Gillingham 2-1 Morecambe
Sky Bet League One
Priestfield Stadium
Saturday 21 August
Kick-off: 3:00pm
Gillingham ran out 2-1 winners on home soil after goals from Mustapha Carayol and Vadaine Oliver either side of Cole Stockton's strike saw them hold on to claim their first win of the season.
Carayol's opener came after five minutes where his strike beat Jokull Andresson from distance, before Stockton took on the entirety of the Gills defence before firing home.
The winner came deep into the second half as Oliver sent his penalty straight down the middle of the goal after Danny Lloyd was fouled in the Shrimps box.
It was a quick start from the hosts and they could have opened the scoring on the second minute of the game.
Full-back Ryan Jackson advanced down the right-hand side breathing Greg Leigh in a 50/50 before drilling the ball across the floor looking for a touch, it was Carayol who was first to the ball, touching it just wide of Andresson’s left-post.
Moments later Steve Evans’ side were in-front.
A quick-free kick from Kyle Demspey saw him tee the ball up for Carayol 25-yards, who unleashed a right-footed rocket that gave Andresson absolutely no chance in the Shrimps goal.
With plenty of time left on the clock, Stephen Robison’s men set about finding a way into this one.
A through ball from Adam Phillips on the 11th minute found Arthur Gnahoua in space just outside of the Gills’ box, his touch and shot was well held by Jason Cumming on this occasion.
Four minutes before the half-hour mark, we were level.
A fizzed ball into the path of Stockton by Leigh was picked up by the big man who went about pulling Morecambe back level, and that’s exactly what he did.
In the same style he when he netted the opener against Ipswich Town in the first game of the season, the Shrimps number nine ran through the Gills defence before firing across goal into the bottom left-corner of Cumming’s goal.
The rest of the first-half was a midfield battle with neither side testing each respective goalkeeper.
Half-time: Gillingham 1-1 Morecambe
The gaffer decided to bring Wes McDonald on at the break replacing on-loan Rangers man Josh McPake.
It was the substitute who had the first meaningful effort of the second period, his dancing feet saw him advance into the box but his effort was well over Cumming’s goal.
The visitors continued on their assault of the home side’s goal with Stockton next to try his luck.
Similar to the goal that saw Morecambe equalise, Stockton with his back to goal held up the ball before spinning defender Jack Tucker, but it was not the same outcome on this occasion unfortunately, with the strikers effort going just wide.
On the 78th minute the game changed again, after a long-throw into the box found the feet of Danny Lloyd, he was adjudged to have been fouled from behind by referee Tom Nield, in turn handing the home side to potentially take the initiative from the spot.
Oliver stepped up and his spot-kick went straight down the middle beating Andresson who had dived to his left in the Morecambe goal.
Full-time: Gillingham 2-1 Morecambe
We are back on home soil on Tuesday evening as we host Sky Bet Championship side Preston North End in Round Two of the Carabao Cup.
Gillingham: Cunningham, Jackson, O’Keefe, Ehmer, Tucker, Dempsey (c), Reeves (Lee 63’), McKenzie, Adshead (Lloyd 51’), Oliver, Carayol.
Unused subs: Chapman, Bennett, Lintott, Akehusrt
Goals: Carayol 4’, Oliver 79’
Bookings: None
Red cards: None
Morecambe: Andresson, Leigh, O’Connor, Lavelle (c), Jones (McLoughlin 69’) , Diagouraga, Stockton, McPake (McDonald 46’), Phillips (Duffus 81’), Conney, Gnahoua.
Unused subs: Roche, Delaney, McCalmont, Wootton.
Goals: Stockton 26’
Bookings: Cooney 46’
Red cards: None