Gillingham stopped the rot with a well-earned win at Accrington Stanley on Saturday.

Kyle Dempsey struck to put the Gills deservedly ahead just before the break and that goal was enough to claim maximum points, despite a better showing from the home side after the turnaround.

Midweek loan signings Olly Lee and Callum Slattery both started for the Gills and helped claim a much-needed win against an Accrington who were sitting sixth in the League 1 table before kick-off.

Both keepers were called into action early, Jack Bonham saving well from the home side’s leading scorer Dion Charles before Nathan Baxter pulled off an equally good block to deny Gills' Alex MacDonald.

Minutes later Baxter was there again when MacDonald tired his luck from the edge of the box, tipping the deflected effort wide with a flying save.

Gillingham dominated the half, with Accrington having to make do with just a couple advances forward. Bonham came out to deal with a break from Charles while Seamus Conneely fired over for the home side.

The Gills were continually knocking on the door and the breakthrough finally came in the first minute of stoppage time, Graham playing the ball in for MacDonald and when he played the ball out to the edge of the box, Gills skipper Dempsey bent his first time effort past the keeper for his fourth of the season.

Gillingham had won on their previous two visits to the Wham Stadium and were looking good at the break.

Accrington almost levelled shortly after the restart, however, when Michael Nottingham powered a header against the crossbar from a corner. Cameron Burgess headed over from another corner moments later.

Dempsey went looking for the top corner again on the hour mark but Baxter stretched to make a save.

The home side were more of a threat second half and it needed a good clearance from Tommy O’Connor to avert the danger after Colby Bishop had put a dangerous ball into the box. Burgess had a pop from the edge of the box but was off target with 20 minutes left and Joe Pritchard saw his effort blocked.

Ryan Jackson put in a good challenge to deny Accrington substitute Ryan Cassidy and it needed a super save from Bonham to prevent Bishop from nodding home a 90th-minute equaliser from just a few yards out, spreading himself well to make the block.

Sean McConville put a free-kick over the bar with the last kick of the game and Gills headed home with three points from their ninth league win of the campaign.

Gillingham: Bonham, Jackson, O'Connor, Ogilvie, Tucker, Slattery, Dempsey, MacDonald, Lee, Graham (O'Keefe 90mins), Oliver (Akinde 84mins). Subs not used: Walsh, Willock, McKenzie, Johnson, Mellis.

Accrington: Baxter, Nottingham, Hughes, Burgess, Sykes (Cassidy 81mins), Butcher (Russell 17mins), Pritchard, McConville, Bishop, Conneely, Charles. Subs not used: Savin, Uwakwe, Barclay, Sama, Roberts.

Referee: Darren Drysdale.