Cody McDonald celebrates getting on the scoresheet against Rotherham Picture: Barry Goodwin

by Alex Hoad

Gillingham reached their highest League 2 position of the season with a 3-1 home win over promotion rivals Rotherham United at Priestfield on Tuesday night.

Cody McDonald made it 17 league goals for the season with another double, while sub Dennis Oli added a late third as Gills moved up to sixth.

Ryan Taylor drove a low shot from 20 yards wide of Gills keeper Alan Julian’s left post on four minutes but within a minute the Gills were in front.

Curtis Weston flicked a goalkick into the path of McDonald who outstripped the Millers defence before firing low under Andy Warrington for his 16th goal of the campaign.

However the visitors took less than a minute to equalise, Garry Richards being penalised for a foul 25 yards from goal and Nicky Law curling a sublime free-kick round the wall and to the left of the motionless Julian.

Gills defender Matt Lawrence was forced off with a thigh strain midway through the first half and was replaced by Simon King, who received a rapturous reception on his return following almost two years on the sidelines.

A turning point arrived in the 29th minute when Kevin Maher chipped a ball over the top for Curtis Weston who touched the ball inside Tom Newey before poking his toe out in an attempt to beat sliding keeper Warrington to the ball.

However, he caught Warrington and the woozy 34-year-old was forced off with blood coming from a head wound.

His replacement, 22-year-old Jamie Annerson, hadn’t touched the ball in open play before he had to pick it out of the net on 36 minutes.

McDonald outmuscled Jonny Mullins on the left before turning the defender inside out and lashing past Annerson from a tight angle.

McDonald blazed over an open goal just after the hour and was foiled by Annerson when clean through moments later.

He spurned another chance to complete his hat-trick, sending a downward header over the bar from Weston’s cross while Jack Payne sent a header over.

At the other end Law was denied a second on 75 minutes when his left-foot volley was superbly turned round the post by Julian at the far post, while Le Fondre went close with a speculative shot over his shoulder from the resulting corner.

Five minutes from time Ryan Taylor’s low shot from a corner was parried by Julian and Le Fondre somehow blazed the rebound over the open goal from six yards, despite frenzied appeals for handball against John Nutter.

The killer third finally arrived three minutes from time when Akinfenwa battled for possession in the Millers box and Oli rammed in off the post from six yards at the second attempt after Annerson had blocked his initial effort.

Gillingham: Julian, Fuller, Nutter, Weston (Oli 84mins), Richards (King 25mins), Maher, McDonald, Lawrence, Jackman (Bentley 90mins), Akinfenwa, Payne. Subs: Cronin, Rooney, S Payne, Miller.

Rotherham: Warrington (Annerson 30mins), Tonge, Newey, Fenton, Mullins (Ashworth 71mins), Law, Taylor, Marshall (Randall 46mins), Le Fondre, Taylor, Moore. Subs: Green, Ashworth, Harrison, Ellison, Bradley.

Attendance: 4,924