Andy Smith and Garath McCleary scored a goal in either half as Gillingham ran out comfortable 2-0 winners against Accrington Stanley on Easter Monday.
Smith opened the scoring in the 36th minute when he rose the highest to get on the end of Armani Little’s corner before guiding his header into the left side of the net.
The hosts' advantage was doubled when Hale set the ball back for McCleary to curl a fantastic strike from the left side of the penalty area into the far corner, leaving an outstretched Ollie Wright with no chance of keeping it out.
The visitors ended the game with nine men when Tyler Walton and David Abimbola were shown red cards during the closing stages.
Gareth Ainsworth made two changes to the team that drew 2-2 at Walsall on Good Friday, as Armani Little returned from his two-match suspension and Lenni Cirino came into the starting XI.
Bradley Dack was named among the substitutes, while Harry Waldock missed out after picking up an ankle injury against the Saddlers. Conor Masterson returned to the matchday squad for the first time since suffering a calf injury in the defeat to Bromley.
Freddie Sass had the first chance of the game when Josh Woods delivered a cross from the left side of the penalty area. He rose the highest but could only glance his header wide of the post.
Tyler Walton had a half-chance after 13 minutes. Glenn Morris came off his line as he looked to retrieve a long ball in the direction of the Gills penalty area. However, Walton got there ahead of the goalkeeper, leaving him in no man’s land, but Morris did well to act as a defender, applying pressure on Walton. The Accrington forward opted to shoot on the turn, sending his left-footed attempt wide of the target at the near post.
The hosts had a penalty appeal soon after. Remeao Hutton’s long throw into the penalty area caused havoc, as Nelson Khumbeni looked to flick the ball goalward. However, it was blocked by a couple of players before the loose ball dropped to Sam Gale, who sent it back in the direction of the goal. The ball hit an Accrington defender, with the home support appealing for a handball, but the referee and his assistant ignored the claims.
Cirino did well to get a shot away after 19 minutes. He received the ball down the left before cutting inside onto his right foot inside the penalty area. Cirino sent a low drive towards the near post, but it was a tame effort that Ollie Wright got down to gather.
Andy Smith headed Gillingham in front in the 37th minute. Little curled a corner from the left into the centre of the box, finding Smith from six yards out. The defender rose the highest, heading the ball across the goal and into the left corner of the net.
The central defender nearly scored his second when he got on the end of Max Clark’s corner from the right. Smith’s header was sent goalward, but it was cleared off the line, with a host of Accrington players defending the goal.
HALF-TIME: Gillingham 1-0 Accrington Stanley
Gills were forced into a first change in the 55th minute, as Jonny Williams replaced Little, who could not continue after an apparent hand injury.
McCleary doubled the hosts' advantage a couple of minutes later. The forward did well to win the ball back near the corner flag before playing it back to Clark. The left-back found Ronan Hale inside the penalty area, and he laid it off for the oncoming McCleary to curl a first-time effort into the far corner of the net, leaving an outstretched Wright with no chance.
The goal scorer was replaced just after the hour, as Dack entered the game.
Cirino had a good opportunity as he carried the ball towards the penalty area down the left-hand side. He had Hale to his right on the inside, but took it away from the nearby defender before drilling the ball towards the far bottom corner, but it went just wide of the target.
In the 71st minute, Cirino did brilliantly to get the ball into the six-yard box. He carried the ball down the left wing and did well to evade the sliding challenge of an Accrington defender, before drilling a low centre. It was nearly met by the oncoming Hale, but the ball took a touch off a visiting player to send it behind for a corner, which came to nothing.
The visitors were reduced to ten men after 81 minutes when Tyler Walton was shown a red card following a high challenge on Khumbeni. Fortunately for the Gills midfielder, he was quickly back on his feet and re-entered the game.
Gills made a triple substitution moments later. Sam Vokes replaced Hale, Masterson made his long-awaited return to match action when he replaced Smith, and Louie Dayal entered the game in the place of Cirino, as he made his league debut.
Seb Palmer-Houlden tried to add a third during additional time. He received the ball from around 25 yards out before turning and sending a powerful strike goalward. It was too close to Wright, who was forced to push the ball over the crossbar for a corner.
Moments later, Clark tried his luck, firing over the crossbar from distance.
In the fifth minute of added time, David Abimbola was shown a straight red card following an off-the-ball incident with Sam Gale.
Gale went on an adventurous run in the closing moments, driving through into the Accrington penalty area, but was upended before he could get a shot away.
FULL-TIME: Gillingham 2-0 Accrington Stanley
Gillingham: Morris, Hutton, A. Smith (Masterson 83’), Gale, Clark, Cirino (Dayal 84’), Little (J. Williams 55’), Khumbeni, McCleary (Dack 61’), Palmer-Houlden, Hale (Vokes 83’)
Unused Substitutes: Turner, Andrews
Accrington Stanley: Wright, Love, Sass, Rawson, Whalley (Butterfield 84’), Sinclair, Martin (Madden 58’), Walton, Conneely (Coyle 58’), O’Brien (Matthews 58’), Woods (Abimbola 74’)
Unused Substitutes: Kelly, Brown
Referee: George Lafin
Attendance: 5383 (59)
