Millwall 2 Gillingham 1

GILLINGHAM slumped to their sixth straight league defeat and left their supporters frustrated as they lost 2-1 to Millwall at the New Den on Tuesday night.

Two first half strikes did the damage. Despite a brave fightback in the second half and a wonderful goal from Adam Nowland it wasn’t enough.

Gillingham had made a host of changes in a desperate bid to halt their losing streak, but found themselves two goals down at the break.

The second half saw Gills up the tempo with Nowland blasting in from 35 yards after Nicky Southall had laid off a short free kick, but they just couldn’t find an equaliser.

First half goals from Barry Hayles and Alan Dunne gave Andy Hessenthaler’s side a mountain to climb in the second period.

Millwall had their visitors on the back foot for much of the opening half, and despite looking shaky at the back, the front line were able to wreak havoc among Gills' nervous looking back four.

The home side had looked threatening from the off, and Leon Johnson gifted Jo Tessem a great chance inside the first couple of minutes, but could only hit a shot straight at Steve Banks when clean through.

Gills had a couple of chances early on to score, with Hessenthaler cursing his luck after fluffing a chance from 10 yards out.

The Lions lost the service of their keeper Graham Stack after just 16 minutes, when Patrick Agyemang caught him in the face with a stud. The Arsenal loanee was replaced by Andy Marshall.

Hayles finally broke the deadlock on 32 minutes, scoring on his first start for the club, as he found space on the edge of the box and drilled in a well placed shot past the diving Banks.

Once more Banks was beaten just 11 minutes later. This time a sublime through ball from Jody Morris split the defence apart, allowing Dunne to stroke home the Lions second.

Gills left the field for half-time deflated but within two minutes of the restart were right back in the match as they pulled a goal back.

Substitute Nicky Southall, on for Leon Johnson, rolled a free-kick into the path of Nowland who, from 35 yards out, blasted past Marshall.

Gillingham fought for every ball in the remaining minutes but, despite all their efforts, they were unable to find a decisive second with Southall pulling a shot agonisingly wide with virtually the last kick of the game.

Gills: Banks, Nosworthy, Cox, Hessenthaler (Pouton 71), Agyemang (Byfield 62), L Johnson (Southall HT), Rose, Spiller, Nowland, Sidibe, Robinson. Subs Not Used: Brown, Henderson.

Millwall: Stack (Marshall 16), Lawrence, Tessem, Livermore, Ward, Simpson (Cogan 72), Wise (Serioux 65), Morris, Hayles, Elliott, Dunne. Subs Not Used: Harris, McCammon.

As he told KM-fm, Gillingham's assistant manager John Gorman felt the scoreline was an unfair reflection of the game...