Bradford City 4 Gillingham 2

GILLINGHAM'S away day blues continued as they let slip a two-goal lead before going down to a 4-2 defeat at Valley Parade on Saturday.

The Gills got off to the perfect start when they took the lead after just six minutes.

The creator was Matt Jarvis whose excellent run down the left was matched by his cross which allowed Mark Bentley to notch his first goal for the club.

And it was 2-0 inside 15 minutes as things got better and better for the visitors.

The referee played a good advantage allowing Jarvis to find skipper Michael Flynn who unleashed an unstoppable 25-yarder that went in off the underside of the crossbar.

But the home side gave themselves a lifeline right on the stroke of half-time when centre-back Mark Bower netted from a corner.

Kelvin Jack kept the Gills in front soon after half-time when he turned away Marc Bridge-Wilkinson's effort and Danny Jackman had to clear off his own goal-line.

But Bradford were level just after the hour mark when Dean Windass made no mistake from the rebound after his initial penalty had been blocked by Jack. The spot kick had been awarded for a push by Bentley on Windass.

And there was time for the sting in the tail that the Gills dreaded when Windass completed the comeback with the winner in the 82nd minute.

It was a fine finish from the experienced striker after he had peeled off well in the Gillingham penalty area.

Jermaine Johnson broke away in stoppage time to rub salt into the wounds.

Gillingham: Jack, Jupp, Sancho, Cox, Jackman, Bentley, Crofts (Pouton 85), Flynn, Jarvis, McDonald (Ndumbu-Nsungu 64), Mulligan (Spiller 86).
Subs not used: Johnson, Easton.
Attendance: 7,807.

* See Monday's Medway Messenger for all the action and reaction from Valley Parade.