It was a night to forget for Steve Lovell’s Gillingham side in the Checkatrade Trophy at Portsmouth on Tuesday evening.

Having made ten changes to the side that lost 2-1 to Barnsley in League One at the weekend, it was little wonder that The Gills came away from Fratton Park with a resounding beating.

The much maligned competition saw Lovell take the view of giving some of his reserves a run out by making all the changes and watched on by only 69 travelling fans, it showed in the performance.

In a first half that will live very short in the memory, the game sparked to life with quickfire goals from Ben Close and Matt Clarke. Adam May’s 41st-minute corner was headed home by Clarke after keeper Tom Hadler missed the ball.

Then Close took his shot early from the edge of the box after Nathan Thompson’s cutback to beat Hadler in the 43rd minute.

Before that, Brett Pitman’s’ ninth-minute free-kick coming back off the bar was the only action of note.

Pitman got his goal account up and running in the 55th minute from the penalty spot, however after Andre Green was hauled down by Aaron Simpson.

Pompey were comfortable through to the final whistle with Hadler’s 78th-minute save, after David Wheeler had danced into the box, the best of the late chances.

That was until Wheeler got his goal in the 90th minute, slotting in after fine play from Mason before his shot was blocked.

Gillingham struggled through the ninety minutes to really trouble McGee in the Pompey goal.

In the end it will show as a loss, but for The Gills it will be a stepping stone in fitness for some players ahead of AFC Wimbledon’s visit to The Medway Priestfield on Saturday.

 

Portsmouth line up: McGee, Rose, Clarke, Burgess, Pitman, N Thompson, Wheeler, May (Mason 62), Close, Green, Haunstrup.

Subs not used: MacGillivray, Brown, Naylor, Lowe, Evans, B Thompson.

Goals: Clarke (41), Close (43), Pitman (pen 55), Wheeler (90).

Gillingham line up: Hadler, O’Neill, Simpson, Ogilvie, Lacey (Scarlett 80), Oldaker, Stevenson, Rees (Chapman 62), Nasseri, List (Nash 65), Wilkinson.

Subs not used: Holy, O’Mara, Mbo, Woods.

Referee: Mr A Young

Attendance: 2,011 (69 Gills)

Picture supplied by Kent Pro Images.