Gillingham conceded three goals in the second half at Priestfield as they were well beaten by Grimsby Town.
Garath McCleary cancelled out Andy Cook’s first-half opener, but Jaze Kabia restored Grimsby’s lead after a mistake from the Gills keeper, Kieran Green extended the lead, and Charles Vernam added a fourth.
When The Gills’ promotion hopes ended, they were set a new target by the manager. Seeking some visible sign of progress, manager Gareth Ainsworth tasked his underperformers to try to beat last season’s tally of 58 points, but that’s now impossible as well.
Ainsworth made four changes to his line-up for the match, with midweek starters Andy Smith and Robbie McKenzie missing after both picked up knocks in the defeat at Cheltenham.
It was a switch back to 4-2-3-1 for the Gills. Garath McCleary was back in for Bradley Dack, and Seb Palmer-Houlden was preferred in attack ahead of Sam Vokes.
Ainsworth was without his long-term assistant Richard Dobson in the dugout for the first time – his long-term no.2 stepping into his new role as technical director at the Gills, and he was watching from the main stand.
Grimsby looked lively from the off but Conor Masterson made a great sliding challenge early on to deny Jaze Kabia and keeper Glenn Morris pounced to avert the danger from Reece Staunton’s low and inviting cross.
It was a physical battle, which left Gills striker Ronan Hale suffering from a couple of knocks and a bloody nose from a challenge late in the first half.
The Gills created a couple of openings but reached the break without managing to test the visiting keeper.
It was Morris who was the busier of the goalies. Cook managed to get past several defenders to create a chance that the veteran stopper saved, but the visiting striker got on the scoresheet after 41 minutes.
Cameron McJannet’s high ball was won in the air by Kieran Green, and his knockdown was picked up in space by Cook, who then showed his clinical side with a drilled low shot into the bottom corner.
Grimsby held onto their one-goal lead until the break.
The Gills were back level on 55 minutes as Little’s crossfield pass was picked up by McCleary, who then drove into the box before a cheeky dink past the keeper to send the ball into the net.
Gillingham’s centre-back pairing of Gale and Masterson put their bodies on the line to keep out shots from Cook and then Kabia as Grimsby looked to retake the lead.
Grimsby did go in front again on 74 minutes when Morris raced out to make a clearance but knocked the ball against Kabia, who was then left with an open goal, and he rolled it home. It was the start of a Gillingham collapse.
The Gills made changes and switched formation but Ainsworth’s side fell further behind with 10 minutes left, as Green met a corner with his head and the flick was enough to send it looping over Morris and into the far corner of the net.
Grimsby made it 4-1 on 84 minutes when their substitute Vernam guided in Green’s pinpoint cross.
Max Clark tried to get a goal back with a long-range effort on 90 minutes but Town keeper Jackson Smith turned the ball over the bar.
Gillingham: Morris, Hutton, Clark, Masterson (Vokes 77mins), Gale, Little, Khumbeni (Waldock 87mins), McCleary (Akomeah 86mins), Cirino (Dack 77mins), Palmer-Houlden, Hale. Subs not used: Turner, Andrews, J Williams.
Grimsby: Smith, Staunton (Sweeney 75mins), McJannet, Kacurri, Rodgers, Walker (Turi 65mins), Oduor (Warren 86mins), Green, Kabia (Vernam 74mins), Amaluzor (Burns 75mins), Cook. Subs not used: Pym, Vernam, Booth.
Referee: Oliver Mackey
Attendance: 5,863 (646 away)
