Goals from Tom Eaves, Bradley Dack, Ethan Coleman and Louie Dayal saw Gillingham beat Brighton & Hove Albion U21 4-3 at the MEMS Priestfield Stadium in the Jersey Mike’s Trophy on Tuesday night.
Eaves opened the scoring from the penalty spot after a miscommunication from a goal kick by the visitors. The forward stepped up and made no mistake, smashing the ball into the top right corner.
In the 39th minute, Dack made it two after he met Andy Smith’s cutback before prodding home from six yards out. Coleman added a third on the stroke of half-time when he got on the end of James Brophy’s excellent cross to head across the goal and into the far corner of the net.
Dayal added a fourth just four minutes after the break, sliding home Dack’s low ball across the six-yard box.
Shane Nti soon pulled a goal back for the visitors with a smart backheel before he then netted a first-time curling effort with 20 minutes remaining. Tyler Silsby scored a stunning free-kick with what proved to be the final kick of the game, but it was not enough, as the Gills hung on.
Rohan Luthra made his first competitive appearance for the Football Club since signing on a short-term deal. Ethan Coleman and Bradley Dack came into the starting XI, as did Harry Webster, Michael Luxton and Louie Dayal.
Conor McManus was named among the substitutes after returning from international duty, while Sully Booth and Cruz Beszant were also on the bench.
Jack Daley had the first opportunity of the game when Dack’s corner from the left was delivered towards the back post. The Middlesbrough loanee met it, heading goalward, but Steven Hall saved it before gathering at the second attempt.
In the eighth minute, Tom Eaves had a great chance. The forward did well to get on the end of a ball into the penalty area before offloading it to Sheldon Kendall. He waited for the overlapping run of Webster before playing it out to the right-back, who played a low centred ball. Eaves met it unchallenged, but his side-footed attempt was straight at Hall.
Nehemiah Oriola had the visitors' first chance of the game after 28 minutes. George Munday held the ball up before laying it off to Oriola, who carried it forward before shooting from distance. However, it was always rising and it cleared the crossbar.
In the 32nd minute, Gillingham were awarded a penalty in bizarre fashion. Brighton attempted to take a goal kick short as Hall played it to a defender, thus putting the ball in play. The visiting defender did not realise and put his hand on the ball believing he was about to take the goal-kick, leaving the referee no choice but to award the spot kick.
Eaves stepped up and made no mistake, thumping the penalty into the top right corner, with Hall diving the other way.
Luthra was called into action minutes later. Munday received the ball inside the penalty area before shooting from 12 yards out. The Gills goalkeeper remained big and got two solid hands behind the ball to palm away.
Dack made it two after 39 minutes. James Brophy played an excellent crossfield pass into the Brighton penalty area in the direction of Andy Smith, who did well to keep the ball in play on the byline. He then cut it back for Dack, who did enough to prod the ball into the far bottom corner.
Tyler Silsby hit the post on the stroke of half-time. The visitors won a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area, and Silsby took it, doing well to get it over the wall. His attempt had Luthra rooted to his spot, but it smacked the post before going away from the danger.
Daley was soon denied by a brilliant save by Hall. Brophy’s corner was a dangerous one into the six-yard box, with Daley rising the highest to meet it. His header from close range looked destined for the back of the net, but Hall somehow got across to push it over the crossbar.
From the resulting corner, Coleman made it three. Dack’s set piece was cleared as far as Brophy, who was just outside the box. He curled a dangerous ball back in, which allowed Coleman to peel away from his marker before heading the ball across the goal and into the far corner of the net.
HALF-TIME: Gillingham 3-0 Brighton & Hove Albion U21
Gills made two half-time changes, as Logan Dobbs and McManus entered the game in place of Smith and Brophy.
Dayal added a fourth in the 49th minute. Dobbs headed the ball into the penalty area in the direction of Eaves, who was coming back from an offside position, but he was making no attempt to play the ball. The visiting defence stopped, allowing Dack to get in behind and onto the ball on the left side of the area. He then played it into the six-yard box, where Dayal came sliding in to force it home.
Shane Nti pulled a goal back immediately for Brighton. Kofi Shaw struck a low drive goalward from the edge of the penalty area, and Nti reacted quickly as the ball was approaching him, deciding to backheel it. That left Luthra rooted to his spot, and the ball ended up in the bottom right corner.
In the 67th minute, the hosts made two more changes, as Ronan Hale and Garath McCleary replaced Eaves and Dayal.
Valentin Joseph had a half-chance moments later. He did well to turn a defender before getting a shot off, drilling it towards the far bottom corner. Fortunately, he could not find the target, as it fizzed wide of the goal.
Nti scored his second of the game with another smart finish. An attempted shot was blocked and broke to him on the left corner of the penalty area. He struck it first time, curling it towards the goal, with it having enough height to be out of Luthra’s reach as it dipped into the back of the net.
In the 77th minute, Booth entered the game, replacing Dack.
Joseph had a good chance when he received the ball and turned to make his way into the penalty area. He struck a left-footed attempt high and towards the top corner at the near post, but Luthra had it covered, palming it away from the danger.
Booth came close after a fine passage of play. Gills broke forward after McCleary's smart switch found Kendall on the left. He carried it inside before passing to Webster on the right, who played a quick one-two before cutting it back to Booth, who was just inside the box. He struck the ball first-time, but Hall got himself behind it to make the save.
With the final kick of the game, Silsby scored a stunning strike. Brighton won a free-kick a little over 20 yards from goal in a central position, which Silsby took. He did brilliantly to get it over the wall, with his curling effort finding the top right corner, leaving a fully stretched Luthra with no chance.
FULL-TIME: Gillingham 4-3 Brighton & Hove Albion U21
Gillingham: Luthra, Webster, Smith (Dobbs 46’), Daley, Kendall, Coleman, Luxton, Brophy (McManus 46’), Dack (Booth 77’), Dayal (McCleary 67’), Eaves (Hale 67’)
Unused Substitutes: Wright, Beszant
Brighton & Hove Albion Under-21s: Hall, Keogh (West 63’), Shaw, Munday (Joseph 64’), Barclay, Oriola, Nti, Mackley, Lane (Kasvosve 63’), Silsby, Ferdinand
Unused Substitutes: Dike, A. Palmer, B. Palmer, Alakiu
Referee: Richard Eley
Attendance: 576 (40)
