Gillingham edged out Ebbsfleet United in the five goal pre-season game at Stonebridge Road on Saturday afternoon.
Two goals from Danny Kedwell and one from Ben Strevens were enough to see the league side to another pre-season win with Moses Ashikodi continuing his fine summer form with both goals for the home side.
Kedwell, who was captaining the side, put The Gills one up inside four minutes as he glanced home Charlie Lee’s long throw at the near post with Ebbsfleet keeper Preston Edwards unable to get anything on it.
Gillingham didn’t have to wait much longer to make it 2-0 with Ben Strevens following up his goal at Dartford last weekend with an equally scruffy goal that finished off a fine move from Chris Whelpdale and Joe Martin.
Meanwhile, Edwards had to be on top form to keep the score down to just two as he pulled off fine saves from Charlie Lee. The first came from a powerful header and the second from an attempted lob that seemed to be dropping into the far corner.
Ebbsfleet looked to try and assert some pressure on the Gillingham goal as the half wore on, but in truth Gills goalkeeper Stuart Nelson had little to do in the first forty five minutes as central defensive pairing Callum Davies and trialist Bernard Onanga Itoua mopped up all before them.
With Liam Daish’s team talk still ringing in their ears, Ebbsfleet came out in the second half looking a much better side and they didn’t have to wait too long to get back in the game.
Moses Ashikodi picked the ball up on the left hand side, powered past a challenge from Matt Fish before unleashing a fierce shot past Stuart Nelson into the far corner.
It could have been ever worse for Gillingham a minute later when Liam Enver-Marum, back from a spell at Stevenage, clipped the ball onto the post.
That effort was enough to persuade Gills boss Martin Allen to come down from his position at the back of the stand, to join up with the squad on the bench.
The Gills boss wasted little time in making a change, taking Fish off and bringing Charlie Allen on, with Chris Whelpdale dropping into the right back position.
As Ebbsfleet continued to push forward in search of an equaliser, Neil Barrett forced Nelson into a fine save, preventing the ball from going goalwards by using his legs.
Sensing they needed to change the momentum, Gillingham pushed forward themselves and Bradley Dack, as effective as he has been all pre-season, clipped the ball into the path of Joe Martin and his first time cross was met by Kedwell who beat Patrick Ada to the ball at the near post and the ball squirmed past Preston Edwards.
Ebbsfleet weren’t dead and buried though and Barrett found the woodwork again as he beat Nelson with a deft touch past the Gillingham keeper.
The home side had the last say in the game as Charlie Lee was dispossessed by Liam Bellamy and he found Ashikodi in space. Without thinking, the former West Ham United striker chipped the ball over the advancing Nelson into the bottom corner.
There was still time for Adam Birchall to get another run out for The Gills, with both managers going home happy with what they have seen in a game that served up a treat for the 915 in attendance.
FULL TIME: EBBSFLEET UNITED 2-3 GILLINGHAM
Gillingham line up: Nelson, Fish (Allen 61), Martin, Payne, Davies, Bernard, Dack (Jackman 79), Lee, Kedwell, Strevens (Birchall 87), Whelpdale.
Subs not used: Essam, Frampton, Evans, Montrose, Birchall, Hare, Forecast.
Ebbsfleet line up: Edwards, Stone (McNeil 79), Howe (Blake 58), Barrett, Walsh, Ada, Enver-Marum, Bellamy, Elder (Williams 89), Ashikodi, Phipp (Azeez 79).
Subs not used: Greenhalgh, Folkes, Wilson, Secq, Akinde.
Referee: Mr Barry Holderness
Attendance: 915