Sonny Carey’s brace proved the difference as Blackpool beat Gillingham 2-0 in the First Round of the Emirates FA Cup at the MEMS Priestfield Stadium.
Mark Bonner made three changes to the starting XI after the draw at Swindon. Glenn Morris, Armani Little and Jack Nolan returned to the side, with Jake Turner and Oli Hawkins dropping to the bench. Ethan Coleman missed out due to injury.
Elliot Embleton tried his luck after ten minutes. He did well to keep the ball in play on the byline before drilling an effort goalward from a tight angle. However, Morris was left untroubled as the ball smacked into the side netting.
He tried his luck again moments later, this time from a central position 20 yards from the goal. Fortunately, his effort was tame and straight at Morris.
In the 11th minute, Little had an opportunity for the hosts. Gills broke forward, and the ball was played out to Jayden Clarke on the left. He carried it towards the box before cutting it back for Little. The midfielder set himself before curling an effort towards the far top corner, which went wide of the target.
Nolan shot wide from distance after 26 minutes. Remeao Hutton threw it back to Little, who brought it under control before passing to Nolan. The wide man had the time and space to set himself before shooting. His effort had plenty of power and movement, whistling wide of the far post with Richard O’Donnell trying to cover the goal.
O’Donnell had to react quickly following a Nolan effort. Dieng did well keeping the ball in play before passing it back to Nolan. The 23-year-old shifted the ball onto his left foot before drilling a shot through a crowd of players. O’Donnell saw it late, failing to claim the initial effort. It looked as if Jacob Wakeling could get to the rebound, but the Blackpool goalkeeper recovered in time to gather at the second attempt.
A last-ditch header denied Conor Masterson after some fine build-up play. Clarke, Little and Nolan all linked up down the left before the latter curled a cross into the penalty area. It seemed Masterson was going to meet the ball with a free header towards the goal until a Blackpool defender intervened at the final moment to head behind for a corner that came to nothing.
Sonny Carey fired Blackpool in front on 38 minutes. Embleton laid it off to Carey in a central position, who shifted his body, allowing him to shoot on his left foot from 20 yards out. He unleashed a powerful first-time strike that cannoned in off the post, leaving Morris with no chance of keeping it out.
The visitors nearly added a second soon after when the ball was cut back to Ryan Finnigan. Fortunately, he fired over the crossbar from inside the penalty area.
HALF-TIME: Gillingham 0-1 Blackpool
Gills started the opening ten minutes of the second-half on top, getting into positive areas. However, they could not muster a chance to trouble O’Donnell.
Little had a good opportunity when the ball dropped to him inside the penalty area. He opted to strike it first time, getting power on the effort. Unfortunately, his shot deflected off Tim Dieng and went out for a goal-kick.
Clarke nearly mustered a shot at goal after going on a fine solo run.
Clarke took the ball beyond multiple Blackpool players, making headway towards the penalty area before attempting to get a shot away. Unfortunately, he was closed down at the final moment, with a Blackpool defender making a crucial intervention.
Gills made their first change when Joe Gbode replaced Dieng, joining Wakeling up front.
Jordan Rhodes replaced Dom Ballard on 70 minutes and nearly made an immediate impact. He was played in behind the Gillingham defence, beating the offside trap.
Rhodes found himself one-on-one with Morris before shooting. The Gills goalkeeper did well to close it down, blocking it behind for a corner.
From the resulting corner, it was nearly two. Having dealt with the initial cross, the second ball in hit Shad Ogie, sending it towards the Gillingham goal. Fortunately, Wakeling was on the line to make the goal-saving clearance.
In the 79th minute, Marcus Wyllie replaced Masterson.
Nolan forced O’Donnell into a save, drilling a shot from outside the box goalward. Despite getting plenty of power behind the strike, it proved routine for the Blackpool goalkeeper, with it straight at him.
In the final minute of regulation time, Gillingham made their final roll of the dice, introducing Josh Andrews for Nolan.
Carey doubled Blackpool’s lead in the final seconds of the game. With the hosts pushing for an equaliser, the visitors broke forward with a four-on-three. Josh Onomah played Carey through on goal, and he remained composed, slotting his shot beyond Morris and into the far bottom corner.
FULL-TIME: Gillingham 0-2 Blackpool
Gillingham: Morris, Hutton, Masterson (Wyllie 79’), Ehmer, Ogie, Clarke, Dieng (Gbode 70’), Little, E. Williams, Nolan (Andrews 89’), Wakeling
Unused Substitutes: Ashby-Hammond, Turner, Clark, J. Williams, Hawkins, Giles
Blackpool: O’Donnell, Offiah, Gabriel, Casey, Coulson, Finnigan (Onomah 89’), Evans, Carey, Embleton (Pennington 84’), Joseph (Beesley 70’), Ballard (Rhodes 70’)
Unused Substitutes: Tyrer, Fletcher, Baggott, Thompson, Ashworth
Attendance: 4403 (213 away fans)
Referee: Carl Brook
