BY MARK DOIG
Having won the home game between the two sides in December, Bromley completed the derby double over Gillingham with an outstanding performance at the MEMS Priestfield Stadium on Thursday night.
Most of the damage was done in the first 26 minutes as the Ravens cruised to into a two-goal lead.
Although Gillingham showed more urgency in the second period, a third Bromley goal with 14 minutes remaining ensured that there would be no comeback. To compound the hosts’ misery they even missed a penalty in the closing stages.
It took just seven minutes for Bromley to go ahead when Michael Cheek raced down the right wing and a challenge on him fell to Jude Arthurs (both pictured above). Although his low shot was pushed out by Gillingham goalkeeper Glenn Morris, Louis Dennis was on hand to finish from close range.
Danny Imray whipped a low centre across the face of goal but it was just out of reach of both Cheek and Dennis as Bromley continued to threaten and, 10 minutes later, Bromley scored again. Kamarl Grant’s throw was flicked on by Idris Odutayo and although a defensive header knocked it away, the acrobatic Arthurs timed his bicycle kick to perfection to find the net.
Jack Nolan had a shot deflected over for the Gills before Cheek met a cross by Corey Whiteley but couldn’t keep his header down.
Cheek was again in the thick of it when pulling back to Dennis and his quick footwork made space for him to get a fierce shot away causing Morris to use a strong left hand to turn it around the post.
As the first half drew to a close, the Gills registered their first shot on target, a 25-yard effort by Max Clark that Grant Smith held comfortably.
Mark Bonner, the Gillingham manager, made a triple change at the break and that appeared to galvanise the hosts. Josh Andrews headed wide from a Jonny Williams free-kick before he met a Shad Ogie cross with another header that was saved brilliantly by Smith.
Although Gillingham won a series of corners, they struggled against a Bromley defence superbly marshalled by Omar Sowunmi and paid the price when they conceded again.
Ben Thompson looked as if he was going to swing a free-kick into the penalty area but instead he played it down the channel for Whiteley. He drove it low across goal and Grant showed the desire to get on the end of it and turn it home.
Two minutes remained when Gillingham were awarded a penalty for a clash between Ogie and Sowunmi in the area but Elliott Nevitt summed up their evening when he ballooned it high over the bar.
Victory for the Ravens moved them one place up the League Two table, just three points outside the play-offs.
PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD
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