Gillingham's second string suffered a 6-0 humbling at Crawley in the Totesport.com Combination Central Division at Broadfield Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

The visitors actually started brightly and Sam Fisher headed-over from close range following Chris Palmer's second-minute corner.

However the hosts grew in stature and went close on 18 minutes before taking the lead four minutes later, Michael Malcolm lobbing apprentice keeper Daran Hawkes.

It was 2-0 on 33 minutes when Town captain Adam Quinn headed in Malcolm's deep corner and the Gills' task became hard moments later when Tom Wynter (pictured) had to be substituted.

The closest the Gills came to a breakthrough was Matt Langston almost finding his own net in an attempt to clear a Fisher effort before the break.

Gills were caught napping and were 3-0 down within 30 seconds of the restart when Malcolm was sent clean through to finish with ease.

Triallist Marc Manga spurned a good chance for a consolation when he headed wide after Jack Evans had nodded Palmer's deep corner back across goal.

Hawkes produced a fine save to deny Lewis Killeen on 50 minutes but couldn't prevent Malcolm sealing his hat-trick soon after, latching onto a pass from former Gills man Barry Cogan and finishing neatly.

The fifth arrived before the hour when Eddie Hutchinson volleyed in after the Gills had failed to deal with a Cogan corner.

The final goal came on 66 minutes after Hawkes and Evans failed to clear a harmless Cogan free-kick and Danny Forrest turned in from a yard out.

Gills: Hawkes, Payne, Palmer, Yussuff, Davies, Wynter (Evans 33mins), Mitanga (Grant 46mins), Brown, Joseph, Manga (Geering 71mins), Fisher. Subs not used: Quinn, Day.