Colchester United (2) 2 Massey 4, Harriott 28
Gillingham (1) 1 Norris 7
Attendance: 4,694
Entrance: £17 Senior
Programme: £3
Mileage: 140/1,260
Match Report
Whether Gillingham have faced a team away from home this season that played with two out-and-out wingers I don't know but in the first half they had no answer to the pace and width of Gavin Massey and Callum Harriott, with Massey, in particular, giving Brennan Dickenson a torrid time.
Gillingham could not have started better and just 90 seconds had elapsed when Cody McDonald fastened onto a Luke Norris header only to see his shot from around the penalty spot strike a post.
But it was the wing play of the Colchester duo that combined after three minutes to create the opening goal. Harriott was sent clear down the left hand side and as Gillingham's back line stretched to counteract the width, Massey was left on his own on the opposite side of the pitch. When the ball reached him, he picked his spot to shoot past Stuart Nelson to stun the 1,171 visiting fans assembled behind that goal.
It was not long before those fans were celebrating an equaliser. Norris and McDonald combined to open up a one-on-one shooting opportunity for Norris, which he gleefully struck past Colchester's Jamie Jones.
The game became very open as Gillingham struggled to combat Colchester's width, but equally capitalised on the space offered by playing such a game, and the chances continue to fall to both sides.
In the frentic pace of the game, referee Breakspear started to take centre stage and by the 25th minute had two players from each side in his book.
After 28 minutes, the home side restored their lead. Gillingham had opportunities to launch the ball to safety but persistence on the bye-line allowed a cut back to Harriott who drilled a well struck shot into the far corner.
Gillingham were offered the chance of another quick response after 34 minutes when Frankie Kent was judged to have handled the ball in the penalty area. McDonald, a striker in need of a goal, stepped foward but his firmly hit shot straight down the middle was saved as the ball cannoned off the chest of Jones, for this second penalty save in a week.
The second half was not as open as the manager's made tactical adjustments during the break. Dickenson, on a booking, was withdrawn as Justin Edinburgh replaced him with a natural full back in Bradley Garmston.
Despite the merits of the wingers, it was Jones who eventually took the honour of the man of the match with further saves to deny a one-on-one with Jordan Houghton and smothering the follow-up from McDonald.
In a final assault on the home goal, Rory Donnelly shot wide and Norris saw his goalbound shot blocked as Jones and his defence just about held firm.
Gillingham slipped to third in the table, but realistically are still ahead of where most expected them to be after eight games.
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