Michael Flynn's deflected free kick was enough to give the home side all three points.

Gills: Brown, Rose, Jackman, Pouton (Sancho 68), Cox, Hope, Hessenthaler (Spiller 80), Flynn, Jarvis, Claridge (Ashidoki 85), Crofts.
Subs: Knowles, Shields.

Cherries: Moss, Young, O'Connor, Howe, Maher (Gowling h/t), Browning, Spicer, Surman (Cooke 64), Stock, Fletcher (Rodrigues 56), Hayter.
Subs: Stewart, Cooper.

Att: 6,568

Gillingham, relegated from the Championship last season, spent the first half trying to prove their credentials as promotion favourites whilst Cherries thwarted their attacking movements, frustrating the home side.

Hessenthaler's determination saw him goalside of Eddie Howe in the Bournemouth area and an inviting low cross wasn't read by Jarvis, where a better run would have left him with a simple tap-in.

The pacy Jarvis won a free kick twenty-five yards from goal and the low effort from Hope was blocked by the end of the Cherries wall.

The midfield battle was a tough physical affair from the early stages and the commanding presence of Alan Pouton was a little too much a quarter hour into the game with a challenge on former Gill Marcus Browning that earned him the first booking of the match.

Twenty five minutes into the game debutant Steve Claridge nearly scored a goal that would have just about justified Gillingham's slight favour in the match. An advantage played by referee A Hall, that looked very much like a signal for a throw rather than a free kick by the linesman, let Claridge run through behind the Cherries defence and round Neil Moss on the edge of the area. Unbalanced, he got a shot away on the edge of the area, which hit the inside of the post and came out.

A minute later he did have the ball in the net as once again he crept the other side of the Cherries defence, but the goal was ruled out by a tight off-side decision. A the other end half chances from Spicer and Fletcher weren't troubling Gills keeper Brown.

Fellow veteren Andy Hessenthaler then nearly celebrated his 40th birthday with a goal. The cross from Crofts was into the six yard box and a step backwards from O'Connor enabled Hessenthaler to make a downward header acrobatically kept out by Moss. From the resultant spell of corners Claridge had a point blank effort blocked as Cherries continued to weather the storm from the home side.

Howe's challenge in the air with Crofts earned Gillingham a free kick centrally placed just outside the area. Flynn smashed the ball goalwards and the home pressure finally paid off when the ball took an audible deflection to wrong foot Cherries keeper Neil Moss.

Just before the break Cherries had a chance when Fletcher's header set up Stock, but his first time effort was always travelling away from goal.

Half time: Gillingham 1-0 AFC Bournemouth

A tactical change at half time saw Josh Gowling replace Shaun Maher and Cherries opt to 3-5-2 with Young joining the central defensive pair, Surman and O'Connor operating as wing backs and Spicer taking up a more central position.

Surman and Spicer were switching positions and a surging run from the Southampton loanee gave him a chance to shoot. The attempt at goal took a deflection and from the corner Eddie Howe forced a save from Brown.

Spicer's cross field pass then eluded Cox as Fletcher made the most of it to attack the penalty area and fire in an effort that rolled wide of the foot from Cox's sliding challenge.

Gillingham's first chance of the half came from goalscorer Flynn. He worked the space on the right of the penalty area and pulled a shot away that fizzed into the side netting off a Cherries player.

The pace of Jarvis was causing problems all through the game and on seventy-five he raced clear of the Cherries defence. Eddie Howe managed t catch him, but tripped the striker on the edge of the box and to the amazement of the home fans and perhaps Eddie himself, only received a booking.

After Jackman's free kick had skimmed the side netting Bournemouth went up the other end and O'Connor got the better of Brown before firing the ball across the six yard box, but Cox was well placed to make the clearance.

Jackman then had another effort at goal shooting powerfully through a crowd of players and well held by Neil Moss. The Cherries keeper was in action again when he did well to palm away the first effort and then Ashidoki followed in with a rebound blocked off the line by James O'Connor.

Cherries pushed forward in the closing stages, but couldn't create the chances to test Brown that went along with the forward momentum. Rodrigues reached a long kick from Moss, but couldn't get any power onto his goalbound effort.

Final Score: AFC Bournemouth 0-1 Gillingham