Freshening the team up for the FA Cup match against Charlton paid off for Gillingham head coach Stephen Clemence.
Macaulay Bonne came back to start and he scored the opener while George Lapslie also excelled as he returned to the XI as an able partner for the goalscoring front-man.
Report: Gillingham 2 Charlton 0
Jonny Williams was only stopped by a cut to his face that wouldn’t stop bleeding – forcing him off – while right-back Robbie McKenzie also impressed as he returned to right-back following a period out injured.
Clemence said: “We wanted to freshen it up, nobody did anything wrong in the previous games, but we wanted fresh legs.
“We played George around Macauley and we tried to get those two involved as much as possible.
“I felt we played with quality into them, it wasn’t like ‘let’s just lump it up to the striker’, it was played with quality to George and to Macauley and it enabled them to get hold of the ball and they did excellent, bringing other players into play. I thought they were both outstanding.”
Bonne’s opener on 26 minutes was followed by a second soon after as Lapslie played in Tim Dieng to score. The Gills continued to work openings and in the end 2-0 flattered Charlton – who could have easily departed with an even bigger hiding.
Clemence said: “We were were outstanding from the start and if you start like that you need to make sure you get your noses in front, thankfully we did. We went on and got a second pretty much soon after, it was fantastic.
“In the second half we could have gone on and got a few more, that was the message at half-time, ‘let’s go again, let’s try and get that third goal’. I was was really pleased with the boys, they were absolutely fantastic to a man.”
At 2-0, there was always the option to go defensive, but Clemence kept the foot on gas.
He said: “I had defenders on the bench as well, it did cross my mind to put an extra defender on and maybe go five at the back but I thought we could still be a threat by sticking to a four (in defence) and getting that pace on with Ash (Nadesan), which could cause them a problem,
“Macca and George had given their back line a tough time and I felt once they had softened them up a bit Ash and Tom would go on and and maybe add to our tally. It didn’t happen, but I don’t care! We won 2-0 and I am delighted we’re into the next round!”
