Injury-hit Gillingham lost at home on Saturday in their pre-season game against Charlton Athletic.
An alarming number of senior players were missing at the weekend.
From a squad of around 20 senior players, eight weren’t involved. It meant a young team going on as replacements after an hour, and that’s when the Charlton goal came. The visitors scored their winning goal through Reece Burke, heading in from a corner kick.
This game came three weeks ahead of the league season kicking off and two before the Carabao Cup game against Luton Town.
New striker Will Goodwin was added to the absent list from the midweek win at Dover, along with fellow front-man Ronan Hale. Bradley Dack and Armani Little had limped off that night and didn’t feature at Priestfield.
Also missing the Charlton game were Ethan Coleman, Cameron Antwi and Garath McCleary. New goalkeeper Ollie Wright remained sidelined, which meant extra minutes again for young understudies Taite Holtam and Lennon MacLorg.
Sam Gale was played in the right wing-back role, with Kadeem Harris operating on the other flank. Up top, James Brophy played in support of striker Seb Palmer-Houlden.
Trialist Nick Freeman was handed another 45 minutes, and the team that came on with an hour gone was made up mostly of youngsters. Nelson Khumbeni, at 23, was the oldest and most experienced of the replacements.
The average age of the side finishing the game was just 18.
Gillingham’s senior XI coped well in the opening half and made it to the break goalless.
Fans watching the live stream from home had been left frustrated with a lack of pictures early on and then experienced audio issues.
Charlton had seen more of the ball and had the better of chances, as expected, but the Gills had a couple of opportunities, too.
Brophy had a shot deflected over the bar and a deflection from Robbie McKenzie’s attempt almost caught out goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski.
Harris – goalscorer in the midweek win over Dover – showed another glimpse of his talent when he beat several players before having his ankles clipped. Moments later Kayne Ramsey won the ball off him with a crunching tackle, determined not to be beaten by him again.
Charlton’s best moments came just after the half hour mark with a flurry of chances. Joe Rankin-Costello lobbed the ball over the bar following a positive run forward and Holtam twice pushed away shots from Ibrahim Fullah.
Gills boss Gareth Ainsworth kept most of his senior players on for the start of the second half, with Harris the only one to be taken off at the break.
There was a worry when Seb Palmer-Houlden went down with a shoulder injury. Zack Whitelock was ready to replace him, but the striker signalled his desire to play on, briefly returning to the action before wholesale changes soon after led to him being replaced anyway.
Holtam saved a shot from Harvey Knibbs and was then grateful to see Rankin-Costello shoot over after his clearance went to a Charlton player.
With an hour gone, both managers changed their teams.
Five minutes after the changes, the visitors took the lead. Burke headed in a Sonny Carey corner at the far post, his effort just squirming in past keeper Lennon MacLorg.
Tyreece Campbell also went close moments later for the visitors with a shot across goal.
Whitelock’s effort for Gills drifted wide and Cruz Beszant went closer with a shot that landed on the roof of the net.
Following the early setback after the changes, the young Gills team showed confidence and an intent to make their mark.
Greg Docherty hooked a late shot wide for Charlton and Campbell fired wide as the one goal settled the friendly.
Gillingham: Holtam (MacLorg 60mins), Gale (Booth 60mins), Smith (Dobbs 60mins), Gordon (Khumbeni 60mins), Beckles (Webster 60mins), Harris (Dayal 46mins), Albarus (Beszant 60mins), McKenzie (Waldock 60mins), Freeman (Luxton 60mins), Brophy (Theodore 60mins), Palmer-Houlden (Whitelock 60mins). Sub not used: Cross.
Attendance: 2,747 (935 away)
