Mark Byrne’s second goal of the season gave Gillingham the massive boost that boss Steve Lovell hadn’t so much asked for but demanded by beating off the challenge of Scunthorpe United lifting the Gills out of League One’s bottom four.

Byrne’s decisive strike came just before the half hour on an overcast afternoon at Priestfield as the young Irishman ran onto a short pass after some great play from new boys Graham Burke and Leonardo da Silva Lopes had created the room for Hanlan to run into – and he coolly rolled the ball into the arriving Byrne’s path and his magnificent low drive fizzed past Jak Alnwick and into the bottom corner of the United net.

In a game of few chances, Byrne’s accuracy was to leave an indelible mark on the paying spectators as the home side hauled themselves out of the relegation zone in a game that could prove so vital in the outcome of the season.

Whilst the visitors arrived at Priestfield after winning six of their last eight league games whilst the Gills hadn’t won in four at home base after the defeat of Portsmouth on Boxing Day, Burke and da Silva Lopes impressed with home debuts that promise so much, Max Ehmer was given the captain’s armband in the absence of injured Gabriel Zakuani and alongside Connor Ogilvie formed a formidable partnership on which many of the few Scunthorpe attacks foundered and when they didn’t full backs Luke O’Neill and Barry Fuller cleared up superbly leaving Tomas Holy who had been outstanding the previous week in the Barnsley debacle for long periods an onlooker.

That said, the giant keeper had to be at his agile best to keep out Rory McArdle’s early header which at one point appeared to have beaten Holy’s dive before a giant left arm turned the ball past the post.

Lovell had demanded a response to the Barnsley thrashing and to be fair, he got one as the home side started brightly and Hanlan was inches away from converting Burke’s driven cross after the new signing had been magnificently found by Ehmer’s diagonal ball.

The “new” Gills skipper indeed thought he’d broken the deadlock when he headed home Tom Eaves’ knock-down before Holy produced a world class tip over to deny Tom Pearce’s rocket.

Burke was then unfortunate not to open his account as his curling effort went the wrong side of the post after Brandon Hanlan again created the opportunity, before the vast majority of Priestfield took a collective sigh as Byrne’s low drive nestled in the corner of the net.

The Gills did have the better chances after the break – Byrne’s low angled drive missed the far post by inches whilst Hanlan was agonisingly close to take full advantage defensive mayhem after Alnwick was left way out of position by Cameron Burgess’ poorly placed header – but neither keeper had a shot worthy of the name to actually save as the second half became an intriguing battle where the points whilst vitally important, were just the reward for the much improved performance from those dressed in blue and black in the week that the manager had demanded such an improvement, which is probably just as well when you remember that the next step for this particular “edition” of the Gills Roller-coater is Sunderland’s Stadium of Light on Tuesday…

 

GILLINGHAM – Holy, O’Neill, Ehmer, Hanlan, Eaves, Burke (List 85), Fuller, Bingham (Oldaker 63), da Silva Lopes (Reilly 78), Byrne, Ogilvie.

Subs not used – Hadler, Parrett, Charles-Cook, King.

Goal: Byrne (30).

Booked: Reilly (92).

SCUNTHORPE UNITED – Alnwick, McMahon, Ojo, van Veen (Olomola 63), Pearce (El-Mhanni 79), Thomas (Hammill 73), Burgess, Sutton, McArdle, McGahey, Wootton.

Subs not used – Flatt, Webster, Lewis, Bedeau.

Booked: van Veen (50).

Referee: Mr Lee Swabey

Attendance:

Picture supplied by Gillingham FC.