Gillingham 2 - Carlisle 0

GILLINGHAM secured a comfortable three points and a rare clean sheet at home to Carlisle.

Mark Bentley and Gary Mulligan grabbed the vital goals as the Gills completed their first win of the month and their first clean sheet of the season.

A dominant first half showing from Gillingham should have seen them head into the break more than a goal to the good but had to settle for Bentley’s early strike.

The midfielder scored the opener on eight minutes, after Jarvis laid the ball off and Bentley steered a weak shot through a crowd of bodies, rolling past keeper Kieron Westwood.

Chances for Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu and Michael Flynn went begging as Gillingham failed to make the most of their domination.

Carlisle improved in the second half and Kelvin Jack, back in goal for the first time since August 12, had to tip Kevin Gall’s effort onto the bar as Gillingham began to look shaky.

Gillingham shored things up with the addition of Ben Chorley, a recent loan signing from MK Dons, and with time ticking by the home side gradually began to find their feet again.

Bentley should have added a second on 83 minutes, when he glanced a header wide with the net gaping wide open but Gills finally got the second deep into the match.

With just a minute remaining, Mulligan struck his first league goal of the season, when Jarvis pulled the ball back as Gillingham broke forward.

Gills: Jack, Jupp, Easton, Flynn, Cox, Johnson, Crofts (Chorley 73), Bentley, Mulligan (Savage 90), Ndumbu-Nsungu (Jackman 73), Jarvis. Subs Not Used: Pouton, McDonald. Att: 5,973.