Joe Gbode hit the winner for Gillingham on Monday to maintain the team’s impressive start under Gareth Ainsworth.
Early substitute Gbode broke the deadlock with only his second goal in the Football League as the Gills claimed back-to-back home wins and extended their unbeaten run to 10 games.
Gillingham boss Ainsworth, now seven games without a loss since taking charge, went with a fresh attacking line-up for the Easter Monday game at Priestfield.
Oli Hawkins came in to start upfront with Jonny Williams, Aaron Rowe and Bradley Dack all returning to the line-up in support. Fit-again goalkeeper Glenn Morris was also back in the side, replacing youngster Taite Holtam.
Hawkins went down injured early on, and was replaced by goalscorer Gbode after just 15 minutes, after continuing to struggle. He had been trying to play on with a suspected broken hand..
There had been a bit of controversy ahead of the game at Priestfield as the Gills agreed to play in green, to avoid a kit clash.
Wimbledon’s three kits all clashed with Gillingham’s home strip and “on an EFL recommendation” the hosts opted to wear their third green strip for the game.
AFC Wimbledon were backed by over 1,000 fans. They started the day with the automatic promotion places in sight but knew a defeat could leave the door ajar for the chasing pack in their efforts of securing a play-off spot.
Clear-cut chances were in short supply during a bitty first-half that finished without either side managing a shot on target.
The Gills weren’t getting a lot of change out of the referee and home boss Ainsworth was livid when a shove on Conor Masterson inside the Dons box went unpunished.
Gillingham weren’t getting many decisions go their way.
Remeao Hutton played a few decent balls forward but nothing was coming off for the Gills.
Wimbledon had started off the better of the two sides and enjoyed the best of the limited first half chances. Joe Lewis headed a good chance over the bar and late in the half Aron Sasu was unable to get a shot away thanks to a vital interception from Shad Ogie.
Gillingham had several set-piece opportunities early in the second half that they couldn’t make much from, with the Dons dealing with a corner, a free-kick and Hutton’s long throw, all played into the box.
Alistair Smith fired wide for the Dons and with an hour gone neither goalkeeper had been tested.
It was Gbode who had that first shot on target and he found the net with it, firing the Gills ahead after 64 minutes.
Hutton’s weighted ball into the box found Dack and his lay off to Gbode was thundered home past visiting keeper Owen Goodman.
Gillingham managed to see out the rest of the game with relative ease and claim a second successive 1-0 win on home soil.
League 2 table
Gillingham: Morris, Hutton, Clark, Ogie, Gale, Masterson, McKenzie, J Williams, Rowe (Nevitt 81mins), Dack (Clarke 65mins), Hawkins. Subs not used: Holtam, Gbode, Nolan, Khumbeni, Morgan.
AFC Wimbledon: Goodman, Tilley (Kelly 71mins), Neufville, Harbottle, Lewis, Johnson, Maycock (Hutchinson 82mins), Smith, Foyo (Bugiel 57mins), Sasu, Stevens (Pigott 71mins). Subs not used: Ward, Ball, Ogundere.
Referee: Steven Copeland
Attendance: 7,641 (1,472 away)
