Oldham Athletic scored twice in the opening 20 minutes as they went on to beat Gillingham 3-0 at the MEMS Priestfield Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Gareth Ainsworth made four changes to the starting XI that lost at Chesterfield, as Travis Akomeah, Ethan Coleman, Garath McCleary and Sam Vokes came back into the team. Andy Smith, Sam Gale, Robbie McKenzie, and Josh Andrews were all named as substitutes.
Glenn Morris denied Calum Kavanagh in the ninth minute. A ball was played in behind the Gillingham defence down the right-hand side, which Akomeah could not make contact with. That allowed Kavanagh to go through on goal, having just Morris to beat from a tight angle. He got a shot away, but the Gills keeper had come off his line to close the angle and send it behind for a corner.
Kavanagh gave Oldham the lead from the resulting corner. The ball in from the right went all the way out to Mike Fondop, who recycled the ball back out to Jake Caprice. He made a driving run into the penalty area, drilling a low ball towards the near post, which the oncoming Kavanagh made no mistake with, firing home from inside the six-yard box.
Emmanuel Monthe made it two after 17 minutes. Tom Pett’s corner from the left was curled towards the goal, and Vokes got back in time to head the ball off the line. It came out to Jack Stevens, who sent a low drive goalward, and Monthe stuck a leg out to redirect the ball towards the opposite corner, sending it into the back of the net.
Matthew Hudson did brilliantly to keep Armani Little’s strike out in the 28th minute. A free-kick was lofted into the penalty area, falling to the feet of Vokes, who did well to lay it off to Little. The Gills Skipper struck it with his left foot, and a deflection redirected the shot. It seemed to wrongfoot Hudson, but he recovered in time to get a solid hand behind the ball to push it off the line.
In the 41st minute, Bradley Dack had a good chance. McCleary was played down the right wing, and he carried it forward before cutting a cross back towards Dack, who was running towards the penalty spot. The midfielder sent it goalward, but it was down the middle as Hudson parried it away. Vokes and Dack closed in on the rebound, but it was cleared.
Hudson produced a magnificent save to deny Ronan Hale moments later. The forward received the ball on the edge of the penalty area before letting fly from 20 yards. His attempt was going towards the top right corner, but the Oldham goalkeeper had got over to push the ball wide of the goal with one hand.
The hosts soon had a penalty appeal when Vokes went down inside the penalty area. Clark curled a cross deep towards the back post in the direction of the former Wales international, who was wrestling with a defender before going down. The referee was quick to wave away the appeals and award a goal-kick.
HALF-TIME: Gillingham 0-2 Oldham Athletic
Seb Palmer-Houlden came on as a half-time substitute, replacing the injured McCleary.
In the 50th minute, Gills made their second change, as Gale replaced the booked Akomeah.
The hosts had a big penalty appeal on the hour when Dack tried to cross the ball. Kavanagh was tracking the midfielder and blocked the attempted delivery with what appeared to be his arm. However, the referee and his linesman were not interested in the appeals by the Gillingham players and home support.
Palmer-Houlden tested Hudson as the Gills went in search of a way back into the game. Vokes played the ball in for the forward to get on the end of, and Palmer-Houlden brought it under his control before getting a snapshot away. It had plenty of power and was directed towards the near post, but the Oldham goalkeeper got across to palm it clear.
The Gills made a triple change in the 66th minute as McKenzie, Cameron Antwi and Andrews entered the game in the place of Coleman, Little and Vokes respectively.
Morris denied Kavanagh after a good build-up by the visitors. The ball was played into the feet of Kane Drummond, who laid it off for the oncoming Kavanagh, but he could only prod it straight at Morris.
Andrews had a good opportunity to pull a goal back after Antwi squared the ball to him inside the penalty area. However, the forward could not direct it on target, and the chance went begging.
Palmer-Houlden was denied again by Hudson after good work by Hale. The Northern Ireland international did well to time his run and get in behind the Oldham defence before carrying it forward and waiting for oncoming support. Palmer-Houlden was to his right and received the ball before sending a powerful effort towards the near post, which Hudson was equal to.
In the 79th minute, Fondop made it three for Oldham. The forward picked up on a loose ball, which allowed him to run through on goal. Morris came off his line to close the angle, but Fondop dinked it over the goalkeeper as the ball trickled into the bottom left corner.
FULL-TIME: Gillingham 0-3 Oldham Athletic
Gillingham: Morris, Hutton, Akomeah (Gale 50’), Beckles, Clark, Coleman (McKenzie 66’), Little (Antwi 66’), McCleary (Palmer-Houlden 46’), Dack, Hale, Vokes (Andrews 66’)
Unused Substitutes: Turner, Smith
Oldham Athletic: Hudson, Pett, Daniels, Monthe, Woods, Fondop (Garner 90+3’), Stevens (Payne 70’), Drummond (Taylor 90+3’), Kavanagh (Hammond 75’), Caprice, Robson
Unused Substitutes: Donaghy, Sutton, Jalo
Referee: James Oldham
Attendance: 5868 (285)
