Gillingham’s involvement in this season’s Papa John’s Trophy is over as a Gills legend’s son returned to Priestfield to dump his side’s former club out of the competition.

With all four sides in Southern Group A level on three points, both sides knew that victory would secure a place in the knockout stages, but it was the young Hammers who would succeed courtesy of first half goals from Harrison Ashby and Thierry Nevers.

For Ashby it must have been a special night as of course his Dad – Barry – is a cult hero at Priestfield having played over 270 times for the Gills, especially as Dad was in the sparce crowd.

Steve Evans as he has in every PJT game this year, rang the changes with just five of the side that drew at Bolton starting the game.

After a tight opening, Ashby gave the visitors the lead with the game’s first real attack as he skilfully placed the ball wide of Aaron Chapman and into the bottom corner of the Gills net.

The visitors could have increased their lead moments later, but Chapman was equal to Pierre Ekwah’s effort, but before the break, the Gills keeper was beaten for a second goal, this time by Nevers who rounded the keeper and walked the ball into the empty net.

Chapman kept his side in the game in the opening stages of the second period with good saves to deny first Ashby and then Keenan Appiah-Forson before top scorer Vadaine Oliver went close for the Gills, but he was denied by a last gasp challenge as half time sub-Gerald Sithole tried to roll the striker in.

Mustapha Carayol then went even closer to getting the goal that would have got the Gills back in the tie, but he was well denied by Hammers keeper Krisztian Hegyi who did really well to narrow the angle.

Gillingham then bow out of a competition that the manager doesn’t really like and judging from the crowd – just 819 attended – this exit won’t be “mourned” by many for too long!

GILLINGHAM – Chapman, Jackson (McKenzie 55), Tucker, Bennett, Akehurst, Adshead, Lee, Lloyd (Carayol 66), Reeves, Kelman (Sithole H/T), Oliver.

Subs not used – Cumming, Lintott, O’Keefe, Akinde.

WEST HAM UNITED U21: Hegyi, Nevers (Simon-Swyer 77), Oko-Flex, Alese, Ekwah, Ashby, Chesters, Longelo, Appiah, Forson, Potts, Baptiste.

Subs not used – Kinnear, Dju, Rosa, Diallo, Laing, Greenidge

REFEREE – Mr Craig Hicks

Assistants: Mr Michael Chard & Mr Matthew Lee

4th Official: Mr Damith Bandara

Attendance: 819 (47 West Ham United).

Picture supplied by Gillingham Football Club.