Danny Kedwell celebrates his first Gillingham goal Picture: Barry Goodwin

by Luke Cawdell

Danny Kedwell converted two penalties and Luke Rooney hit a fine solo goal as Andy Hessenthaler’s Gillingham maintained their unbeaten start to the League 2 campaign.

Kedwell opened his account for the Gills from the penalty spot to give his hometown side the lead at Priestfield against Plymouth in the second half.

Plymouth were reduced to 10 men as a result of the penalty, as Ben Gibson went for a second booking, and the win was made safe following a stunning goal by substitute Rooney as he smashed an effort in off the underside of the bar.

Kedwell made it 3-0, again from the penalty spot, to cap the victory off.

Chances for both teams were at a premium in the opening half with neither keeper finding themselves over-worked. In the second half Plymouth barely got a sniff of the Gillingham goal as the hosts dominated.

The Gills, with Curtis Weston operating up-front alongside Danny Kedwell, made a lively start but that soon fizzled out by the break. The home side’s chief tormentor in the early stages Charlie Lee was kicked into submission and he looked to be struggling from a foul committed against him on 18 minutes.

Lee was operating down the right flank while Danny Spiller took up duties on the left.

It was the visitors who came closest to finding the net in the first 45 minutes when Warren Feeney’s cross was smashed narrowly wide, with the aid of a deflection, by Luke Daley.

Conor Hourihane also sliced a good chance wide for Argyle while at the other end the Lee put an effort the wrong side of the post after capitalising on some indecisive defending from Stephane Zubar.

The Gills attacked straight from the whistle in the second half, again making the early running, and Matt Lawrence was only denied by the crossbar as he got his head on the end of a Spiller corner.

Kedwell almost got off the mark with a volley on the hour which keeper Romain Larrieu did well to tip round the post. From the resulting corner Lawrence headed narrowly over.

Gills boss Hessenthaler swapped things around in attack with Dennis Oli introduced to play alongside Kedwell in attack. Rooney, back from a three game suspension, added extra energy on the left of midfield while Weston went to the right..

Gillingham’s second half domination was rewarded when on 74 minutes but confusion reigned before Kedwell tucked away from the penalty spot after Ben Gibson had been penalised for a handball.

Weston had actually scored from the move, despite Gibson’s interception, but the linesman had already flagged for a penalty. To the delight of the Gills fans Kedwell converted to avoid any later arguments.

It was a double blow for the visitors as Gibson’s booking for the handball, following an earlier caution for a foul, saw him making a lonely early exit.

Lee almost doubled the advantage with a vicious drive on the volley but somehow Durrell Berry managed to clear from off the line.

It was Rooney who blasted in the second with four minutes to go. He burst into the box, held off his marker, and drove an unstoppable shot in off the bar to seal the points for the home side.

Kedwell put the icing on the cake with his second from the penalty spot in injury time, tucking away into the opposite corner of the goal, after Lee had been fouled in the box by Curtis Nelson.

Gills: Flitney, Fuller, Lawrence, Frampton, Martin, J Payne, Weston (Jackman 87mins), Lee, Montrose (Rooney 60mins), Spiller (Oli 60mins), Kedwell. Subs not used: Richards, Jackman, Gazzaniga.

Plymouth: Larrieu, Berry, Zubar, Nelson, Daley (LeCointe 78mins), Walton, Feeney, Soukouna, Gibson, Hourihane, Atkinson. Subs not used: Cole, Hitchcock, Copp, Young.

Attendance: 5,053

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