Former Gill Ben Thompson scored a hat-trick as Gillingham were beaten 4-1 by table-topping Bromley at the MEMS Priestfield Stadium.
Gareth Ainsworth made one change to the team that beat Harrogate Town 3-0, as Garath McCleary came into the team to replace Jonny Smith, who suffered a lower leg injury in the defeat and will miss a period of time.
Cameron Antwi and Ronan Hale were named among the substitutes, while Ethan Coleman returned to the matchday squad.
Ben Thompson fired Bromley in front after ten minutes. The ball was switched over to Corey Whitely on the right, who had space to run into. He carried it just inside the penalty area before squaring it back to Thompson, who smashed a left-footed effort into the roof of the net.
In the 15th minute, Thompson could have had his second. Mitch Pinnock won possession just inside the Gillingham half and was able to take the ball to the edge of the penalty area before shooting. His attempt took a deflection, which looped high towards the six-yard box. Thompson met it, uncontested, heading over the crossbar.
Thompson made no mistake a couple of minutes later. Michael Cheek was allowed to muscle his way through on goal before directing a shot towards the far corner. Glenn Morris got two solid gloves behind the ball, but could only palm it into Thompson’s path, who slotted it into the back of an empty net.
Aaron Rowe had a good opportunity after 25 minutes. Bradley Dack tapped it onto the winger, who took it beyond one defender before going through on goal. He directed a low drive towards the far bottom left corner, but Grant Smith did well to push it clear.
The visitors had their third a couple of minutes later. Thompson switched the ball over for Whitely to chase, and he used his pace to get onto the ball before squeezing his drilled shot in at the near right-hand post.
In the 42nd minute, Gillingham were forced into a first change, as Conor Masterson went down inside the Bromley penalty area and could not continue. He was replaced by Coleman.
Dack pulled a goal back on the stroke of half-time. McCleary did well to carry the ball down the left touchline before entering the penalty area. He shifted it onto his right foot before shooting, with his attempt not gathered by Grant Smith. Dack was first to the rebound, firing it into the roof of the net.
Grant Smith did well to hold onto another Dack effort in the fifth minute of added time. The ball dropped nicely for the Gills midfielder to thump a left-footed effort goalward. However, it was straight at the Bromley goalkeeper, who gathered.
Cheek tried his luck after doing well to bring Pinnock’s cross under control. However, his strike from 20 yards was straight at Morris, who made the save.
HALF-TIME: Gillingham 1-3 Bromley
There was one change at the break, as Hale came on for his debut, replacing Rowe.
He nearly made an immediate impact when he played a low ball into the six-yard box in the direction of Andrews, who was trying to make contact. He was wrestling with a defender before going down, with the home supporters calling for a penalty. However, the referee remained unmoved and waved for the game to continue.
Moments later, Thompson completed his hat-trick. A cross from the left was headed as far as the midfielder, who chested it down before smashing the ball on the half-volley. The strike was rising and it flew towards the top corner and nestled in the back of the net.
Hale nearly scored his first goal for the Football Club in the 54th minute. Armani Little did well to keep possession after Bromley cleared a corner and then took it forward before linking up with McCleary. The Gills skipper received the ball back before taking it towards the penalty area. He shifted it to his left, with Hale in space to move it onto his right foot before shooting. He tried to stroke it into the far corner, but Grant Smith got a solid hand onto the ball to keep it out.
Dack came close soon after, as he did well to bring Coleman’s long pass under control before creating the space for himself at a tight angle to get a shot away. The Bromley goalkeeper did well to push it away, with it just evading the oncoming Hale, who was hoping to force the rebound home.
Grant Smith continued to keep the hosts out, and he did brilliantly to deny Dack again. A Gillingham corner was cleared as far as McCleary, who switched it over to the midfielder, who was in acres of space on the left side of the box. Dack struck it first time on the volley, hitting it hard and low, but the visiting keeper remained alert, getting down to his left to claw it away from his goal.
In the 74th minute, the hosts made two more changes, with Remeao Hutton and Sam Vokes replacing McCleary and Josh Andrews respectively.
Grant Smith pulled off another fine save to deny Hale with seven minutes remaining. Hutton’s cross from deep found the Northern Ireland international, who glanced his header down towards the bottom corner. However, the visiting keeper did brilliantly to get down and claw it off his line, with it looking destined to find the back of the net.
Antwi entered the game seconds later, replacing Dack for his Gillingham debut.
Vokes came close when he met a Hutton left-footed cross. His header towards the right corner seemingly took a deflection on its way to the goal before bouncing wide of the target.
FULL-TIME: Gillingham 1-4 Bromley
Gillingham: Morris, Gale, A. Smith, Masterson (Coleman 42’), Clark, McKenzie, Little, McCleary (Hutton 73’), Dack (Antwi 85’), Rowe (Hale 46’), Andrews (Vokes 74’)
Unused Substitutes: Turner, Palmer-Houlden
Bromley: G. Smith, Medley, Charles, Thompson (Krauhaus 70’), Cheek (Kabamba 89’), Pinnock (Ilunga 88’), Debrah, Hondermarck (Arthurs 64’), Whitely, Ifill, Odutayo
Unused Substitutes: Long, Webster, Ajayi
Referee: Alan Young
Attendance: 8164 (1313)
