Gillingham boss Mark Bonner pinpointed the things he liked best after a win at Southend United on Saturday.

It’s still work in progress for Bonner and his team but a 3-1 win at National League side Southend was another positive in a pre-season which has seen them provide plenty of promise.

Report: Southend 1 Gills 3

Jack Nolan scored twice - an opener that according to the officials crossed the line after hitting the post and another which crept in from distance as striker Marcus Wyllie looked to get on the end of it.

It was a counter-attack that Jayden Clarke finished off that Bonner really took pleasure in seeing. The Gills boss fielded a senior side from the off for an hour before introducing plenty of young players for the final 30.

Following the win, he said: “The last 30 was a lot different and they (Southend) were the same really, they made a lot of changes on 70-75 minutes and the game then became a bit of a non-event really.

“The first hour we looked good when it was counter-attacking phases but we spent too long without the ball and didn’t use the ball well enough.

“They played well, with a nice structure and are a team that has been together for a while. They were good.

“It was like three minutes of action where the goals happened either side of half-time. I am not even sure the first one was a goal.

“The second was a brilliant counter-attack from us and the third one (scored by Southend) was hopeless from us. A strange few minutes.

“There were good minutes for people, lots of them that needed it on a very long, slow pitch.

“It wasn’t a quality game, there were a lot of technical errors from us but there were a few bits to like.

“Our best bits were in counter attacking phases at the moment but we have a lot of work to do in other areas.”

Commenting on the goals, he said: “First goal I thought it was given as a free-kick for something, but I wasn’t really sure, and then I looked up and we’re going back to the centre. I couldn’t really work out what happened.

“It was a decent move for us, it’s come off the post I think and I guess they said it crossed the line.

“You can’t see on the video whether it had. The reaction sometimes (says what happened) and it probably didn’t (cross the line).

“The second one where Jayden collects, and then plays through to Marcus, he plays it through to Jayden and he finishes, it was a really good goal.

“We were better in the 15 minutes of the second half, more of the ball and better shape, and a fair few more entries into the attacking third.

“The 30 seconds after the start of the second half (conceding on 46 minutes) was everything you don’t want but probably a bit in line with some of the performance throughout, a bit flat, a bit lacking personality at times.

“I guess that is what happens when you get to week four (of pre-season) and everyone is tired at the end of another long week but we have to keep pushing the bar and do better.”

Rowe’s deep ball forward crept in for 3-1 on 55 minutes.

Bonner said: “It was a good bit of play, we had a few entries where Jayden and Aaron (Rowe) combined on the opposite side to ge in the box.

“We had a couple of good crossing situations that we used okay, that one was a really good it of play. That could be a good partnership down that side for us, that right side, with Hutts (Hutton) and Jack (Nolan).

“There is lots of work to do, lots of understanding to gather between the two of them but it was a nice moment between the two of them and it was a good goal in a period we were doing better.”