Gillingham’s pre-season match against Reading at Priestfield on Saturday ended level.
Shad Ogie hit the crossbar for the Gills in an opening half that saw the home side have several other chances, which they couldn’t convert. Neither side managed to find a breakthrough as the match ended goalless.
Gillingham faced a significant step up in opposition for their second pre-season when they faced League 1 Reading.
The Gills were looking to build on a positive 1-0 win at Dover on the Tuesday night and once again manager Gareth Ainsworth took a look at a different team in each half. The first 45 was better than the second.
Trialist left-back Lenny Cirino got another chance to impress but Ainsworth still had six senior players missing.
Centre-half Andy Smith was involved for the first time, lining up in the second-half team, which allowed Ethan Coleman to return to his familiar midfield role.
There were some impressive bits of skill in the opening stages to create chances but the finishing wasn’t of the same standard.
Dack picked out Ogie in the box which led to a shot that didn’t trouble keeper Joel Pereira, while Joe Gbode cut in and fired wide after being picked out by Remeao Hutton’s brilliant crossfield pass.
Cirino played a fine ball into the feet of the busy Palmer-Houlden but he couldn’t quite get the ball to Marcus Wyllie, who had got into a good position.
Andre Garcia had the ball in the net for the visitors but the flag was already up for offside.
The Gills were doing well at closing the Reading defence down, with Dack’s hard work in the middle key to that, but he ended up picking up a worrying knock for his troubles after a challenge from Paudie O’Connor.
Dack managed to play on, with a deadleg looking like the problem rather than any issues with the knee. He also took a big whack off Mark O’Mahony shortly after putting a great chance over the bar.
Wyllie played the ball to Dack and the midfielder miscued the effort when well placed.
Two more chances for the Gills came from corner kicks. Masterson headed over from Armani Little’s delivery and moments later Ogie went closer with a header onto the bar from Dack’s ball in.
Just before the half-time whistle, Palmer-Houlden was played in on goal by Little, but defender Finely Burns did enough to prevent the striker from getting a decent shot away at goal.
It was all-change for the second 45 minutes, the Gills sticking to a similar shape, with Josh Andrews taking over from Palmer-Houlden as the main attacking outlet and Harry Bridle picking up the baton from Dack.
Jack Nolan went close early in the second half after picking up Andrews’ flick-on, taking a couple of touches before bending a shot wide of the far upright.
Reading made a host of changes midway through the half and they almost caught the Gills out on the break. Basil Tuma picked out Jeremiah Okine-Peters but his shot drifted over Jake Turner’s crossbar.
The Gills were given a few problems in the latter stages and Emmanuel Osho came a whisker away to converting a cross from close range.
Sam Gale came close at the other end for the Gills, charging forward as he found himself in an unaccustomed attacking position, but was fended off the ball by one of the Reading trialists.
Gillingham: Morris (Turner 46mins), Hutton (Webster 46mins), Cirino (Clark 46mins), Ogie (Gale 46mins), Masterson (Smith 46mins), Little (Coleman 46mins), McKenzie (Waldock 46mins), Wyllie (Theodore 46mins), Dack (Bridle 46mins), Gbode (Nolan 46mins), Palmer-Houlden (Andrews 46mins). Subs: Beszant, Luxton.
Reading: Pereira (Stevens 66mins), Abrefa (Trialist B 66mins), Dorsett (Ryan 46mins), Savage (Spencer 66mins), Wing (Ahmed 66mins), Burns (Trialist A 46mins), O’Connor (Stickland 46mins), O’Mahony (Tuma 46mins), Camara (Osho 66mins), Garcia (Borgnis 66mins), Sackey (Okine-Peters 66mins).
Referee: Harry Wager
Attendance: 1,930 (384 away)
