Jayden Clarke and Harry Bridle both scored twice as Gills secured a comfortable 4-0 win over Dartford at Princes Park.
Clarke struck twice in the space of a few second-half minutes to swing the game in Gills favour, with sub Harry Bridle providing a clinical finish for a decisive third goal before turning home a Harry Webster cross with the last kick of the game.
Gills took a squad of 22 players to Dartford with Tim Dieng the captain for the opening half. Alongside him in midfield was Stanley Skipper and Jack Nolan. New signing Marcus Wyllie started in attack.
As for the Darts, managed by former Gills boss Ade Pennock, they named one familiar face in their squad with Ben Allen among the subs.
It was a lively affair in the opening exchanges but it took a quarter of an hour for either goalkeeper to be sufficiently tested. A blocked clearance was pounced on by Wyllie and he headed towards goal, the angle was against him slightly but he got a shot away which was comfortably saved by Jacob Marsden.
A few minutes later and Gills had another opening. Skipper got the ball wide to Hutton who stumbled slightly as he went to cross; he decided to play in Nolan on the edge of the box whose left footed effort was struck just wide of the target.
The hosts had their first meaningful effort on 26 minutes when the Darts won possession high up the pitch; Dieng headed away a cross which fell as far as Jez Pinder but his left footed shot from 20 yards went over.
A couple of minutes before the interval the offside flag denied Wyllie a debut goal. Clarke’s cross was inch perfect for the striker who connected well with a precise header. It found the bottom corner, but the flag was up immediately to deny an opener.
H/T: Dartford 0-0 Gillingham
The hosts made a number of changes at the interval but Gills made just the one with Harry Waldock coming on in place of Skipper.
The opening goal of the game came on 54 minutes when an excellent cross field ball from Hutton found Clarke in space. The Darts keeper came off his line to try and clear the loose ball but the pace of the winger was too much and he prodded the ball home from inside the area.
A few minutes later and Clarke was at it again, this time Wyllie went to shoot from the edge of the box but instead tried to find more space by getting around two defenders. The eventual effort was blocked but the ball ran nicely for the winger who finished from close range.
Nine changes soon followed as all remaining Gills subs, apart from Jake Turner, took to the field and Ashley Nadesan came close to adding a third when Gbode’s ball to the back post gave the striker something to get onto. He made contact but on the stretch he couldn’t turn the ball home.
Rowe was denied by the second half Dartford trialist keeper before sub Harry Bridle added a third. The Darts lost possession close to their goal, Bridle pounced and drilled home a fine effort from inside the box.
Gbode was denied late on, but Bridle nestled home a fourth with the last kick of the game when he turned home a low cross from Harry Webster.
F/T: Dartford 0-4 Gillingham
Dartford starting XI: Marsden, Whitefield, Odaudu, Hill, Jones, Pinder (Kepka 59), Nayler, Olapede, Box, Williams, Ofori-Acheampong
Subs: Trialist, Allen, Day, Campbell, Christian-Law, Proctor, Kepka, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist
Gills: Morris, Hutton (Webster 62), Hawkins (Ehmer 62), Masterson (Ogie 62), Clark (Gale 62), Nolan (McKenzie 62), Dieng (Rowe 62), Skipper (Waldock HT), Clarke (Nadesan 62), Trialist (Gbode 62), Wyllie (Bridle 62).
Unused subs: Turner
Attendance: 1008
Referee: Mr Ben Atkinson
