Gillingham got off to bad start at Colchester on Boxing Day and a defensive blunder late on ensured there was no way back.
Colchester struck early through Lyle Taylor and maintained that slender advantage until the 85th minute when Shad Ogie’s poor defensive pass allowed the hosts to score again through John-Kymani Gordon, clinching a deserved three points for the home side.
Gillingham boss Mark Bonner stuck with an unchanged starting eleven for their festive fixture at Colchester.
His men had the task of trying to break open a defence that hadn’t conceded in their previous six games.
Colchester bossed much of the first half and led through Taylor’s sixth-minute opener, the home forward scoring on the rebound after Gillingham keeper Glenn Morris had saved a shot from Jack Payne.
The goal was created from out wide where winger Owura Edwards caused the Gills all kinds of problems early on.
Just a minute after the opener Colchester had the ball in the net again, following a ball into the box from dangerman Edwards, which Oscar Thorn converted from an offside position.
Gills keeper Morris was forced out to the edge of his area a couple of times to mop up the danger as Colchester looked the better of the teams. On a few occasions they were just more alert to win possession off the visitors.
Goalscorer Taylor tried his luck with a shot from out wide which bounced off the top of the crossbar.
The hosts had a couple of half-hearted penalty appeals waved off but it wasn’t completely one-way traffic.
With only one goal in it, the Gills always had a chance. Jack Nolan went close with a couple of shots at goal.
Nolan’s first attempt went just over while a low effort that was heading to the bottom corner was saved by keeper Matt Macey who reacted well to keep hold of Remao Hutton’s follow-up.
Bonner made two changes at the break, with changes of personnel and formation.
Out went the 4-2-3-1 shape as Shad Ogie joined the defensive unit while Armani Little added energy the midfield. Max Clark and Jack Nolan were withdrawn.
Colchester forward Payne stabbed the ball wide moments after the restart when meeting a low cross at the near post.
Thorn also went close as the Gills started the second half still second best.
With the hour-mark approaching the Gills started to see more of the ball, looking like they could get back into the game.
Tim Dieng and Bradley Dack were introduced as another double change for the Gills.
Dack’s first input was to send a free-kick into the home keeper’s arms.
Macey got his fingertips to turn a decent effort from Robbie McKenzie over the bar after he tried his luck from 20 yards.
Bonner’s last throw of the dice was to introduce big striker Josh Andrews for Ethan Coleman with 10 minutes left.
Despite the changes, the Gills found no way through Colchester’s back line and the Essex side added a second.
Ogie failed to get any power on a pass across to a team-mate, Tom Hopper latched onto the ball and when he couldn’t convert, fellow substitute Gordon slotted in past a Gills defence that was all over the place.
Jayden Clarke went down in the box late on but referee Farai Hallam booked the Gills winger for diving.
Ogie made a timely block in stoppage time to deny Colchester a third. Payne also missed a great chance for the hosts to extend their advantage.
Hutton missed with a wild effort at the other end with almost the last kick to seal a bad Boxing Day for the Gills, who were booed off by some of the fans in the away end.
League 2 table
Gillingham: Morris, Hutton, Clark (Ogie 46mins), Masterson (Dieng 63mins), Ehmer, Coleman (Andrews 81mins), McKenzie, Clarke, Nolan (Little 46mins), Rowe (Dack 63mins), Nevitt. Subs not used: Turner, J Williams.
Colchester: Macey, Iandolo, Flanagan, Payne, McDonnell, Read (Bishop 73mins), Egbo, Edwards (Gordon 73mins), Donnelly, Thorn (Anderson 61mins), Taylor (Hopper 73mins). Subs not used: Smith, Kelleher, Goodliffe.
Referee: Farai Hallam
Attendance: 5,934 (884 away)
