Gillingham got back to winning ways with an emphatic demolition of Hereford on Saturday afternoon.

Goals from debutant Frank Nouble and Garry Richards along with a Joe Heath own goal saw the Gills go into the break three goals to the good.

The second half was just as good with Danny Jackman, Chris Whelpdale and substitute Stefan Payne scoring for the Gills.

Hereford United did pull a goal back through Sam Winnall at the end after Robert Purdie had spurned a chance from the spot hitting the crossbar.

The Gills defeat of the Bulls equalled their worst ever home reverse in League football with Sam Winnall’s strike, two minutes from the end, little consolation.

Gills boss Andy Hessenthaler made two enforced changes to the side that lost at Southend United on Tuesday night with Matt Lawrence (concussion) and Danny Spiller (ankle) both missing out, but that meant a return to the side for skipper Andy Frampton and a debut for loan striker Frank Nouble.

It was Hereford that made a lively start and Winnall got on the end of a good cross from Joe Heath. The on-loan striker’s header lacked power, however, and goalkeeper Ross Flitney had an easy save.

Gillingham responded with a shot from Luke Rooney which went inches wide of Dave Cornell’s goal, but Hereford had most of the early momentum and Tom Barkhuizen was a frequent danger down the right.

United’s good start went to waste, however, after 18 minutes. Ryan Green lost his footing and Frank Nouble nipped in to mark his debut on loan from West Ham.

The Gills extended their lead six minutes later when Garry Richards outjumped Harry Pell at the far post to meet Danny Jackman’s cross and send a looping header over Cornell.

Hereford pressed forward to try to get some sort of quick response and forced a corner on 27 minutes, but Green was guilty of a foul as he tried to meet Nicky Featherstone’s cross and conceded a free-kick.

The Bulls went close on 34 minutes when keeper Flitney punched out a cross from Barkhuizen as far as Pell whose volley from 35 yards went just outside the unguarded goal.

Hereford’s fortunes might have deteriorated still further on 38 minutes when Cornell scuffed a clearance against Nouble with the ball fortuitously rebounding into the keeper’s arms.

But the seemingly inevitable happened two minutes later after Clist’s wasteful pass in midfield sent the Gills on to the attack again. Charlie Lee made some ground on the left and his cross thudded against Heath’s knee and rebounded into the net.

Hereford almost slipped further behind early in second period when Green deflected a shot on to a post and behind. From the corner, Nouble was gifted a free header which Cornell did well to tip over.

And from this second corner, Jackman curled a shot from fully 25 yards into the top corner of the net.

Former Gills striker Delroy Facey replaced the ineffective Arquin and Hereford, by now looking completely demoralised, sought some consolation.

And Winnall was unlucky in the 62nd minute with a 20-yard free-kick which deflected just wide. From the corner, Pell was pushed over in the area by Frampton and United were awarded a penalty.

After some discussion between Pell and Purdie over who was to take the spot kick, Purdie stepped up and hit the bar with his effort which went over.

Hereford picked up the pace for a while and Flitney produced an excellent save to deny Winnall, but Cornell also had some work to do and tipped a Lee shot out for a corner on 73 minutes.

The goalkeeper made an awful blunder on 79 minutes, diving too early to try to get behind a Chris Whelpdale shot but seeing the ball, which was not even powerfully hit, squirm through his grasp and into the net.

Three minutes later, substitute Stefan Payne jinked through the Bulls defence and drove a low shot into the corner of the net.

Cornell prevented a seventh shortly afterwards with a flying one-handed save from Rooney. Against all the odds, Winnall pulled a goal back from a free-kick three minutes from the end.

The consolation mattered little though as the Gills recorded comfortably their best result of the season with their best performance of the season.

FULL TIME: HEREFORD UNITED 1-6 GILLINGHAM

Saturday’s win takes the Gills back up to 9th in League Two, just a point outside the play-offs with Burton Albion coming to Priestfield next weekend.

Hereford line up: Cornell, Green, Heath, Pell, Purdie, Featherstone, Arquin (Facey 51), Clist, Barkhuizen, Winnall, Evans.

Subs not used: Lunt, McQuilkin, Rose, Hoult.

Goal: Winnall (87).

Booked: Purdie (33).

Gillingham line up: Flitney, Fuller, Richards, Frampton, Martin, Whelpdale, Lee, Jackman (Montrose 71), Rooney, Nouble (S Payne 74), Kedwell (Oli 80).

Subs not used: Gazzaniga, Essam.

Goals: Nouble (19), Richards (24), Heath (og 40), Jackman (49), Whelpdale (79), S Payne (83).

Booked: Fuller (12), Frampton (61), Lee (62).

Referee: Mr Tierney

Attendance: 1,848 (255 Gills)