Gillingham boosted their chances of reaching the Jersey Mike’s Trophy knockout stage with victory over Brighton under-21s on Tuesday night.
Goals from Tom Eaves, Bradley Dack and Ethan Coleman put the Gills in charge at the break. Louie Dayal added a fourth before Brighton’s Shane Nti pulled two goals back and Tyler Silsby added a third from a free-kick with almost the last kick.
Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth watched his side beat Brighton academy at Priestfield Picture: Barry Goodwin
Brighton stay above the Gills in Southern Section Group G on goal difference, with three points each.
The group will be concluded in early November, with the top two progressing. Cambridge United - leading the way with two wins from two - host Brighton on November 3. A week later, the Gills take on a Northampton side that have lost their first two games.
Ainsworth named a relatively strong team for the match against Brighton, with a mix of senior players and young pros.
Goalkeeper Rohan Luthra made his Gills debut following his recent signing, and Eaves made his first start since rejoining, making his 100th appearance for the club.
Defender Andy Smith and James Brophy maintained their places in the starting XI in a team captained by Dack.
The Gills needed to avoid defeat at Priestfield to keep alive their chances of progressing to the next stage of the EFL Trophy competition - now sponsored by a US sandwich company.
Brighton - the reigning Premier League 2 champions - had beaten Northampton Town in their first game. The Gills lost their opener 4-1 against Cambridge United a month earlier.
As expected, Brighton were confident on the ball, but for all of their possession, they had no end product in the opening half. Their best chance came from a free-kick late in the half that Tyler Silsby crashed off an upright.
By that point they were already trailing 2-0.
Middlesbrough loan defender Jack Daley, who is pushing for a league start, did his chances no harm. He was calm under pressure, distributed well, and had chances at goal at either end of the half. Twice he was denied by visiting keeper Steve Hall.
Eaves had a couple of early opportunities from Harry Webster’s right-wing crosses but it was from the penalty spot that the opener came.
Referee Richard Eley caught most people by surprise when he awarded a penalty for handball. Eaves had rolled home a spot-kick in the weekend game at Rotherham but blasted this one into the top corner with 32 minutes played.
Luthra held onto a shot from George Munday at the other end before the Gills made it 2-0 on 39 minutes.
A long ball forward was kept in play by Smith, pulling it back from the byline into the feet of Dack, and his deft touch had just enough power on it to beat Hall in the Brighton goal.
In first-half added time, the Gills scored a third. From their seventh corner of the half, Dack’s ball in was cleared only as far as Brophy and his cross back into the box was headed home by Coleman.
Conor McManus replaced Brophy at the break, returning to the side after his international appearance for Republic of Ireland under-21s a week earlier, where he scored against England.
The Gills had a fourth on 49 minutes. Dack was the provider this time, with a clever run beyond a defender as he chased a ball forward from half-time substitute Logan Dobbs, then crossing for Dayal, who slotted in from close range.
Two minutes later and Brighton got on the scoresheet. Kofi Shaw’s side-footed effort from the edge of the area didn’t look too dangerous but Nti’s delicate touch sent it past Luthra at his near post.
Brighton made some attacking changes from the bench with just over an hour gone in a bid to further reduce the deficit.
Ainsworth wasn’t afraid to give more of his senior players a runout as he introduced Ronan Hale and Garath McCleary - involved again after a back injury - with 20 minutes left.
Brighton’s Nti got his second of the night with a brilliant finish into the top corner, picking his spot beyond the reach of Luthra. The ball fell into his path after Silsby’s attempt at goal had been blocked.
Luthra had to make a save to deny Valentin Joseph from a squeezing in a shot, while Brighton keeper Hall beat away a shot from Gills sub Sullivan Booth, who also put another chance wide in the final minute of normal time.
Brighton scored a third goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Silsby struck from a free-kick but there was no time left to try and force an equaliser.
**Gillingham:** Luthra, Smith (Dobbs 46mins), Daley, Webster, Brophy (McManus 46mins), Dayal (McCleary 67mins), Coleman, Luxton, Dack (Booth 77mins), Kendall, Eaves (Hale 67mins). Subs: Wright, Beszant.
**Brighton:** Hall, Mackley, Keogh (West 64mins), Nti, Barclay, Ferdinand, Silsby, Lane (Kasvosve 64mins), Munday (Joseph 64mins), Shaw, Oriola. Subs: Alakiu, Dike, A Palmer, B Palmer, West.
**Referee:** Richard Eley
**Attendance:** 576 (40 away)