Gillingham overcame a nervous final ten minutes to give manager Ade Pennock his first victory in nine matches in the hotseat, as skipper Josh Wright’s double earned a 2-1 result over Southend.

The result also meant that the Gills claimed a third win in three matches against their Essex opponents in the season.

A poor first half came to life in the 41st minute when Wright converted a penalty after Cody McDonald had been felled in the area.  Wright doubled his tally, and made it six goals in his last 8 games, three minutes into first half stoppage time, converting from close range after more good work from Joe Quigley and McDonald.

Southend then had defender Ryan Inniss sent off for a 2nd cautionable offence in the 6th minute of stoppage time, but even a man short, the visitors looked the more likely in the second half.  Intense pressure was finally rewarded seven minutes from time when Nile Ranger headed home, but that was to be just a consolation.

With both sides knowing the importance of this match for their respective campaigns, the opening ten minutes was frantic.  Southend had an early appeal for a penalty waved away by Mr Whitestone as former Gillingham favourite Jermaine McGlashen tumbled under challenge from Ryan Jackson, and Rory Donnelly had a goal-bound header cleared away by Ryan Inness.

After 16 minutes, the home supporters thought Gillingham had made the breakthrough, as Josh Wright’s clearance left Cody McDonald in a foot-race with Inniss towards the Southend goal, but the Gills’ striker was adjudged to have clipped the defender before he slammed a shot past Ted Smith.

Gills’ debutant, defender Zesh Rehman was having an early impact at both ends of the pitch; bringing a calm authority in front of his own goal, and as a target for Lee Martin setpieces.  From a Rehman header, there were loud appeals from the Gills’ players for a handball decision against Adam Thompson, but once again, these were waved away by Mr Whitestone.

The home side’s lengthening injury list, including Bradley Dack with a hamstring strain in the week, was added to by Rory Donnelly, who was felled by Inness, earning the Southend defender the first caution of the match.  Inniss though almost capitalised on a moment of uncertainty in the Gillingham box moments later; his shot being well blocked by Rehman and the ball bobbling through to Stuart Nelson.

Gillingham broke through on 41 as the third penalty appeal of the afternoon was answered in the affirmative by Mr Whitestone.  Joe Quigley’s deft flick allowed Josh Parker to play a ball into the path of Cody McDonald, who went down in a tangle of legs with right-back Jason Demetriou.  Mr Whitestone took a moment to consider and pointed to the spot, where Josh Wright calmly rolled his 8th goal of the season into the bottom left corner, sending Smith the wrong way.

McGlashan had Southend’s first really clear sight of goal, but fired wildly over, before Wright doubled his and Gillingham’s tally three minutes into the first half stoppage time.  Quigley and McDonald were also instrumental in creating the opportunity; Quigley holding off two challenges on the left edge of the box, before finding McDonald, whose driving run to the deadball line led to a cross, palmed by Smith into the path of Wright, who tucked home his 2nd from close range.

Things got worse for Southend still in stoppage time, as Inniss tangled with Parker, and after two long discussions between Mr Whitestone and his assistant, George Warren; the referee eventually produced a second yellow card for the tall central defender.

Despite being a man down, Southend started the second half positively, with Ryan Leonard hitting a 35-yard shot that bounced awkwardly for Nelson, then Simon Cox should have done better with a low cross that Rehman cleared.  From another clearance, this time by Max Ehmer, Parker was able to spin past two Southend defenders and fired a shot that just faded away from the right hand post.

The visitors continued to press, and a flowing movement from the right side on halfway, Cox exchanging passes with first Timlin, then Ranger, before Cox unleashed a swerving shot that Nelson had to parry behind from his right hand post.  Then, with the home side starting to sit back, Leonard had time to get away a shot from 20 yards, but this time, a simpler save for the Gills’ keeper.

The tension of the match situation – Gillingham desperately searching for their first win in 12 matches – seemed to transmit from the stands to the players, and even the normally reliable striking instincts of McDonald were affected; the striker almost hitting the underside of the roof of the Rainham End.

At times it was hard to guess which side had the ten men, as Southend poured players forward.  The Gills defence that had been so resolute seemed to part with 12 minutes to go, as Timlin swung a freekick in from the right wing and Thompson was granted space to direct a header on target, but weakly at Nelson.  By contrast, Gillingham were being forced to feed on scraps on the counter attack, although both Scott Wagstaff and Parker had shots that were well parried by Smith in the Southend goal.

The Southend pressure finally told after 83 minutes.  Demetriou released Theo Robinson on the right wing, and the former Lincoln City forward hit a deep cross to the back post, where Ranger headed down past Nelson.

All of a sudden, Gillingham’s defence was starting to look porous, as Timlin’s cross from left to right was met with a header back across goal by Leonard, but Nelson was quickly and bravely off his line to punch away from Ranger’s challenge.  Nelson was relieved that the next header, in stoppage time from Josh White was easier to handle.

But Gillingham were able to hang on for that first win in 12, and the sense of relief flowing down from the stands was obvious as the side move up to 17th in the League One table.

GILLINGHAM: 1- Stuart Nelson; 2- Ryan Jackson, 31- Zesh Rehman, 5- Max Ehmer; 7- Scott Wagstaff, 44- Josh Wright, 16- Emmanuel Osadebe, 14- Lee Martin; 17- Joe Quigley, 10- Cody McDonald, 9- Rory Donnelly (19- Josh Parker 28).

Subs not used: 30- Tomas Holy, 8- Jake Hessenthaler, 21- Elliot List, 22- Mitchell Dickenson, 29- Oliver Muldoon, 36- Noel Mbo.

Goals: Josh Wright 41 (pen) & 45+3

SOUTHEND UNITED: 22- Ted Smith; 24- Jason Demetriou, 5- Adam Thompson, 33- Ryan Inniss, 3- Ben Coker; 8- Michael Timlin, 18- Ryan Leonard, 4- Anthony Wordsworth (31- Theo Robinson 72), 17- Jermaine McGlashen (2- Josh White 46); 10- Simon Cox, 14- Marc-Antoine Fortune (50- Nile Ranger 46).

Subs not used: 40- Josh Bexon, 12- Will Atkinson, 16- Luke Amos, 25- Frank Nouble.

Goal: Nile Ranger 83

Cautions: Ryan Inniss 26 & 45+6, Michael Timlin 74, Ben Coker 90+2
Sent Off: Ryan Inniss 45+6

Attendance: 6,542 (1,760 away)

Referee: Mr Dean Whitestone
Assistants: Mr Carl Fitch-Jackson and Mr George Warren
Fourth Official: Mr Adrian Waters