Gillingham 1 - 0 Bournemouth

GILLINGHAM deservedly lead Bournemouth at half-time through a deflected Mike Flynn free kick.

Flynn struck from 20 yards six minutes before the break after Andrew Crofts had been fouled by Steve Fletcher.

It was no more than the home side deserved after an impressive first half display.

Debutant Steve Claridge came desperately close to breaking the deadlock on 24 minutes when he was sent clean through but his shot came back off the inside of the post after he had done well to swerve around Bournemouth keeper Neil Moss.

The other veteran in the Gills line-up, Andy Hessenthaler, also came close with a downward header on the half hour mark.

All Bournemouth have to show for their attacking efforts was a Fletcher header that went wide.

Gillingham: Brown, Rose, Cox, Hope, Jackman, Hessenthaler, Flynn, Pouton, Crofts, Jarvis, Claridge. Subs: Knowles, Sancho, Spiller, Shields, Ashikodi.