Gillingham brushed aside Bristol Rovers at Priestfield with a ruthless display in League 2.

Saturday’s win extended Gills’ unbeaten run in all competitions to eight games.

First-half goals from Lewis Montrose and Danny Kedwell, from the spot, gave the Gills a healthy advantage but Mustapha Carayol brought Rovers back into the game on 51 minutes.

Danny Jackman replied with a third for the hosts before Rovers’ Cian Bolger was sent off, for a foul in the box, and Kedwell smashed in goal number four.

Gillingham, watched by a season-best crowd of 7,750, scored at either end of the first half to give themselves a comfortable lead to take into the interval.

A lively start saw both teams come out of the traps quickly but it was the Gills who scored an early opener when Jackman’s cross was nodded home by Montrose. The midfielder found himself with plenty of space in the box to pick his spot and guide his header past keeper Scott Bevan.

Frank Nouble was looking bright in attack for the Gills in what was his last game of a three-month loan spell from West Ham. He toe-poked an effort narrowly wide as the home side continued to boss the game.

Rovers hit back briefly and Jackman was called upon to head a dangerous cross clear, but keeper Ross Flitney ended the first half without a shot to save.

There were five minutes of first-half injury time as both teams lost their respective captains to injury. Byron Anthony walked off with concussion and Gills’ Andy Frampton made an early exit after struggling with what looked like a pre-existing injury.

During the additional time, the Gills doubled their tally. Montrose was fouled in the box and Danny Kedwell stepped up to score his eighth goal of the season and fifth from the penalty spot.

With six minutes of the second half played, Rovers halved the deficit when Charlie Lee’s mis-cued clearance fell to winger Carayol. He ran in on goal and scuffed a low shot past Flitney.

The Gills had to soak up more early second-half pressure but came close to adding a third themselves, through Curtis Weston, with a shot that he dragged just the wrong side of the post.

Any fears the Gills had were hushed on 57 minutes when Bevan parried a Nouble shot into the path of Jackman and he smashed the ball home into the bottom corner.

Kedwell converted his second penalty of the afternoon with 72 minutes gone after Weston had been fouled in the area by Bolger. The Rovers man was sent-off for the challenge.

Jackman saw a cross come off the bar and Kedwell smashed a shot narrowly over as the Rovers backline looked stretched.

Flitney was forced into making his first save with 84 minutes on the clock when he had to palm away Craig Stanley’s deflected shot.

Gillingham: Flitney, Martin, Lee (Fish 78mins), Frampton (Lawrence 40mins), Richards, J Payne, Jackman, Montrose, Weston (Whelpdale 81mins), Kedwell, Nouble. Subs not used: S Payne, Gazzaniga.

Bristol Rovers: Bevan, Sawyer, Woodards, Stanley, Carayol, Brown, Anthony (Bolger 35mins), Anyinsah (Norburn 81mins), Richards, Zebroski (Harrold 78mins), Dorman. Subs not used: Smith, Goddard.

Attendance: 7,750.

Picture: Danny Kedwell celebrates after scoring the second penalty by Barry Goodwin