Gillingham 3 Rotherham 1

“NOT a bad looking ground this," commented one Rotherham fan. Not a bad looking team I bet they thought as they left the Priestfield.

Stan Ternent has already made his mark on a Gills side that were struggling for confidence and form, for on Saturday his team played patient football that was finally rewarded.

The only cause for concern was the forward line could not manage to find the target, fortunately a defender, a winger and one of the opposition could.

This game was massive. One where the term six-pointer does not do enough to cover it. Quite simply, this was a game where relegation was more than a distinct possibility for the loser.

It took rock-bottom Rotherham 21 games to register their first win of the season - 1-0 at home to Leeds. They never looked like getting a second on their travels to Kent.

In a lively start the visitors forced the first corner in the second minute and Paul McLaren's deep ball found Jamal Campbell-Ryce, but Nicky Southall stopped his dangerous run with a fine tackle.

A minute later Gills won a corner of their own, but Southall disappointingly curled the ball straight into the arms of Mike Pollitt.

The former Gills stopper then showed quick feet to gather a Mamady Sidibe glancing header, which had it had more power would have certainly been the opening goal on eight minutes.

A brave Alan Pouton header earned the home side a free-kick 25-yards out, but the five-man wall stood up well to Southall's weak, low drive.

Not surprisingly for players in relegation-threatened teams, few had the confidence to go past players. The Millers' Campbell-Ryce threatened to do so down the right wing on occasions, but John Hills was equal to the challenge.

The confidence to shoot on target was also sadly lacking in both teams in an edgy first half.

Sidibe wasted a glorious chance when he picked up the ball wide on the right. With Darren Byfield and Pouton racing into space for simple tap-ins he failed to get his pass past the only defender.

In a good spell, Ashby hit the post, and another free-kick in a great position was laid off to Hills, but his thunderbolt was quickly closed down.

Campbell-Ryce showed a neat piece of trickery to get past both Hills and Hope, but for a second time he seemed caught in two minds between a cross and shot and Paul Gallacher was able to claim comfortably.

Gills had a shout for a penalty turned down in the 36th minute when Byfield tumbled over a clumsy challenge by the goalkeeper, but his run was deemed to have been offside.

Just two minutes later, Byfield and the rest of the Priestfield were amazed when referee Rob Styles failed to point to the spot after what looked a blatant shove.

The second half started with Gills still forcing the issue. A surging run by Hills saw Byfield twice lay the ball off right to Southall but his shot with the outside of his boot skewed into the side netting on 50 minutes.

With Rotherham changing their formation, going with three up front, Gills found the space in midfield to attack with more fluidity and a great Pouton cross saw Byfield just fail to connect with a flying header.

Gills' superior possession finally told, but it needed defender Hope to finally get the ball in the net with a perfect header that looped over Pollitt's fingertips.

Byfield almost doubled the score three minutes later, but alert defending from Millers' skipper Martin McIntosh kept Rotherham in the game.

The visitors were rocking and Gills went in for the kill, but again the forward's final touch was lacking until substitute winger Matty Jarvis let fly with a sensational first time shot that was going nowhere but in the back of the net.

Ten minutes left and the visitors finally came alive, but with their best move of the game they managed to miss twice. Substitute Andy Monkhouse shot straight at Nosworthy with the goal wide open and Junior put the rebound the wrong side of the post from one yard.

Gills could even afford a terrible miscue from Southall in the six-yard box, before substitute Will Hoskins scored a cracker at the death.

Immediately after, Andy Hessenthaler came on to a rousing reception for his first appearance since stepping down as manager.

After a strong tackle on the edge of his own box, his superb running down the field helped lead to a freak own goal by Paolo Vernazza under pressure from Sidibe with the final touch of a highly entertaining second half.

It is an understatement to say Gills needed these three points. They got them, and more than that must have gained great confidence from the way they battled and the kind of belief that may just see them stay up.

Gillingham: Gallacher, Nosworthy, Ashby, Hope, Hills, Southall, Smith, Pouton, Crofts (Jarvis 69), Byfield (Hessenthaler 89), Sidibe. Subs Not Used: Bossu, Cox, Bodkin.

Attendance: 8,576.