Gillingham’s road woes continued after a mammoth Bank Holiday weekend trip to Cumbria left Neil Harris side again pointless and goalless.
The historical writing was on the cards before Neil Harris, his squad and the amazing 257 fans made the seven hundred mile round trip – five defeats in the last six visits to Brunton Park, and just two wins there in eleven trips – despite the fact that Gillingham are yet to get a point of their League travels yet this season and have failed to “trouble the scorers” and are still awaiting their first goal of the campaign.
After all that, the travellers were hoping for a change in fortune but sadly, the journey home was made even more frustrating after Joe Mellish’s deflected shot early in the second half gave the Cumbrians all three points.
The opening was slow and the only chance of real not in the opening half hour fell to Omari Patrick whose header went wide before Elkan Baggott had the Gills first chance as he wriggled through and saw his shot well saved by former Gills keeper Tomas Holy who joined Carlisle from Ipswich in the summer.
As the half closed, the Gills had their best spell of the game which culminated in the returning David Tutonda – who was the hero in the midweek shoot out win over Exeter – making good space only to be denied by the giant figure of Holy.
Glenn Morris made a stunning save early in the second half to deny Paul Huntington’s powerful downward header, but the Gills stopper was left helpless a few moments later when Mellish forced a shot into the visitors net with the aid of a deflection.
Substitute Lewis Walker had a couple of late half chances to salvage a point for the Gills, but sent one header straight at Holy and a second wide of the post and with the second opportunity went the three points too…
CARLISLE UNITED – Holy, Armer (Idehen 94), Moxon (Hilton 77), Huntington (Feeney 72), Gibson, Guy, Patrick (Harris 77), Dennis, Whelan, Mellish, Back.
Subs not used – Devitt, Kelly, Stretton.
Goal: Mellish (55).
Booked: Gibson (70).
GILLINGHAM – Morris, Alexander (Kashket 64), Wright, Ehmer, Baggott, Tutonda (Law 51), O’Keefe, Reeves, Adelakun (MacDonald 77), Green, Mandron (Walker 64).
Subs not used – Turner, Carter, Lee.
Booked: Tutonda (29), O’Keefe (70).
REFEREE – Mr Marc Edwards
Attendance: 5,261 (257 Gills).