Mark Bonner’s Gillingham side tasted defeat in the league for the first time this season away at Doncaster Rovers on Saturday afternoon

It was veteran striker Billy Sharp who scored the only goal of the game in the first half, that would see the Gills fall to defeat for the first time in the league under Bonner.

He was forced into making three changes to the side that beat Chesterfield 1-0 in their previous league fixture. Captain Max Ehmer missed the game due suspension, he was surprisingly replaced with Oli Hawkins, who himself has a broken wrist.

With Robbie McKenzie the latest player on the treatment table, the returning Ethan Coleman made his first league start of the season. Jayden Clarke started in place of Aaron Rowe, on the left wing.

There was also a late change to the Gillingham substitutes bench, with Joe Gbode coming in for Bradley Dack, with Dack pulling out after the warm-up.

The first chance fell to Jordan Gibson who was put through on goal, but the pass and Glenn Morris lost his footing momentarily but the keeper recovered in time to gather the loose ball.

The Gills started to find a bit of a foot hold in the game after 20 minutes, with Jack Nolan having the Gills first real chance, and it was a half-chance at best. Remeao Hutton’s long throw into the penalty area was chested down by Hawkins to Nolan’s. He hit his shot thumped towards goal, which took a deflection and was cleared by the Doncaster defence.

The hosts were then to take the lead, a looping cross from the right went to the back post and was headed down towards the danger area by Gibson. It fell to Sharp, who on the turn shot past Morris who was in close proximity.

Just before halftime that man Sharp had the chance to score a second. A cross from Owen Bailey reached Sharp who was unmarked inside the area. His header was not particularly accurate and drifted wide of the post.

Bonner changed this up at half time bringing on Elliott Nevitt for his league debut to replace Marcus Wyllie, who had run and chased a lot but without any real reward to show for it.

It was however the home side who started the second period the brighter, and a ball was played out to Molyneux. He crossed the ball into the area, well sort of, as it was closed down by Max Clark but it looped towards the near post and going just over the bar.

It was definitely Doncaster who were applying more of the pressure on the Gillingham goal, with little success. Morris had to be alert just before the hour mark. A ball eventually found its way through to Bailey, who was one-on-one with Morris. The Cat was quick off his line to block the shot, and parry it out to the right hand side.

Hutton did cause panic in the Doncaster defence though, when he curled a ball into the box. It left Ted Sharman-Lowe scrambling to get back and push the ball away. It dropped into the path of Oli Hawkins whose shot was blocked, but it wouldn’t have counted as the home side were awarded a free-kick.

Armani Little tried his luck from distance during stoppage time at thee end of the game, a corner was cleared by the Doncaster rear guard. The ball fell invitingly to Little, but unfortunately his effort went just over the bar.

Doncaster Rovers: Sharman-Lowe, Sterry, Anderson, McGrath, Fleming, Bailey, Westbrooke (Close 80), Molyneux (Olowu 90), Clifton, Gibson (Hurst 80), Sharp (Ironside 61)

Subs not used: Lawlor, Sbarra, Yeboah

Gillingham: Morris, Hutton, Hawkins, Ogie, Clark, Coleman (J. Williams 60’), Little, Clarke (Wakeling 60), Lapslie (Andrews 77), Nolan (Gbode 83), Wyllie (Nevitt 46)

Subs not used: Ashby-Hammond, Giles

Image courtesy of Gillingham FC