Spurs U21's show their class as Gills well beaten.
The Gills suffered a four goal defeat against a Tottenham Hotspur u21 side to exit the Checkatrade Trophy at the Group Stage at The Valley.
After a tight first period, Tottenham went into the break a goal up with Jack Roles tucking home a rebound a minute before the half-time whistle. Goals from Maghoma, Brown and a penalty from Duncan secured the victory for Spurs with the Gills struggling to find any fluency throughout the game.
Gillingham lined up with a much-changed XI after the brilliant win at Fratton Park on Saturday afternoon. Tom Hadler, Bradley Garmston, Jack Tucker, Navid Nasseri, Ben Chapman, Elliott List and Josh Rees all came in to the starting line-up with Max Ehmer taking the captain’s armband while Tom Eaves started up front after his wonder goal against Pompey.
Both teams were content to pop the ball around in the middle third of the pitch early on with neither able to get in behind the opposition’s defence. Spurs youngsters did create the first chance but blasted well over on the volley from inside the box after the Gills failed to clear a corner.
The next minute, List had a great chance to open the scoring when Garmston delivered a vicious cross from the left that bounced across goal and the Gills striker was unable to keep the ball down from six yards out.
Luke O’Neill had the first shot on target of the game just after the quarter hour when he took aim from 30 odd yards but the keeper was able to make the save and hold on to the fiercely struck shot.
Spurs were passing the ball well and had a gilt-edged opportunity after 20 minutes when a cross was only half cleared to Roles inside the area who had time and space but shot wide into the small pocket of Tottenham fans.
A good cross after Gillingham played the goal-kick short couldn’t be fully cleared by the Spurs defence this time and Chapman tried to volley home from 25 yards as the ball bounced up around his midriff, but again his effort was straight at the keeper.
Just after half-an hour Chapman tried his luck again from a similar distance but this time he was slipped in to a pocket of space and had time to pick his spot but slightly sliced his drilled effort wide of the goal.
A driving run forward from Spurs earnt them a free-kick 25 yards from goal with Rees the guilty party. Maghoma took the honours but hit the wall with his first effort before scuffing the rebound back into the wall and the Gills were able to clear.
However just before the half-time break, Spurs took the lead as they burst forward through Bowden and Hadler was unable to hold his rasping low drive with Roles tucking home the rebound.
The Gills looked to get back on track immediately but List was unable to divert O’Neill’s cross towards goal with the ball slightly behind him and went in to the break a goal down.
H/T: 0 – 1
Gillingham made two changes at half-time with Mark Byrne and Callum Reilly coming on for Chapman and Dean Parrett.
The Gills nearly made an immediate breakthrough in the second half as O’Neill delivered a good cross into the box that List got on the end of but his looping header was clawed out from under his own bar by the Spurs keeper.
However, the Spurs soon doubled their lead as a neat move ended with Roles slipping Maghoma into acres of space in the area. He jinked inside and slotted past Hadler, placing his shot in off the post to give Gillingham a mountain to climb.
After the hour List was replaced with Brandan Hanlan moving up front as the Gills looked to find a spark to get themselves back in the game.
The game was over as a contest with less than ten minutes to go as Spurs added a third to complete a comfortable night for them, after Gills had been reduced to ten men when Hanlan came off after pulling up with what looked like a hamstring injury.
Hadler made a great save to deny Richards who was played through on goal but Brown had acres of space to tuck home the rebound.
A neat spin by Nasseri on the edge of the pitch followed by a dash away from his marker opened up the pitch for Gillingham, but Nasseri shot wide from 30 yards.
In added time, Spurs were given the chance to score a fourth with Tucker penalised for a foul in the area. Duncan took the penalty and sent Hadler the wrong way to wrap up a miserable evening for the Gills.
F/T: 0 – 4
Gillingham return to League action at the weekend taking on Southend United on Medway Priestfield Stadium’s brand new pitch.
Gillingham: Hadler; O’Neill, Ehmer, Tucker, Garmston; Parrett (Reilly, 46), Rees, Chapman (Byrne, 46), Nasseri; Eaves, List (Hanlan, 66)
Unused subs: Holy (GK), Simpson, Stevenson, Huckle
Tottenham Hotspur u21s: Whiteman; Brown, Marsh, Dinzeyi (Binks, 83), Skipp; Roles (Bennett, 76), Tanganga, Hinds (Duncan, 85), Bowden, Maghoma, Richards
Unused subs: Austin (GK), Lyons-Foster
Referee: Mr Antony Coggins
Attendance: 308 (60)