Crewe 4 Gillingham 1

GILLINGHAM’S abysmal run on their travels sank to new depths at a dreary Gresty Road as they were stuffed by fellow strugglers Crewe.

Andy Hessenthaler's side were dealt a lesson in finishing as Dean Ashton and co turned an evenly contested match into a rout.

The difference in class where it mattered showed as The Railwaymen took full advantage of some shoddy defending to lift themselves clear of the relegation scrap.

Gills were unlucky to lose by such a heavy margin, but were guilty of giving a far superior attacking side too much space which was used to deadly effect.

Darius Henderson's headed consolation was sandwiched in-between four superbly taken goals from David Vaughan, Steve Jones and a brace from Dean Ashton.

Despite only being the middle of November this game was being billed as a must win match that neither side could afford to lose as the gap between the comfort zone grows wider by the week.

Gills had made two changes to their starting eleven from the previous week, with Darren Byfield back after missing the last four games with a knee injury, together with John Robinson.

Byfield's return was much needed as Gills had gone 5 hours and 41 minutes since their last goal.

Both sides went into the clash with dreadful defensive records and from the off it looked as if Crewe were there for the taking as they looked nervy and indecisive at the back.

A first minute header at the far post from Henderson went narrowly wide as Gillingham tried to make the most of Crewe's generous hospitality.

Byfield's moment to mark his return came as Henderson turned provider to put his strike-partner clean through on goal, only for a poor first touch taking him into an impossible angle, from where he could only clip the bar.

Crewe were not a team to waste their chances and after 35 minutes David Vaughan started and finished an interchange with Anthony Tonkin before slamming home the opener as Gills defence were left wide open.

The home side finished the half well on top, with Gills best effort again falling to Byfield, but once more the striker fluffed his chance as the ball got lost between his sparkling white boots, whilst Dean Marney's long range effort was thwarted by Clayton Ince.

The second half had more to offer as both sides went on the offensive, but it was Crewe who again did the business.

Ashton put them two ahead as Kenny Lunt's free-kick on the edge of the area found the clubs top-scorer who picked his spot and drilled the ball past Brown.

A Gills fight-back looked on the cards with just over quarter of an hour remaining as Spiller's long cross from the right found Henderson who leapt to head home a powerful finish.

But it was Crewe again that had the master-class in attack as Ashton grabbed his second as he fired in after Lunt once again found him in space with ten minutes left.

The misery for 373 travelling fans was complete in the last minute as substitute Steve Jones latched onto Vaughan's pass and within seconds of coming on had polished off a resounding victory for Dario Gradi's side.

Gillingham: Brown; Rose, Hope, Nosworthy, Marney (Jarvis, 71 mins); Crofts, Smith, Spiller, Robinson (T. Johnson, 48 mins); Byfield, Henderson. Subs Not Used: Banks, L. Johnson, Sidibe.

Attendance: 6,128.