Gillingham may well have got their EFL Trophy campaign underway with a defeat, but it proved to be valuable as many players got much needed minutes.

Both Bradley Dack and Josh Andrews got 45 minutes under their belts after starting the game at Priestfield with manager Mark Bonner looking at various combinations, giving some players a rest and those that need game time, some minutes on the pitch.

It was a blend of youth and experience from the start with Max Ehmer starting the game, whilst Harry Webster made his Gills debut at right back and Alex Giles was to partner Ehmer in the heart of defence.

There was a start for Ethan Coleman as he works his way back from injury with Jayden Clarke and Joe Gbode down the flanks.

In the end, the result will show that the League One visitors came out on top, but there were lots of positives to take for The Gills who will move on from this game having seen Elliott Nevitt come off the bench to score his first goal for the club, with the league still very much the priority for the Kent side.

With Jake Turner injured and Glenn Morris rested ahead of Saturday’s League Two clash at Doncaster Rovers, loanee Luca Ashby-Hammond was given his first start in goal for The Gills.

It was the hosts who made the more assured start though and controlled the game for large periods, but they were stunned by Posh’s capability on the counter attack.

Against the run of play in the opening stages, Jones gave Posh the lead after 12 minutes by sweeping home Chris Conn-Clarke’s low cross from the left.

Gillingham hit back almost instantly though when Alex Giles got on the end of a Bradley Dack free-kick and headed only inches wide of Bilokapic’s near post.

The Posh keeper was forced into sharp saves from right-back Harry Webster’s shot across the keeper and Joseph’s Gbode powerful 30-yard effort.

For all of the openings, it was Posh that should have gone into the break with a two-goal lead when Conn-Clarke made an excellent run down the middle of the pitch and picked out Jones in the box, but unfortunately the forward could not beat the keeper for his second of the match.

At half time, Ferguson brought on Malik Mothersille for the ineffective Abraham Odoh on the left wing and his pace began to turn the game in Posh’s favour.

Only a superb tackle from Alex Giles denied him a tap-in following a flowing Posh move from back to front just before the hour mark after Hayes had also forced a save out of the home keeper from a tight angle.

After 60 minutes, Ferguson sent for further reinforcements as Kwame Poku replaced Hayes and Ihionvien came on for his first action in a Posh shirt for Jones.

As GIllingham started to push hard for an equaliser, they were almost handed it after 73 minutes when Bilokapic showed poor judgement to chase a long ball forward right to the corner of his box.

George Lapslie skipped past the hesitant Posh keeper and sent a ball across the box to Gbode. A couple of Posh defenders were able to throw themselves in between the ball and the goal to make the shot into an empty net harder for Gbode and Bilokapic would have been the most relieved man in the stadium to see him hit the ball wide.

With that chance still fresh in the minds of the home side, Ihinovien popped up after a low key first 15 minutes. He received a pass from Poku, took one touch to get away from his marker, one touch to set himself and with his third touch absolutely rifled the ball into the top corner, with his left foot, for a stunning debut goal.

That looked to be enough for Posh. but the hosts weren’t done yet and George Lapslie and Jack Nolan pressed Bilokapic into action once again before Nevitt finally beat the Posh keeper in the third of three added minutes with a header into the bottom corner from Max Clark’s cross.

Gillingham: Ashby-Hammond, Webster, Ehmer, Giles (Ogie 79), Clark, Coleman (Little 60), J. Williams, Clarke (Lapslie 60), Dack (Nolan H/T), Gbode, Andrews (Nevitt H/T).

Subs not used: Morris, Wyllie.

Goal: Nevitt (93).

Booked: Dack (dissent), Ehmer (foul).

Peterborough United: Bilokapic, Dornelly, Fernandez, Katongo (Rose 76), Sparkes, O’Brien-Brady, Collins, Hayes (Poku 60), Conn-Clarke (Randall 67), Odoh (Mothersille H/T), Jones (Ihionvien 60).

Subs not used: Blackmore, Ajiboye.

Goals: Jones (12), Ihionvien (75).

Booked: Dornelly (dissent).

Referee: Mr Craig Hicks

Attendance: 1657 (263 Peterborough).

Picture supplied by Gillingham Football Club.