Depth and development

Trusting the youngsters

Originally published in Gills Journal by David Tickner.

Gillingham 3

Brophy 55, Kendall 85, 89

Bristol Rovers 0

Gillingham secured an emphatic 3-0 victory over Bristol Rovers at Priestfield on Saturday, extending their unbeaten run to six matches and making it three successive League Two wins as they recorded another clean sheet.

Against visitors who arrived second in the table and widely tipped for promotion, Gareth Ainsworth's side produced another performance built on a blend of youth and experience.

Gillingham are now fourth on 12 points with Cheltenham fifth and Bristol Rovers sixth, all on 12. Gills have the best goal difference of the three at +5.

James Brophy's quality broke the deadlock after half-time before 18-year-old substitute Sheldon Kendallstruck twice in the closing stages for his first league goals. The afternoon belonged as much to the club's emerging talent as it did to the result.

Harry Waldock excelled throughout. Lamin Sillah troubled defenders with his pace and rawness and Kendall supplied the finishing touches, vindicating Ainsworth's belief in trusting the youngsters while the experienced core around them provide the platform. About Michael Luxton replacing the cramping Eli King, he said, ‘You've got to trust him and put your faith in these youngsters,’ and made the same point about entrusting 18-year-old Kendall in the closing stages.

Gillingham's growing pressure was rewarded in the 55th minute. Following another delivery from Waldock on the right, Brophy curled a right-footed effort from the edge of the area beyond the unsighted Brad Young and into the bottom-right of the Rainham End goal. It was Brophy's third goal of the season and came after a sustained spell of Gillingham pressure, initiated by the energy of Ronan Hale and Sillah on the break.

Although the visitors had a couple of attempts in the minutes that followed the opener, they never really looked like getting back in a game that was put firmly beyond their reach by Kendall, the 18-year-old Millwall loanee.

Introduced from the bench in the 83rd minute as a replacement for Waldock, Kendall scored with his very first touch of the game. Brophy – not for the first time this season – made a strong run from midfield, before releasing Nick Freeman in space on the right. He had time to pick out a cross that Kendall met with a close-range half volley that beat the keeper low to his left.

Four minutes later, Kendall grabbed his second of the afternoon after being set up by fellow substitute Will Goodwin, making his return from the injury that forced him off at Rochdale. A long goal kick from Ollie Wrightwas contested by Goodwin and Rovers' right-back, Tom James, who went to ground as the ball broke for Gillingham.

The entire Rovers defence paused expecting a free kick but there was no whistle. Goodwin had time to control the ball and roll it to Kendall in the Rovers’ six-yard box. His first shot was well saved by the feet of Young, but the rebound fell back to Kendall who made no mistake second time.

Gills had further opportunities during the six minutes of second-half stoppage time to increase their advantage. In the 97th minute, Goodwin profited from Rovers' defensive hesitancy as he pounced on a mistake by Ciaran Kelly, but Young was out quickly, spreading himself to block the striker's effort with his foot.

Bristol Rovers might also have been reduced to ten men when centre-forward Ellis Harrison was shown only a yellow card for an off-the-ball charge on Andy Smith in the 65th minute.

The first half had been balanced and low on goalmouth action. Rovers had started the brightest, but Gills grew into the game and the half’s two best chances fell to The Gills.

Just after the half-hour mark, Hale met Waldock's excellent work down the right with a first-time volley that Young did well to block with his feet. Then, just before the interval, Smith released Freeman on the right flank. His high cross held up in the wind, deceiving Young and dropping onto the head of Robbie McKenzie, who, despite being unmarked, was unable to direct his effort on target.

The youngsters may have provided the headlines, but they were backed by a defensive unit that continues to provide the platform for Gillingham's success. Ainsworth described their approach as a ‘thou shall not pass’ attitude, insisting the defenders deserved ‘as much credit’ as those scoring the goals.

Since Liam Gordon's injury on the opening day of the season, Omar Beckles, Logan Dobbs and Smith have developed an increasingly effective understanding as a back three. Gillingham have kept clean sheets in their last two matches and conceded only three goals in their last six with Bristol Rovers rarely looking capable of finding a way through.

Following last weekend's home victory, when Dobbs was the teenage hero, it was another encouraging afternoon for Gillingham's emerging talent. Waldock was outstanding throughout. The 19-year-old academy product delivered a man-of-the-match display just a week after illness had curtailed his afternoon against Tranmere. Waldock later reflected on joining the club at age 11 and the pride of hearing the Rainham End sing ‘he's one of our own’, while fellow youngsters Sillah and Kendall again demonstrated why Ainsworth is prepared to put his faith in youth.

Ainsworth made just one change from the starting eleven that had beaten Tranmere at home the previous weekend. Conor McManus, called up last week to the Republic of Ireland Under 21 squad for their upcoming Euro 2027 qualifiers, missed out after developing what Ainsworth described as ‘a little bit of a niggle’ on Saturday morning. Brophy moved to left wing-back, while Sillah led the line in a 3-4-2-1 formation. Goodwin returned to the bench, where Harry Webster replaced Sully Booth.

After the game, Ainsworth admitted that he could not remember Gillingham's last 3–0 home victory. Perhaps appropriately, the answer provided another echo of Saturday. Almost exactly two years ago, on 14th September 2024, Gills, under Mark Bonner, beat previously unbeaten Tranmere by the same score after a goalless first half, with substitute Jayden Clarke scoring twice late on.

David Tickner writes regularly about Gillingham Football Club on Substack. You can read, follow or subscribe for free at Gills Journal | David Tickner | Substack.