A young Gills side put in a stellar performance at MEMS Priestfield Stadium on Tuesday night to defeat Cambridge 4-2 in a PDL Cup group stage fixture.
Alfie Cross bagged a brace with Stan Sargent and Freddie Carruthers also on target. The win all but guarantees qualification into the next round, with the team having already defeated Colchester 1-0.
Steve Hafner took charge of the game with Joe Dunne in the dugout for company. Second-year apprentices, Joe Orpwood and Stan Sargent, were named in the XI with Raif Jones wearing the captain’s armband.
Freddie Francis, who came on as a sub two weeks ago against Colchester in the same competition, was on the bench with Zak Whitelock also available if needed.
The game got of to a hectic start and there were four goals scored within the opening 23 minutes.
In the second minute, a ball into the box was flicked on and Carruthers made good contact but guided his header just over the top. Within a couple of minutes though Gills took the lead when Sargent robbed a defender of possession in the final third and produced a clinical finish into the bottom left corner to give the hosts an early advantage.
However, it was short lived because just over ten minutes later the score was level when Samuel Okolie fired home from inside the box to beat Benji Spencer.
Gills responded almost immediately with Carruthers finding the bottom corner from the edge of the box with a precise strike.
The visitors rallied once again though and were level again on 22 minutes when Matteo Brown found himself with time inside the box, and his effort beat Smith to ensure a level game.
Carruthers came close to scoring a cracker just before the break, but his left footed effort missed the far post by a matter of inches with the keeper beaten.
H/T: Gillingham 2-2 Cambridge United
Gills went in front for the third time on 51 minutes when a free-kick was given just outside the box and Alfie Cross fancied his chances. His strike was clean, it went through the wall and nestled in the bottom left corner.
On 63 minutes Gills got their fourth when an effort from Carruthers was blocked, a follow up effort from Cross was also blocked before he found the back of the net with a second bite of the cherry, and the power on the shot was too much for Massoud in the Cambridge goal.
Spencer did really well shortly after to get his right hand on an awkward shot which looked to be nestling inside the post.
From this point on the hosts managed the game well, slowing the pace of the tie. Sargent, Orpwood and Carruthers all made way in order for fresh legs to come on and Cambridge struggled to create anything meaningful in the final minutes as Gills controlled proceedings to secure a deserved win.
F/T: Gillingham 4-2 Cambridge United
Gills: Spencer, Orpwood (Francis 77), Stone, Jones, Adams (Procopi 90), Cross, Silva, Broster, Booth, Carruthers (Palmer 84), Sargent (Whitelock 74)
Unused subs: King
Cambridge XI: Massoud, Yakubu, Wiafe, Hobday, Sowden-Fletcher, Collard, Thompson, Brown, Okolie, Stephenson, Branch
Unused subs: Milligan, Shinn, Valimamade, Taylor, Fadare
Attendance: 201
Referee: Mr M Bush
