The Fleet kept up their good pre-season record against Gillingham with a deserved one over a strong visiting lineup that highlighted the best of Josh Wright’s side’s defensive and offensive capabilities.
Gillingham looked to control the game early on but it was the Fleet who took the lead as Lennon Peake made the most of his birthday and Dom Samuel’s penalty against his old club left the Gills too muuch to do.
An early chance for the visitors saw a free-kick delivered into the area but that caused no worries for Gio Bellagambi. Aaron Cosgrave earned the Fleet a chance of their own moments later but sent his effort past the post.
Bellagambi was called into action when Marcus Wyllie beat the Fleet defence and darted towards goal but with the Fleet keeper making himself big, Wyllie couldn’t find a way past.
Cosgrave and Passley saw most of the ball as far as Fleet were concerned and it was Passley who tried his luck from the byline which forced a save from Jake Turner on 20 minutes.
Johnny Williams was controlling the game in the middle for the visitors who found themselves with sight of goal on several occasions but either fired off target or found Bellagambi in their way, saving from Nelson Khumbeni and Ethan Coleman.
And it was the Fleet who found themselves ahead as Peake secured his second goal of this pre-season, scoring in the 23rd minute on his 23rd birthday. Cosgrave worked a ball into Peake’s run and he cut inside to fire across Turner into the far corner.
Turner palmed one away from Samuel moments after the game restarted while George Moncur brought the Gills keeper into action again with a looping effort. Passley overran another effort as he tried to get in the box as both he and Cosgrave tested the Gills defenders in an end-to-end finish to the first-half.
The Gills found their rhythm again in the second-half forcing several good saves from Bellagambi whislt Mustapha Olagunju, who also performed very well throughout, cleared Seb Palmer-Houlden’s effort off the line.
A Jack Nolan free-kick then bounced off the post with Fleet clearing their lines twice in the follow-up and Shad Ogie found the bar in his way from another set-piece.
The Fleet doubled the lead from the spot. Samuel was adjudged to have been brought down by Ogie and it was the No.14 who stepped up to convert the spot-kick himself, sending Turner the wrong way.
The 2-0 lead didn’t last long as the Gills got one back with 10 minutes left. Joe Gbode was the man with a well-executed right-footed shot that floated into the top corner.
The visitors were determined to put some shine on the scoreline but although they pushed with the likes of Bradley Dack playing some searching passes, the Fleet were home and dry at full-time.
EUFC: Bellagambi, Manktelow (Dallison 56), Ehmer, Olagunju, Hessenthaler, Passley (Kennedy 72), Chapman, Moncur, Peake, Cosgrave (Coley 80), Samuel. Subs: Anthony, Cousins
GFC: Turner, (Holtam 75), Webster (Hutton 63), Smith (Ogie 46), Dobbs (McKenzie 46), Trialist (Clark 63), Khumbeni (Gbode 46), Coleman (Little 75), Wyllie, Williams (Dack 75), Nevitt (Nolan 46), Andrews (Palmer-Houlden 63). Sub: Waldock
Attendance: 916
Photo: © EUFC/Ed Miller
