Adebayo Akinfenwa got off the mark for the Gills in a tough pre-season test for the Gills.

Martin Allen’s men conceded three times in the first half hour of their pre-season friendly against Championship side Millwall.

Gillingham pulled one back late on with a headed goal from Adebayo Akinfenwa.

Steve Morison had put Millwall ahead with just seven minutes gone. He doubled his and Millwall’s advantage 10 minutes later, after the ball ran into his path, following Amine Linganzi’s attempted pass back to keeper Stuart Nelson.

Linganzi was making his first appearance for the Gills at Priestfield and he showed some brief glimpses of quality on what was a difficult afternoon for Allen’s League 1 side.

Allen retained much of the players in his starting XI that had kicked off their midweek clash against Ipswich.

Morison came close to adding a third, with 24 minutes gone, as he beat Matt Fish to the ball from Liam Feeney’s flick-on. The ball sailed just wide.

But it wasn’t long before Nelson was beaten again. Millwall had been slick in attack all half and Andy Keogh nodded in a third after he and Morison passed their way through the Gills defence.

Before those goals the Gills had twice threatened to break through Millwall’s back-line, with balls forward from Nelson. Defender Mark Beevers did just enough to deny Cody McDonald with one chance and big centre back Danny Shittu headed another chance clear.

Visiting keeper David Forde finished the half without making a save. A dipping shot from Matt Fish, from the wing, was as close as the Gills got to goal.

Nelson made a good save early in the second half to deny James Henry. The Millwall man got in on goal after closing down Fish’s attempted clearance.

A rare chance at the other end saw Chris Whelpdale smash a volleyed effort, off Bradley Dack’s corner, into a sparsely populated Rainham End. Whelpdale also found the side-netting with an hour gone after Dack’s free-kick was blocked.

Millwall continued to pose problems, even after mass changes on the hour, with Jermaine Easter rattling the Gills bar with 20 minutes to go.

The Gills made six changes with 15 minutes left and soon after pulled a goal back. Kane Haysman sent Joe Martin down the flank and from his cross Akinfenwa was there to send the ball back over keeper Forde and into the net.

One of those coming on for the Gills was former Stevenage defender Bondz N’Gala. The big defender, on trial at Priestfield, slotted in at right-back for the final few minutes.

Gillingham finished the game well, with the young substitutes giving Millwall plenty to think about and Akinfenwa unsettling the defenders.

Gillingham: Nelson, Fish (Haysman 74mins), Martin, Legge (N’Gala 74mins), Barrett, Gregory (Muggleton 74mins), Dack (Allen 60mins), Linganzi (Davies 74mins), Whelpdale (Hessenthaler 74mins), Kedwell (Akinfenwa 74mins), McDonald (German 60mins). Sub not used: Gowans.

Millwall: Forde, Malone (Robinson 63mins), Wright (Dunne 46mins), Shittu (Osborne 63mins), Feeney (McManus 86mins), Henry (Woolford 63mins), Abdou, Beevers (Chaplow 63mins), Smith (Shorey 63mins), Keogh (Easter 46mins), Morison (N’Guessan 63mins). Sub not used: Bywater.