet and Aidomo Emakhu scored the Millwall goals as they beat Gillingham 2-0 at the Priestfield Stadium.
Jake Turner started in goal for Gills as they played their first pre-season fixture at Priestfield against Gary Rowett's side. Jayden Clarke and Josh Chambers started in the midfield, with Tom Nichols leading the attack.
Turner was called into action to deny Duncan Watmore in the 11th minute. The Millwall forward brought the ball onto his right foot before curling it goalward. Turner met the shot with a solid palm to push the ball away before Gills dealt with the rebound.
Moments later, Billy Mitchell had a great chance. Joe Bryan’s free-kick from the left was headed away as far as the midfielder, who struck a fierce half-volley. Fortunately for Gills, it fizzed just wide of the target.
Tom Bradshaw thought he had given The Lions the lead after he got on the end of Bryan’s cross. However, the linesman’s flag was raised for a goal-kick as the ball had gone out of play before Bryan delivered the ball into the box.
In the 18th minute, Nichols had Gillingham’s first opportunity of the game. Clarke made his way down the right and did well to get beyond Murray Wallace before the ball went back to Cheye Alexander. The right-back curled a cross into the box, which Nichols did well to head goalward, but it proved to be a routine save for Bartosz Bialkowski.
Millwall were awarded a penalty in the 25th minute when Conor Masterson brought Watmore down inside the penalty area.
From the resulting spot kick, Kevin Nisbet fired the visitors in front. He smashed his penalty into the top right corner while Turner dived the opposite way.
HALF-TIME: Gillingham 0-1 Millwall
Gills made three substitutions at the break as Ethan Coleman, George Lapslie and Dom Jefferies replaced Shaun Williams, Jonny Williams and Josh Chambers. Millwall made ten changes to the side that started the first half, with Danny McNamara, who replaced George Honeyman, retaining his place.
Coleman had a great opportunity on the hour to bring Gillingham level. Clark curled in a brilliant corner, which Coleman got on the end of. However, he could not get the ball out of his feet until he was near the goal. As Coleman got a shot away, George Long had already closed the angle as he made the save.
In the 65th minute, Neil Harris made five more changes as Glenn Morris, Will Wright, Robbie McKenzie, Ronald Sithole and Joe Gbode all entered the field of play.
Gbode almost made an immediate impact with his first touches of the ball. He did brilliantly to win the ball high up the pitch before going through on goal. He made his way towards the penalty area and was quickly closed down by Long, who did well to deny Gbode when he got his shot away.
In the 73rd minute, Gills made two more changes as Sam Gale and Ike Orji replaced Max Ehmer and Clarke.
Aidomo Emakhu doubled Millwall’s lead with three minutes remaining. Emakhu took advantage of a defensive mistake before cutting inside and rifling the ball into the bottom corner.
Wright nearly pulled a goal back directly from a corner in the final moments. He curled the ball from the left, which went goalward, but Long was alert as he pushed the ball over the top of the crossbar.
FULL-TIME: Gillingham 0-2 Millwall
Gillingham: Turner (Morris 65’), Alexander (Giles 83’), Ehmer (Gale 73’), Masterson (Wright 65’), Clark (McKenzie 65’), Dieng (Sithole 65’), S.Williams (Coleman 46’), Clarke (Orji 73’), Chambers (Lapslie 46’), J.Williams (Jefferies 46’), Nichols (Gbode 65’)
Unused Substitutes: de Wilde
Millwall First Half XI: Bialkowski, Wallace, Cooper, Nisbet, B. Mitchell. Bradshaw, Bryan, Watmore, Esse, A. Mitchell, Honeyman (McNamara 20’)
Millwall Second Half XI: Long, McNamara, Hutchinson, Evans, Flemming, Leonard, Voglsammer, Emakhu, Saville, Okoli, Adom
Attendance: 5012
Referee: Mr John Busby