Gillingham clinched a late win at Canvey Island on Saturday.

Jake Hessenthaler slotted home for the Gills with just four minutes left at the Frost Financial Stadium.

Both teams had good chances to score before Hessenthaler finally broke the deadlock late on.

Gillingham named a young defence for the match, including second year scholar Ryan Huckle.

Head coach Ady Pennock stuck with a 3-5-2 formation, with Bradley Garmston and Elliot List out wide and Ben Chapman sitting infront of the defence.

Midfielders Jake Hessenthaler and Josh Wright were the two players with experience in the Gills team for what was their final pre-season match.

Canvey, who were relegated into Bostick North last season, provided a competitive test for Pennock’s young team. Among the crowd watching was Gills director of football Peter Taylor who began his footballing career at the club before moving onto Southend United.

Gills’ best chance of the first half was headed over the bar from a Finn O’Mara cross by Hessenthaler. It was a great turn from Chapman that opened up the space.

Liam Nash and Hessenthaler had both glanced earlier efforts wide but it was the hosts who had the better opportunities, several of which fell to striker Callum Ibe.

He fired one chance over off a nod-down from former Gills striker James Walker. Ibe was later denied by Huckle’s excellent last-gasp block as he looked to roll the ball home.

Wright was picked out in a good position early on in the second half by Hessenthaler but the shot went over. Another chance for Wright was blocked by Albert Levett.

Huckle had a busy afternoon at the back for Gills and found himself in the referee’s notebook following a heavy challenge on Sam Collins.

Substitute Bradley Stevenson got in on goal for the Gills, latching onto a poor back-pass and doing well to take the ball around covering defender Ashley Dumas, but he couldn’t beat keeper Conor Gough.

Gills keeper Stuart Nelson – still hoping to keep Tomas Holy out of the team next weekend - made a great save late on to deny David Knight from close-range after he was picked out by Teddy Nesbitt.

It was a Wright-Hessenthaler combination that led to the winning goal. Both players had been in the thick of the goalmouth action all afternoon and it was a one-two move between the pair that finally unlocked the Canvey defence, with Hessenthaler tucking the ball home for Gillingham.

Gillingham: Nelson, O’Mara, Tucker, Huckle, Hessenthaler, Chapman (Oldaker 64mins), Wright, List (Simpson 64mins), Garmston, Nash (Mbo 64mins), Cundle (Stevenson 64mins). Sub not used: Hadler.

Canvey Island: Gough, Pitty, Nesbitt, Levett (Lacey 70mins), Sheehan, Dumas, Gilbey, Merrifield, Walker, Ibe (Knight 62mins), Collins (Hirst 88mins).