A spot on Vadaine Oliver sealed Gillingham’s first league win of the season as it sealed a two one win over newly promoted Morecambe at Priestfield.

An early pile driver from Mustapha Carayol was cancelled out before half time by a Cole Stockton run and shot. But with just twelve minutes left, Big V stepped up to drill a spot kick into the net after Danny Lloyd had been fouled sending the Shrimpers back to Morecambe pointless as they now have done on five of their six visits to Medway.

Steve Evans made three changes to the side that left it so late to salvage a point at AFC Wimbledon in midweek with loanee Dan Adshead making his bow in Gills blue after signing on loan from Norwich with both Ryan Jackson and Carayol returning to the starting eleven with Robbie McKenzie replacing the suspended David Tutuola at left back as Lloyd and Ollie Lee moving to the bench.

The Gills were given a dream start as Carayol lashed home from thirty yards on four minutes after Ben Reeves had tapped a short free kick to the Gills new man – indeed Carayol was only inches away from putting the home side in front in the very first minute with a low drive… that said, the drive that he did open the scoring with more than made up for the early chance.

Despite the terrific start, Evans will be frustrated that his charges couldn’t build on their early advantage and after 25 minutes of an incredibly tight opening half, Morecambe levelled as Stockton beat a couple of defender and appeared to be going away from goal before cutting in and firing past Jamie Cumming in the Gills goal – being harsh the keeper will have been disappointed to have been beaten but it was a good strike!

Sam Lavalle and sub-Wes McDonald had chances to put Morecambe ahead either side of the break as they looked for their very first win at Priestfield – before this trip it was four defeats and a draw from their previous trips, but gradually as the second half went on, the home side came more and more into the game.

Jokell Andresson saved well from sub-Danny Lloyd – who had been introduced for Adshead – before Kyle Dempsey had a drive that was desperately blocked by a defender and just as the Priestfield faithful were beginning to wonder if it was going to be their hero’s day, up stepped last season’s top scorer to send the majority of the 3,789 crowd home happy.

Oliver, who spent three years at Morecambe before moving to Northampton and onto Priestfield, was handed the responsibility from twelve years after Lloyd had been brought down by Anthony O’Connor (just seconds after Oliver himself had appeared to be impeded) and referee Nield had pointed to the spot. The big striker took aim and as Andresson dive, the ball was drilled hard and true into the Morecambe net and the points were secured ahead of Tuesday’s trip back into the League Cup when Cheltenham Town come to Kent.

GILLINGHAM: Cumming, Jackson, Ehmer, Tucker, McKenzie, O’Keefe, Adshead (Lloyd), Dempsey, Reeves (Lee), Carayol, Oliver

Subs – Chapman, Bennett, Lintott, Akehurst

MORECAMBE – Andresson, Leigh, O’Connor, Lavelle, Jones (McLoughlin), Diagouraga, Stockton, McPake (McDonald), Phillips (Duffus), Cooney, Gnahoua

Subs – Roche, Delaney, McCalmont, Wootton

REFEREE – Mr Nield

Image courtesy of Gillingham FC