Jack Nolan got on the scoresheet as Gillingham beat Championship Watford 2-0 at the MEMS Priestfield Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Gills took a first-half lead through a Trialist. After some quick thinking from a free-kick, the ball was played into the acres of space on the right, which the Trialist ran into to get on the ball before heading goalward. He kept his composure, slotting it beyond Daniel Bachmann.
Nolan doubled Gillingham’s advantage in the 69th minute as he perfectly executed a counter-attack. Tim Dieng won possession on the edge of the Gills penalty area before playing it out wide for Nolan, who carried the ball from inside Gillingham’s half to the edge of Watford’s penalty area. The wide man cut onto his left foot before drilling a low-driven effort beyond Bachmann and into the bottom right corner.
Mark Bonner named two separate XI’s for the game. For the first half XI Harry Webster, Harry Waldock, Aaron Rowe and Elliott Nevitt all featured.
Jake Turner, Oli Hawkins, Stanley Skipper, Jack Nolan, and Harry Bridle were all featured in the second-half team, as Gills gave many youth team players minutes against their Championship opposition.
Ken Sema had a half-chance in the fourth minute after the visitors dominated the early proceedings. Ryan Andrews got down the right before floating a cross into the box. Sema attempted to volley the ball but his connection lacked conviction, leaving Glenn Morris untroubled.
Morris was called into action soon after when Tom Dele-Bashiru’s perfectly weighted pass found the run of Andrews into the penalty area. The right wing-back’s effort was low-driven, which Morris got down to palm away before Gills eventually cleared the second ball.
In the 11th minute, the Gillingham Trialist almost opened the scoring. Having been played in behind the Watford defence he found himself through on goal on the left-hand side of the penalty area. The Trialist tried to drag his shot into the bottom right corner, sending it inches wide of the post.
The striker got on the scoresheet in the 27th minute though after a smart free-kick. The Gills looked as if they were going to send it long towards the penalty area before Rowe and the Trialist made darting runs towards the right, which had acres of space. The Trialist was the one who got on the ball, taking it goalward before slotting beyond Daniel Bachmann and into the bottom left corner.
Watford came close to scoring multiple times in a matter of seconds. The first came after Kwadwo Baah latched onto a misplaced pass 25 yards from the Gillingham goal before taking it forward. His eventual shot took a vital deflection off Conor Masterson, sending the ball wide of the post.
From the resulting corner Gills had to remain strong to keep Watford out. A sliced shot caused mayhem, with a Watford player heading goalward at the near post, with the attempt beating Morris but not Waldock, who headed off the line. There was a follow-up, which Max Ehmer headed clear.
HALF-TIME: Gillingham 1-0 Watford
Gills made nine changes at the break, with Robbie McKenzie and the Trialist being the two players to remain on the field.
Nolan nearly doubled the Gillingham advantage after fine work from Josh Andrews to outmuscle a Watford defender before winning a free-kick. The ball was positioned to the right of centre, which Nolan curled towards the top right corner with a left-footed effort. It needed Bachmann at full stretch to get across and push it away from the goal to keep it out of the net.
On the hour Gills made a double change, with Bridle and Skipper replacing McKenzie and the Trialist.
In the 69th minute Nolan doubled Gillingham’s advantage, catching the visitors on the break. Tim Dieng won possession outside of the Gills penalty area before spotting Nolan in space on the right. He carried the ball from inside the Gillingham half to the edge of Watford’s box before drilling an effort into the bottom right corner, squeezing it beyond Bachmann.
Gills made a precautionary change, with Gbode replacing Josh Andrews in the 74th minute.
Ryan Andrews forced Turner into a save during stoppage time. The wing-back sent a blistering shot towards the near post, needing the Gills goalkeeper to react quickly to keep it out. Turner got across, getting a strong hand behind the shot to push it around the post for a corner, which came to nothing.
FULL-TIME: Gillingham 2-0 Watford
Gillingham 1st Half: Morris, Webster, Ehmer, Masterson, Clark, McKenzie, Waldock, Gbode, Trialist, Rowe, Nevitt
Gillingham 2nd half: Turner, Hutton, Hawkins, Gale, Ogie, McKenzie (Skipper 60’), Dieng, Nolan, Trialist (Bridle 60’), Clarke, Andrews (Gbode 74’)
Watford: Bachmann, Pollock, Sierralta (Abbott 74’), Porteous (Tikvic 46’), Andrews, Sissoko (Ince 46’), Kayembe, Dele-Bashiru (Louza 60’), Sema (Ngakia 60’), Baah (Bayo 60’), Vata (Rajovic 60’)
Unused Substitutes: Bond, Macaulay, Morris, Grieves
Referee: Sebastian Stockbridge
Attendance: 2922 (438 away fans)
