Gillingham produced an encouraging performance to defeat Championship side Watford at Priestfield on Saturday.

The Gills were forced to defend early on against their higher-league opponents but took a 27th-minute lead through trialist Euan Williams, an attacking midfielder released by Charlton this summer. A superb Jack Nolan goal doubled the home side’s advantage.

The game against Watford came a week after the Gills played out a goalless draw with another Championship side, Millwall. Unlike the previous game, this one wasn’t short of goalscoring chances at both ends.

Gillingham included several youth players in their squad for the match with first-teamers Jonny Williams, Armani Little and Ethan Coleman among those not involved.

Youth-team right-back Harry Webster and midfielder Harry Waldock both started against the Championship opponents.

Transfer-listed pair George Lapslie and Ashley Nadesan weren’t selected either. There was a new trialist in Euan Williams wearing the 39 shirt for the Gills, with West Ham’s Kamarai Simon-Swyer not involved.

Watford got stuck in traffic ahead of the game which meant a slightly delayed kick-off and they named a strong team for the pre-season fixture.

Webster impressed against Millwall the previous week and looked at ease again, up against the lively Ken Sema. The Gills spent the first 10 minutes defending but it was Webster and Joe Gbode who combined to get the home side to make their first foray forward.

The Gills attacked soon after down the left side and Nevitt’s ball in for the trialist almost produced an opener but the shot was dragged wide.

Tom Dele-Bashiru’s defence-splitting pass for Ryan Andrews forced Gills keeper Glenn Morris into a save and the former fired wide himself from distance in what was a bright start to the game. Rocco Vatta had a couple of opportunities, missing the target with both.

It was Gillingham’s trialist who opened the scoring, shooting across keeper Daniel Bachmann into the far side after a quickly-taken free-kick caught the Watford defence napping.

The busy trialist shot wide again with half an hour gone.

Gills’ young defender Webster made several timely challenges - and also managed to clear the Medway Stand with a clearance - as he kept Sema at arm’s length with a terrific display.

Watford deserved a goal with the amount of pressure being put on the Gills goal but the home side continued to deny them. Harry Waldock cleared one chance off the line and Vatta hit the wall from a free-kick.

There were nine changes for the Gills at the break with their trialist goalscorer and Robbie McKenzie the only players remaining to start the second half.

Jack Nolan forced visiting keeper Bachmann into a good save early after the restart when his free-kick almost doubled the advantage. It was Josh Andrews who had won the free-kick, proving too much of a handful for the defender to deal with without fouling.

Watford’s Francisco Sierralta picked up a booking - a rarity for a friendly - after hauling Jayden Clarke down mid-flow. Tim Dieng bent the free-kick wide of the mark.

With 68 minutes played the Gills doubled their lead, Nolan running at the defence and with a drop of the shoulder created an opening and he found the bottom corner.

Gbode got extra minutes after replacing Andrews in the second half and he ended up in the book along with Watford’s Antonio Tikvic after they got embroiled in an off-the-ball tussle late on.

Ryan Andrews came close to a stoppage-time goal for Watford with a vicious strike that Jake Turner needed to get a hand to.

Gillingham (First Half): Morris, Webster, Ehmer, Masterson, Clark, McKenzie, Waldock, Gbode, Trialist, Rowe, Nevitt.

Gillingham (Second Half): Turner, Hutton, Gale, Ogie, Hawkins, Dieng, McKenzie (Skipper 61mins), Nolan, Clarke, Andrews (Gbode 74mins), Trialist (Bridle 61mins).

Watford: Bachmann, Pollock, Sierralta (Abbott 74mins), Porteous (Ince 46mins), Andrews, Sema (Rajovic 61mins), Sissoko (Tikvic 46mins), Kayembe, Dele-Bashiru (Louza 61mins), Baah (Bayo 61mins), Vata (Ngakia 61mins) Subs not used: Bond, Macaulay, Morris, Grieves.

Referee: Sebastian Stockbridge

Attendance: 2,922 (438 away)