Late goals from Micah Mbick and Arthur Read cancelled out Sam Vokes’ early strike as Colchester United beat ten-man Gillingham 2-1 at the JobServe Community Stadium in the Vertu Trophy on Tuesday night.
Richard Dobson made nine changes to the starting XI that lost at MK Dons in the league. Sam Vokes led the line, making his first competitive start for the Football Club. Jake Turner, Logan Dobbs and Nelson Khumbeni also started the fixture.
Seb Palmer-Houlden, who was named in the starting line-up, dropped out in the final moments before kick-off and was replaced by Cruz Beszant.
Max Clark was inches away from giving Gillingham a 13th minute lead. A Colchester clearance looped up and dropped towards Clark, who attempted a speculative volley. His low-driven attempt bounced on its way to the goal, beating Tom Smith before it struck the inside of the post and bounced out, allowing the hosts to clear their lines.
Vokes opened the scoring a couple of minutes later. Marcus Wyllie did brilliantly to get to the ball down by the right touchline before he played it back to Remeao Hutton. He curled a deep cross into the penalty area, finding Lenni Cirino, who volleyed first time. Cirino did well to find Vokes, who had peeled away from his marker, and he put the ball into the back of the net from six yards out.
The former Wales international nearly doubled his, and Gillingham’s tally, after 23 minutes. Hutton’s clearance turned into a perfect through ball, which allowed Vokes to go through on goal. The forward struck a left-footed effort first time across the goal. His attempt beat Smith, but went the other side of the post.
Samson Tovide somehow failed to bring Colchester back on level terms in the 28th minute. Rob Hunt got down the right wing before drilling a low ball into the six-yard box. Tovide did well to get on the end of it, but from a central position, he fired his first-time effort wide of the target from a couple of yards out.
Dobbs did well to deny the hosts twice in a matter of seconds. Ronnie Harvey was running towards the six-yard box before he was dispossessed by the defender. The loose ball came out to Tovide, who shot first time, but Dobbs reacted the quickest as he got across to provide a crucial block.
HALF-TIME: Colchester United 0-1 Gillingham
Gillingham made a half-time substitution, with Josh Andrews replacing Vokes.
The visitors had a lucky break after a dangerous cross into their penalty area. John-Kymani Gordon curled the ball into the box, with it just evading Owura Edwards. The final touch came off Cirino, with Turner getting down to the bottom left corner to gather.
Clark did brilliantly as Colchester broke forward with a three-on-one counter-attack. Jaden Williams led the charge, shaking off the challenge of Shad Ogie. He had a teammate on either side of him as he approached Clark. The Gillingham left-back stepped up at the perfect time, which caused Edwards to be in an offside position when the eventual pass was made to him, ending what looked to be a dangerous situation for the visitors.
In the 65th minute, Gillingham made a triple substitution. Aaron Rowe, Harry Bridle and Harry Waldock entered the game in the place of Hutton, Wyllie and Khumbeni.
Kyreece Lisbie was denied by a brilliant save from Turner shortly after. The Colchester forward took the ball past Cirino before shooting from the right side of the penalty area. His attempt was fired towards the far corner of the net, but Turner did well to get down and push it wide of the post for a corner, which came to nothing.
In the 72nd minute, Turner was called into action again, making a superb save. Arthur Read curled a free-kick from the right into the penalty area, finding Harvey Araujo. The Colchester defender flicked the ball towards the goal, but Turner reacted quickly, getting a strong hand behind the ball to palm it away from the danger.
Gills made their final substitution with seven minutes remaining, as Louie Dayal replaced Clark.
Soon after, the visitors nearly made it two. Beszant lofted a free-kick over the top of the Colchester defence, finding Andrews, who slid the ball across the six-yard box. It found Dobbs at the back post, who shot goalward, with his attempt striking the outside of the post.
The hosts equalised moments later. Lisbie got down the left-hand side before squaring the ball for Mbick in the centre of the box, and he slotted the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
Cirino was sent off for a second bookable offence with three minutes remaining when he committed a foul near the halfway line.
The hosts were awarded a penalty in the first minute of stoppage time when Waldock tripped Read inside the box.
The Colchester man stepped up to take the spot kick, firing his attempt into the top corner.
Rowe forced Smith into a save with a couple of minutes remaining when he fired a left-footed shot from outside the penalty area. However, it was straight at Smith, who gathered at the second attempt.
FULL-TIME: Colchester United 2-1 Gillingham
Colchester United: Smith, Hunt, Tucker (Araujo 46’), Tovide (Mbick 46’), Payne (Read 46’), Gordon (Lisbie 64’), Williams, Edwards (Anderson 74’), Powell, Kuffour, Harvey
Unused Substitutes: Chamberlain, Vincent-Young
Gillingham: Turner, Hutton (Rowe 63’), Dobbs, Akomeah, Ogie, Cirino, Khumbeni (Waldock 64’), Clark (Dayal 83’), Beszant, Wyllie (Bridle 64’), Vokes (Andrews 46’)
Unused Substitutes: Holtam
Referee: Matthew Russell
Attendance: 1467 (132)
