Chris Whelpdale celebrates after scoring Gillingham's fifth goal with Lewis Montrose Picture: Barry Goodwin

by Luke Cawdell

Gillingham returned to winning ways in style after hitting five past Torquay.

A first half double from Jo Kuffour was cancelled out inside the opening six minutes of the second half as Torquay stormed back into the match.

A Luke Rooney penalty restored Gillingham’s lead before the hour and he set up the fourth for Frank Nouble.

Chris Whelpdale wrapped things up with a stunning fifth as he lobbed the keeper from the edge of the area in the final minute.

Gillingham took just six minutes to go ahead when Matt Lawrence’s header was taken down by Kuffour on his chest, leaving the defence flat-footed, and enabling him to drive the ball into the bottom corner.

Torquay had plenty of the ball in the opening half, but their best efforts came from distance, with both Lee Mansell and Billy Bodin being denied by saves from Gills keeper Ross Flitney.

Bodin, on loan from Swindon, looked a threat in the opening 45 minutes but the Gills managed to keep a clean sheet until the break.

The home side did have the ball in the back of the net just after the half hour, through Taiwo Atieno, but he was adjudged to be offside after getting to the ball first after Flitney had parried a shot from Danny Stevens.

Torquay’s hopes of getting back in the game faded when a Gillingham set-piece led to Kuffour netting his second against a side where he spent four seasons between 2002 and 2006.

Martin had laid a free-kick back to Luke Rooney and his inviting cross was whipped in behind the defence and Kuffour only had to tap home at the far post.

Only a goal-line clearance from Torquay defender Brian Saah prevented Rooney from adding a third before the break.

Just two minutes into the second half Torquay pulled a goal back when Eunan O’Kane’s corner was headed home by Chris Robertson.

With 51 minutes on the clock Gills’ lead was wiped out when Stevens ran in on goal and swept a shot past Flitney. It took the Gills just four minutes to regain the advantage.

Kuffour was pulled down in the box by O’Kane and Rooney stepped up to convert the penalty. It was Gillingham’s sixth penalty of the season and the fifth to have been converted.

A fourth goal for the Gills arrived on 78 minutes when Rooney cut out Kevin Nicholson’s cross and ran almost the full length of the pitch before picking out Nouble who drilled a shot into the bottom corner.

That goal knocked the stuffing out of Torquay and the Gills hit a fifth in the final minute when Whelpdale picked up the ball on the corner of the area and sent it flying over keeper Bobby Olejnik and into the far corner.

Gills: Flitney, Fish, Martin, Lawrence, Richards, Montrose, Whelpdale (Evans 90mins), Weston, Rooney, Nouble, Kuffour (S Payne 86mins). Subs: Davies, Essam, Gazzaniga.

Torquay: Olejnik, Oastler, Nicholson, Robertson, Saah, Mansell, O’Kane, Bodin, Stevens, Howe, Atieno (Halpin 75mins). Subs: Ellis, Rice, McPhee, Lathrope.

Attendance: 2,582

What do you think of Gillingham's comeback and the contribution of Jo Kuffour? WIll Danny Kedwell fit back into the side when he;s back from injury? Have your say below.