Zak Whitelock and Sullivan Booth were both on target as a young Gillingham side produced a brilliant performance to defeat Sevenoaks Town 2-0 at the Bourne Stadium on Wednesday evening in the Kent Senior Cup.
The result ensures Gills progress in the tournament and will now play Tonbridge Angels away in the Quarter-Finals.
Whitelock opened the scoring from the penalty spot, with Booth coming off the bench to score a brilliant effort late in the game.
Joe Dunne named a mix of professionals and apprentices in his team with Taite Holtam starting in goal. Harry Webster and Logan Dobbs lined up in defence with Whitelock in attack.
The visitors had the first chance of the game in the sixth minute when a Sevenoaks defender attemped to shield a cross from the opposite wing and allow his keeper to claim, but Louie Dayal was persistent in challenging for the ball.
He won it, cut back, and saw his shot well blocked before being cleared. The hosts responded well and five minutes later came close to taking the lead against the run of play. Sevenoaks counter-attacked at pace and it was Aaron Jenkins who ultimately decided to go for goal, spotting Holtam off his line. However, the effort went comfortably wide.
Dayal and Jenkins had another chance each in the first half, but the Gills forward was denied by Jordan Perrin before Jenkins' effort across Holtam went wide of the target.
Dayal was involved again on 35 minutes when he turned his marker on the edge of the box following a through pass from Cruz Beszant. He found the back of the net but the referee had spotted a foul in the build-up and so the goal was chalked off.
Gills finally made their pressure count when they were awarded a penalty just before the interval when a defender inadvertenltly used his arm to control a ball inside the box and the referee had little option but to award the spot kick.
Whitelock stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way.
H/T: Sevenoaks Town 0-1 Gillingham
Dayal had another half chance following the interval when he stopped his run to create space for a pass. Booth, on at the break, spotted him and Louie decided to shoot. He forced a fine stop from Perrin.
A few minutes later and the persistent chasing of Whitelock nearly bagged him a second goal. He intercepted a back pass and struck from 18 yards, but Perrin made an excellent save high to his left.
On 67 minutes Gills did finally get the second goal their efforts warranted when Luxton played a beautiful pass down the left flank for Booth to chase. He held off his man, got into the box and guided an effort inside the far post.
The visitors controlled proceedings for the remainder of the game but in the dying seconds Sevenoaks very pulled one back when a free-kick was headed wide by Jahmal Howlett-Mundle.
F/T: Sevenoaks Town 0-2 Gillingham
Sevenoaks: Perrin, Itauma, Jonah, Howlett-Mundle, Sawyer, Hanfrey, Jenkins, Majek (Tickle 71), Mfula (Vochyan 70), Duncanson, Bunclark (Agyemang-Arthur 51)
Unused subs: Howard, Dickens
Gillingham: Holtam, Grant, Trialist, Trialist (Booth HT), Dobbs, Webster (James HT), Luxton, Beszant, Dayal, Clark (Jones 87), Whitelock (Surrey 83)
Unused subs: Hegarty
