Not only did they beat them, but in the end did so deservedly to send their fans home dreaming of a “Blue & Black Christmas”.

Both goals arrived in injury time at the end of each half – Josh Parker’s mercurial thumping header from Elliott List’s left-wing centre arrived seconds before half time and the second courtesy of Callum Reilley – as the Gills netted their second to extend the lead from the spot after List had been flattened – thanks to the midfielder’s nerves of steel in the dying seconds.

All that and there wasn’t a “Tom Eaves” to be seen on the team sheet either as the Gills top scorer’s injured calf again kept him on the sidelines.

With the majority of Gills fans arriving at Priestfield dismayed at the continuing absence of their top scorer, the start that Pompey made didn’t cheer the mood up as the visitors arrived with intent and pounded the Gills goal in the early stages but with central defenders – skipper Gabriel Zakuani and Alex Lacey – outstanding, Tomas Holy’s goal just about survived intact, although the Gills were indebted by Barry Fuller’s goal-line header to deny Oli Hawkin’s header, after the giant Gills keeper made a really fine near post save to deny Ronan Curtis.

But those two chances aside, Portsmouth will look back on how they didn’t break through when the home side took the lead as Dean Parrett supplied List down the left and his cross invited and got a fine finish as Parker thumped his header past a helpless Craig MacGillivray in the visitor’s goal.

The second half was very much a repeat of the first with again Zakuani and Lacey excelling which left Holy with little to do, but when he was, the Gills stopper made a fine save to deny Ronan Curtis.

But if boss Kenny Jackett needed any further indication that this was to be Steve Lovell’s day was when defender NathanThompson over stretched, he was forced to hobble off eight minutes after his manager had used his last permitted substitutes, which left the League leaders with fourteen minutes to play with ten men – it really wasn’t Jackett’s day, and as the Pompey hunt for an equaliser got more desperate and they sent more and more white shirts forward, Gills sub Billy Bingham was left holding his head after he shot straight at MacGillivray from the edge of the box after the tireless List created another chance out of nothing.

It wasn’t going to matter as with the clock showing 90 minutes, List found the energy for one last lung busting burst forward onto Fuller’s ball, and after battling into the box, the Gills forward was flattened by Jack Whatmough, and showing nerves of steel, Reilly rolled the ball into the bottom right have corner of the net as the Pompey keeper dived to his left.

There was just enough time for the jubilant Rainham End to give the 1,600 Pompey fans a chorus of “Can we play you every week?” as Lovell’s side completed their first League double of the season – and what a double it has been! The win leaves 17th placed Gillingham seven points from the drop zone, yet only six from eighth placed Blackpool.