After a turbulent week off the pitch, Gillingham returned to winning ways – and the top three of League Two, with a battling 2-1 win over Milton Keynes on another glorious afternoon at Priestfield. 

Following Neil Harris’ surprise departure on Thursday, interim boss Keith Millen has just two days to prepare for the Dons visit and will have probably been pleased overall with the result even though the visitors were always in the game. 

Millen restored both Ashley Nadesan and Tom Nichols to the starting eleven with Macauley Bonne dropping to the bench, but after only 18 minutes he was forced into a change as the unlucky Nadesan hobbled off.

But within eight minutes, Bonne took advantage of a horrendous defensive mistake to put the Gills ahead.

It was a lead that was doubled ten minutes after the break as Nichols picked a defender’s pocket on halfway and led three blue shirts clean through on keeper Craig MacGillivray before coolly rolling the ball square for Scott Malone who walked the ball into the Rainham End net. 

There was though a nervy finale as the visitors pulled a goal back in the last ten minutes but after a silly foul on Connor Mahoney by Daniel Harvie in stoppage time saw the defenders second yellow card and the Dons hope gone as he trudged off for the “early-bath.” 

The Gills started on the front foot but did not have a clear chance until Bonne’s arrival and before he scored, he had already had a good chance as he prodded wide.

Indeed, the visitors could have nosed in front as Joe Tomlinson flashed an effort across the face of goal before. Mo Eisa shot straight at Jake Turner 

But he didn’t have to wait for his second goal of the season as following a huge clearance from Shad Ogie, the visitors defence really made a mess of trying to get the ball back to the keeper which allowed Bonne to nip in and roll the ball past the advancing keeper for the goal that lifted everyone’s spirits after the difficult few days before. 

Ethan Coleman was inches away from doubling the lead – picking up a ball back from Bonne, the midfielder let fly with his shot beating the keeper but clipped the base of the left post as it fizzed wide. 

The Dons rallied but the home defence held firm and keeper Turner was reasonably untroubled bar from one excellent save to keep out a drive that dipped just in front of him. 

After the break, the home side doubled the lead when the hardworking Nichols robbed a defender on half way and as the visitors stopped, Malone and Bonne sprinted clear with Nichols who could have laid the ball back to either of his teammates before squaring the ball away from the stranded keeper for Malone to walk home his first goal for the Gills in front of the adoring Rainham End. 

MacGillivray then did well to deny Mahoney’s curling effort after Cheye Alexander has played the winger through, before the visitors pulled a goal back into the last ten minutes – substitute Ellis Harrison out jumping Conor Masterson to thump a terrific header past Turner. 

The Gills were to end indebted to their keeper for a wonderful late finger tipped save to keep our Max Dean’s late strike but when Harvie pulled Mahoney back, referee Drysdale showed the defender his second yellow card of the afternoon. 

The Gills now head to Fratton Park on Tuesday for a Football League Trophy tie against Portsmouth who currently top League One. You would expect Millen would still be in charge but after the previous seventy-two hours at Priestfield, who knows? 

GILLINGHAM – Turner, Alexander, Masterson, Ogie, Malone, Mahoney (McKenzie), Coleman, Jefferies, Jayden Clarke (Max Clark), Nichols (Ehmer), Nadesan (Bonne) 

Subs – Morris, Sithole, Macarthur 

MILTON KEYNES DONS – MacGillivray, Norman, O’Hora, Williams, Gilbey, Eisa, Payne (Leko), Tomlinson (Harrison), Harvie, Stewart, Dennis (Dean) 

Subs – Kelly, Tucker, Smith, Devoy 

REFEREE – Mr Drysdale 

Image courtesy of Gillingham FC