Jayden Clarke and Robbie McKenzie scored in either half as Gillingham went top of the League Two table with their 2-0 victory against Barrow at the MEMS Priestfield Stadium.
Gills took the lead on 17 minutes through Clarke. McKenzie made a bursting run through the midfield before playing a defence-splitting pass that set Clarke away. The wide man remained composed as he made his way into the penalty area before slotting into the bottom corner.
McKenzie made it two just after the hour as Gillingham held off the Barrow onslaught. Jack Nolan curled a corner towards the back post, which McKenzie met unmarked. He made enough contact with the ball to send it into the roof of the net from a couple of yards out.
The second goal took the wind out of Barrow’s sails, as the Gills managed the final 30 minutes of the game to secure all three points.
Mark Bonner made one change to the starting XI that beat Notts County in the previous league fixture. Jack Nolan returned to the line-up instead of Joe Gbode, who was named among the substitutes.
Bradley Dack was fit enough to be named on the bench, while Ethan Coleman returned from suspension.
Theo Vassell nearly capitalised on an unsure defensive moment in the fifth minute. A long throw into the box bounced before Shad Ogie miskicked his attempted clearance. Vassell lunged at the loose ball, prodding it goalward. Fortunately, the tame attempt was straight at Glenn Morris.
Down the other end, Nolan forced Wyll Stanway into a save. Armani Little played an excellent cross-field pass towards the winger who brought it under control before cutting inside onto his left foot. Nolan made his way into a central position and decided to shoot which stung the palms of the visiting keeper.
In the 17th minute, Jayden Clarke gave Gillingham the lead. Robbie McKenzie picked up the ball midway inside the Gills half before driving forward. He spotted Clarke to his left, timing his run through on goal perfectly as McKenzie played a defence-splitting pass. Clarke raced through on goal, finding himself one-on-one with Stanway before slotting it beyond the goalkeeper and into the far corner of the net.
Nolan tried his luck in the 32nd minute. He received the ball from over 25 yards out in a central position with time and space. He brought it onto his left foot before setting himself and shooting. However, his low-driven effort went wide of the post, leaving Stanway untroubled.
Moments later, Ged Garner caught the Gillingham defence out to latch onto a ball down the left wing. He burst towards the penalty area before shooting from a tight angle. Max Ehmer had recovered to put pressure on the striker, who could only shoot into the side netting.
Gills were a couple of inches away from doubling their lead after a brilliant cross from Nolan. His curling ball into the box was seemingly dropping to an unmarked George Lapslie. Unfortunately, the ball was just out of his reach before evading Clarke at the back post.
Lapslie struck the woodwork in the 41st minute. Remeao Hutton lumped the ball forward, allowing Lapslie to chase it down. Lapslie got goal side of the defender as the ball bounced off their backs, allowing the midfielder to latch onto the bouncing ball. He shook off the pressure before shooting from a tight angle, smacking the outside of the post before the ball went out of play for a goal-kick.
HALF-TIME: Gillingham 1-0 Barrow
Morris did brilliantly to deny Emile Acquah early in the second period. A long throw into the penalty area was flicked towards Acquah, who headed goalward from six yards out. However, the Gillingham goalkeeper reacted quickly to get across and save the header.
In the 53rd minute, Morris produced an excellent save. The ball fell to Dean Campbell inside the penalty area, who had a free shot at goal. The Barrow man drilled a low-driven effort towards the bottom right corner through a few players. Morris, who would have seen it late, reacted quickly to get across and pushed it wide of the post for a corner, which came to nothing.
Having weathered the Barrow barrage on their penalty area, Gills doubled their advantage through McKenzie on 62 minutes. Nolan curled a corner from the right towards the back post. McKenzie delayed his run, allowing him to meet the cross unmarked. He made sufficient contact with the ball, putting it into the back of the net.
That was McKenzie’s final act of the game, as he was soon replaced by Coleman. Jonny Williams also entered the game for Lapslie.
Gills were in search of a third and came close twice in a matter of seconds. The first came when Jonny Williams played a perfectly dinked cross into the box in the direction of Coleman, who headed towards the bottom corner. Stanway had to scramble to get across, pushing it around the post.
The second came from the resulting corner, which was played towards the near post. Ehmer ducked under the ball, causing confusion for the Barrow defenders, as the ball ricocheted off a couple of players before going out for another corner, which came to nothing.
On 76 minutes, there were two more Gillingham changes. Dack and Gbode entered the game, replacing Clarke and Nolan respectively.
Gills made their final substitution in the 82nd minute, as Marcus Wyllie replaced Nevitt. The hosts managed the game well to see out the final stages.
FULL-TIME: Gillingham 2-0 Barrow
Gillingham: Morris, Hutton, Ehmer, Ogie, Clark, Little, McKenzie (Coleman 66’), Nolan (Gbode 76’), Lapslie (J. Williams 65’), Clarke (Dack 76’), Nevitt (Wyllie 82’)
Unused Substitutes: Ashby-Hammond, Hawkins
Barrow: Stanway, Eccleston, Campbell, Garner (Worrall 86’), Newby (Popov 63’), Stokes, Sam Foley, Acquah (Telford 63’), Feely (Kouyate 46’), Jackson, Vassell
Unused Substitutes: Daniels, Tiensia
Referee: Neil Hair
Attendance: 7166 (162 away fans)
