Jayden Clarke came off the bench to score his fifth goal of the season as Gillingham ended their winless run with a 1-0 victory over table topping Port Vale at the MEMS Priestfield Stadium.
Mark Bonner made three changes to the starting XI that lost to Blackpool in the FA Cup First Round. Jake Turner returned to the line-up to start in goal, with Glenn Morris dropping to the bench.
Max Clark and Marcus Wyllie started the game, while Jayden Clarke and Jack Nolan were named among the substitutes. Having missed the Blackpool defeat, Ethan Coleman was fit enough to return to the matchday squad.
Armani Little was a matter of inches away from giving the hosts a ninth-minute lead. Remeao Hutton made a fantastic outside-of-the-foot pass, which set Wyllie away down the right wing. The forward carried it towards the penalty area, getting to the byline before cutting the ball back into the middle.
It was in the direction of Little, who stretched to reach the pass but could not make the all-important contact as it fizzed out of play for a goal-kick.
In the 29th minute, Gillingham were forced into their first change. Little picked up a knock that he could not shake off and was replaced by Coleman.
Shortly before half-time, there was cause for concern when Shad Ogie was down, writhing in pain following a collision with Jayden Stockley. Ogie was clutching at his ribs and received treatment before re-entering the field of play.
Port Vale had a massive penalty appeal moments later. A defensive slip allowed Ronan Curtis to latch onto a loose ball inside the penalty area. Turner was quick to come off his line to attempt to smother the ball. The Gills goalkeeper did enough to put Curtis off as he went down.
There were mass appeals from the visiting players and supporters, but the referee waved them away.
Max Ehmer made a sensational defensive clearance to stop Curtis from going through on goal in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time.
The Port Vale forward attempted to flick the ball over the head of the Gills captain before Ehmer, at full stretch, made the crucial overhead kick clearance.
HALF-TIME: Gillingham 0-0 Port Vale
Clark came close from a free-kick just minutes into the second period. Coleman was fouled in a central position 25 yards from the goal. Clark and Euan Williams stood over the dead ball, with the left-back taking the initiative.
He did well to get his shot up and over the wall but could not find the target, as it curled just wide of the top corner.
Conor Grant looked like he was going to have a clear path to goal when the ball came to him just outside the penalty area. He drilled a fierce first-time effort goalward but was denied by Conor Masterson, who was quick to react and blocked the attempt.
After 58 minutes, the Gillingham defence was carved open. The ball was played down the left for Ryan Croasdale, which left the Gills stretched. Croasdale squared it in the direction of Stockley, who stabbed it goalward. Fortunately, he could not make the correct contact as it went wide of the target.
In the 70th minute, Gillingham made a double substitution, as Clarke and Jonny Williams replaced Wyllie and Euan Williams.
The hosts made their final two changes four minutes later, as Josh Andrews and Nolan entered the game for Jacob Wakeling and Tim Dieng.
Clarke headed Gillingham in front on 79 minutes. Having won a throw deep into the Port Vale half, Nolan acted quickly to throw for Masterson down the right. He floated a cross into the penalty area, which just avoided the head of Andrews. Fortunately, it fell perfectly for Clarke to float a header into the right side of the net beyond Connor Ripley.
The visitors were looking for a last-gasp equaliser and Ripley sent a free-kick into the Gills penalty area. The ball was headed down towards an area with multiple Port Vale players, but Turner was first to meet the ball, plucking it from the air. That was as close as they came, as Gillingham held on for a much needed three points.
FULL-TIME: Gillingham 1-0 Port Vale
Gillingham: Turner, Hutton, Masterson, Ehmer, Ogie, Clark, Little (Coleman 29’), Dieng (Nolan 74’), E. Williams (J. Williams 70’), Wakeling (Andrews 74’), Wyllie (Clarke 70’)
Unused Substitutes: Morris, Gbode
Port Vale: Ripley, Debrah (Tolaj 85’), Hall, Heneghan, Cover, Croasdale, Sang, Grant (Paton 85’), Richards (Chislett 46’), Stockley (Hackford 69’), Curtis (Shorrock 69’)
Unused Substitutes: Amos, Lowe
Attendance: 6267 (523 away fans)
Referee: Alan Young
