Gillingham’s first pre-season fixture against Millwall ended goalless, with Mark Bonner taking charge of his first game.
He named two different XI’s for either half. Jake Turner, Max Ehmer and Shad Ogie started in the first half side, with Jack Nolan, Armani Little and a Trialist also featuring.
The second-half XI featured Jonny Williams, Conor Masterson, Elliott Nevitt and Aaron Rowe.
Jayden Clarke had the first chance of the game in the 12th minute. A long pass was directed towards the right wing for Remeao Hutton to latch onto. The right-back took the ball beyond the defender before curling a cross into the box. Clarke managed to run onto it, heading goalward, but sent his effort over the bar.
Josh Andrews did brilliantly to win Gillingham a free-kick after outmuscling Jake Cooper before turning and advancing foward. The striker used his pace and power to get beyond the Millwall captain before the referee pulled the game back for the foul. From the resulting free-kick, the initial cross was dealt with before it fell to Ogie on the edge of the box, who fired over the crossbar.
The visitors had a half-chance when Joe Bryan did well to get in behind the Gills defence before cutting the ball back across the box. Ehmer did well to get a touch on the ball to take it off course before it rolled into the path of Romain Esse. Fortunately, he got his shot completely wrong, shanking it well wide of the target.
Duncan Watmore forced Turner into an easy save after 32 minutes. The ball was flicked into the winger's path, who headed goalward. However, it was straight at Jake Turner, who got down to make a routine save.
Jack Nolan came close to giving the hosts the lead with six minutes remaining in the first half. Little made a bursting run into the Millwall half before slipping a pass-through for Andrews behind the Millwall defence.
The striker was brought down by Kamarl Grant on the edge of the penalty area, with Nolan taking the free-kick, which was positioned to the left of the centre. The winger saw his effort go just wide of the bottom right post.
HALF-TIME: Gillingham 0-0 Millwall
Aidomo Emakhu came inches away from giving Millwall the lead at the beginning of the second half. Emakhu weaved his way past a couple of Gills defenders before rifling an unstoppable effort beyond Glenn Morris. Fortunately, his effort cannoned off the underside of the crossbar before bouncing off the line and away from danger.
Nevitt came close after smart play from Rowe. The winger got beyond a Millwall defender before playing a smart outside-of-the-foot pass in the direction of Nevitt, who brought it under control as he entered the penalty area. He got a shot away towards the near post, which was pushed wide of the post by the Millwall goalkeeper. Unfortunately, the corner came to nothing.
With around 15 minutes remaining, the visitors started to build momentum. Nino Adom-Malaki sent a testing cross from the left, which Tom Bradshaw could not guide goalward. Bradshaw continued to be involved when he met Ryan Leonard’s cross, heading well wide of the target. Emakhu then had a good chance when he ran beyond the Gillingham defence before shooting from a tight angle on the left, which was well-saved by Morris.
Nevitt had another good opportunity when Jonny Williams was fouled to the right of the penalty area. Max Clark curled the ball towards the back post, which Nevitt met, looping his header over the target.
FULL-TIME: Gillingham 0-0 Millwall
Gillingham first-half: Turner, Hutton, Ehmer, Nolan, Little, Andrews, Clarke, Ogie, Gale, Giles, Trialist
Gillingham second-half: Morris, Clark, Masterson, Williams, Rowe, Hawkins, McKenzie, Nevitt, Gbode, Dieng, Webster
Unused Substitutes: Waldock
Millwall first-half: Jensen, McNamara, Cooper, Nisbet, Bryan, Watmore, Saville, Esse, Leahy, Honeyman, Grant
Millwall second-half: Trialist, Wallace, Nisbet (Bradshaw 62’), Leonard, Emakhu, De-Norre, Esse (Smith 63’), Adom-Malaki, Honeyman (Lawson 63’), Massey, Harding
Unused Substitutes: Przewozny, Okoli, Bangura-Williams, Hearn
Referee: Carl Brook
Attendance: 4442 (1850 away)
