The final game of 2016 ended in defeat for Gillingham away at the hands of local rivals Millwall.
Lee Gregory scored the opener for the hosts in the first half before Fred Onyedinma extended that advantage in the second half. Bradley Dack scored the Gills consolation, but both he and Paul Konchesky saw red, as the Gills finished the game with nine men.
It was an unchanged starting eleven that lined up at the start of the match as manager Justin Edinburgh decided to stick with the side that drew with Peterborough United on Boxing Day.
On the bench there was just one change to that from the Peterborough game, Chris Herd returned to the squad after recovering from injury, with Billy Knott the player to drop out.
The visitors started the game brightly and had a number of half chances early on, but they couldn’t find a way past the Millwall back line that kept a clean sheet in their Boxing Day victory over Swindon Town.
Millwall then went ahead in the unlucky for some 13th minute, they saw a Shaun Hutchinson header cleared off the line by Baily Cargill. The ball was only half cleared and a ball back in found its way to Gregory, who slotted the ball home for his tenth goal of the season.
It was easy to see why Gregory is one of Millwall’s top attackers as shortly after he gave the home side the lead he had a goal ruled out for offside.
Believe it or not Jake Hessenthaler’s shot seven minutes before half time was the Gills first shot on target in the match, however it was a routine shot for Archer to make in the Millwall goal.
Just after the hour mark, the hosts went further head when, Onyedinma bundled the ball over the ball over the line at the second attempt. He saw his first effort saved by Stuart Nelson, but still managed to get the ball over the line.
The match had only gone on for a few minutes longer, when the Gills were down to ten men, with Konchesky picking up his red card, for two bookable offences which came within six minutes of each other.
Gillingham did get themselves back in the match with 14 minutes remaining, a Ryan Jackson throw was only half cleared by the Millwall defence. The ball fell to Dack who fired his shot home, to give the Gills a lifeline in the game.
The visitors were definitely pushing forward looking for the all-important equaliser, Dack went close but saw a shot saved. Although Nelson was also called into action at the other end to save from Gregory with his feet, to keep the Gills in it.
In stoppage time the Gills were to go down to nine men when goalscorer Bradley Dack was sent off, joining Konchesky in an early bath, just like the former it was his second yellow card that resulted in a red for the Gills midfielder.
The Gills are back in action on the 2nd January when they host Oxford United at home.
Millwall: Archer, Cummings. Hutchinson, Craig, Williams, Thompson, Gregory (Butcher 93mins), Onyedinma (Worrall 77mins), Webster, Morison, O’Brien (O’Brien 64mins).
Subs not used: King, Romeo, Abdou, Smith.
Gillingham: Nelson, Jackson (Donnelly 89mins), Konchesky, Cargill, Ehmer, Wright, Hessenthaler (Oshilaja 69mins), Wagstaff, Dack, Emmanuel-Thomas, McDonald (Nouble 69mins).
Subs not used: Hadler, Herd, Oldaker, Byrne.
Attendance: 10,821 (1,121 Gills)