Gillingham came from behind for the first time this season to take all three points from their long trip to Accrington Stanley. 

And when sub Macauley Bonne netted the winner with fifteen minutes left, it was also the first time this season that the travelling faithful had more than one goal to cheer in a single game on their League travels. 

After the home side had gone into the lead early in the second half, Connor Masterson was on hand to level the scores after Oli Hawkins had nodded Connor Mahoney’s back across goal and when Jayden Clarkes shot had been blocked, Bonne was on hand to hammer the ball high into the Stanley net to seal the three points and three points for Steven Clemence’s side. 

Early on both sides were content on probing their opponents to try and find a way through and the clock had passed the midway point of the half before Ben Woods twice tested Jake Turner in quick succession, but the Gills stopper did well to deny the home striker. 

The visitors created chances of their own to partially warm the hands for the 300 hardly soles who had made the long trip from Kent – Scott Malone had a shot blocked, Tim Dieng glanced a header wide, and Hawkins headed a cross over the top. 

Five minutes after the break, Stanley edged in front – Alex Henderson met a free kick into the Gills box, and his header beat Turner and went in off the inside of a post.

Josh Woods was inches away from doubling the home lead with a header before the visitors drew level just past the hour mark with a move that could have come straight off the training ground – Mahoney’s deep corner was headed back across goal by Hawkins for Masterson to hammer Gillingham level. 

Hawkins was then replaced by Bonne who was soon in the action shooting wide. Tom Nichols then also fired past the post as the Gills upped the tempo in search of their third League win in a row, but quite how the home side did not go back in front on 73 minutes is amazing as Joe Pritchards corner hit the inside of a post before bouncing Gillingham’s way and away to safety. 

It was the let off that Clemence’s side needed as Mahoney found Clarke in space and after his shot was blocked, Bonne was in the right place to drill the ball into the net to give the visitors the lead, and it was a lead that they didn’t look like losing and indeed could have won by more as in the closing seconds Mahoney was denied a third as keeper Joe Walsh pulled off a really good save to deny the Gills wide man. 

The Gills returned to Kent with the points and a third League win in a row for the first time since the start of the season and in the knowledge that they are just a solitary point outside the Play Off places, poised to push on especially with five of the next eight games back at Priestfield. 

ACCRINGTON STANLEY – Walsh, O’Brien, Gubbins (Pickles), Hills, Shipley, Ben Woods, Martin, Pritchard, Henderson, Nolan, Josh Woods 

Subs – McIntyre, Mellor, Quirk, Adekoya, Trickett, Conneely 

GILLINGHAM – Turner, McKenzie (Jayden Clarke), Masterson, Ehmer, Ogie, Malone, Coleman, Dieng (Lapslie), Mahoney, Hawkins (Bonne), Nichols (Max Clark) 

Subs – Morris, Alexander, Jonny Williams 

REFEREE – Mr Middleton 

Image courtesy of Gillingham FC