Gillingham 0 – 2 Nottingham Forest

GILLINGHAM got off to the worst possible start when they went behind inside eight minutes.

Forest dangerman Kris Commons played in David Johnson, who found himself all alone against Gills keeper Jason Brown and made no mistake in slotting the ball home from the edge of the box.

The home side struggled to get the ball out of their own half early on and Forest continued to threaten.

The visitors doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time when Scott Dobie was left unchallenged to sidefoot home a Commons corner.

Ian Cox was lucky to escape a red card in the build up after he brought down Dobie on the edge of the penalty area.

The best chance for the home side fell to new striker Steve Hislop, but his header skewed just wide of Paul Gerrard’s post.

There is plenty for Neale Cooper to ponder at the break

Gillingham: Brown, Rose, Cox, Hope, Jackman, Hessenthaler, Flynn, Crofts, Jarvis, Byfield, Hislop. Subs: Knowles, Sancho, Corneille, Shields, Ashikodi.