2025 started with a Thursday evening derby between Gillingham and Bromley in the Sky Bet League Two and it was the visitors who claimed the bragging rights.

Mark Bonner, the Gills’ manager made six changes to the team that were unfortunate to lose at AFC Wimbledon on Monday while his Bromley counterpart, Andy Woodman only made a couple of adjustments to his starting line up from the team that drew at home to Swindon Town one day earlier.

Ethan Coleman shot well wide for the hosts after Deji Elerewe blocked Tim Dieng’s effort into his path. However, it was the Ravens who went ahead in the seventh minute. Michael Cheek did well to get down the right wing and when he was challenged, it broke to Jude Arthurs. He drove a low shot towards the far post and Gillingham goalkeeper Glenn Morris could only palm it out as far as Louis Dennis who slotted it home from close range.

Danny Imray whipped in a low cross just out of the reach of Dennis and Cheek before the visitors went two up. Kamari Grant’s long throw was nodded on by Idris Odutayo and a Gills defender causing it to loop up behind Arthurs. He threw himself into an acrobatic overhead scissors kick and it flew into the net.

Jack Nolan had a shot deflected over for the hosts before Cheek’s header from Corey Whiteley’s cross was too high. Cheek then pulled it back to Dennis who tricked his way through before drawing a good low save out of Morris.

At the other end, Bromley goalkeeper Grant Smith had to be alert to turn a Jack Nolan corner over his own bar before he made a comfortable save from a long range Max Clark shot.

Bonner made three changes at the break and the hosts continued where they left off at the end of the first period. Jonny Williams delivered a free kick that was headed wide by Josh Andrews before the Gills’ striker got on the end of a Shad Ogie centre and forced a brilliant save out of Smith.

Substitute Elliott Nevitt made space for himself but fired high over before Remeao Hutton sliced a shot well off target. Smith then collided with one of his team-mates and struggled with an Ogie cross but he recovered quickly to smother it.

Just under fifteen minutes remained when Bromley added a third with a training ground move. Ben Thompson shaped to aim a free kick towards the far post and fooled the Gillingham defence when he slipped it forward for Whiteley. He drove it across the six yard box for Grant to tuck it away.

Thompson then fired towards the near post and Morris made an excellent one handed save before the Gills were awarded a penalty when Sowunmi and Ogie collided. Both needed treatment before play restarted with Nevitt blasting the spot kick high over the bar.

Victors Bromley moved to eleventh place in the table, just three points outside the play-offs. Despite suffering two defeats in four days, all is not lost for Gillingham who are only a further four points behind at the halfway point of the season.

Gillingham: Morris, McKenzie, Clark (Hutton 46), Dieng (Little 46), Ehmer, Ogie, Nolan (Clarke 46), Coleman (Nevitt 54), Andrews, Gbode, J. Williams (E. Williams 77).

Subs not used: Ashby-Hammond, Gale.

Goalscorers: None

Yellow cards: Little (53), Gbode (90+5)

Bromley: Smith, Imray, Whitely, Grant, Sowunmi, Elerewe (Reynolds 80). Thompson, Arthurs (Charles 80), Cheek (Olomola 89), Dennis (Amantchi 71), Odutayo.

Subs not used: Long, Webster, Congreve.

Goalscorers: Dennis (7), Arthurs (26), Grant (76)

Yellow cards: Sowunmi (89), Olomola (90+5)

Referee: Ben Atkinson

Assistants: Stephen Finch and Andy Bennett

Fourth Official: Alan Dale

Attendance: 7,454 (including 962 away supporters)