It was a superb result for the Gills, but let's not forget that Morecambe looked the better side in the opening 10-15 minutes. They dominated exchanges, had us on the back foot and, at the time, generally looked more likely to take the points.
But then two key incidents changed the game. Firstly, we scored against the run of play. A rare moment of variation from a free kick (plus some non-existent marking from the Morecambe defence) gave Mark Bentley the freedom of Priestfield, which he used to good effect, heading firmly into the far corner.
Then, almost immediately after, the man who took the free kick, Albert Jarrett, was substituted for Andy Barcham. Jarrett had looked lightweight and below the standard required up to that point, and the introduction of the lively, physical and tireless Barcham made a huge difference to the side.
The new lineup, in a genuine 4-3-3 formation, had a much more positive effect. With Barcham and Mulligan running their socks off and troubling defenders, Simeon Jackson was able to drop off, find space and make himself availablle for passes. The result was the best performance from Jackson this season.
FACING FRONT
The crucial difference in Jackson's game was the areas in which he received the ball. All too often he had to battle for the ball in the air, and whenever he did receive the ball, it was usually with his back to goal, with a big centre half right on his back. Against Morecambe he received the ball in space, then had the room to turn and attack the penalty area. Jackson is at his best when running at defenders and receiving the ball while facing the goal - and playing three up top gave him the freedom to do just that. His two goals were a direct result of having the room, and the support alongside him, to receive the ball in dangerous areas and cause defences serious problems.
Alongside him, Andy Barcham was arguably just as good. It was a shame he didn't get a goal, as his performance certainly merited one. Gary Mulligan also put in a fine shift, and was eventually replaced by the returning Mark McCammon.
MAC IS BACK
In my last article I said that now was the time that McCammon had to deliver and his performance off the bench was the best we've seen from him so far.
He worked hard, won the ball in the air, scored a goal, used his brain to ensure another goal stood and could even have had one or two more. If that's the sort of performance we're going to see from McCammon from here on in, then we've got a good player on our hands.
I've been underwhelmed with him up until this weekend, but he looks fitter and more focused than before. It was a great return - and hopefully we'll see plenty more of that from McCammon as the season progresses.
THE RIGHT FORMULA?
I'm not 100% sure why Jarrett was withdrawn so early in the match. It could have been injury, it could have been he wasn't doing what was asked of him. Whatever, it seems thai in subbing him off, Mark Stimson may have stumbled upon a winning formula. Gillingham have never looked so balanced, so comfortable, so potent, as they did today. They've had decent performances in the past, but never looked capable of really punishing teams. The new-look 4-3-3 creates chances, but crucially it puts the right players in the right positions to take advantage of them.
With Jackson, McCammon, Mulligan and the on-loan Barcham, plus the returning Dennis Oli, Mark Stimson has the personnel to play this formation regularly if he so wishes. I hope he does, because I think that the Gillingham we've seen before this weekend were a middle-of-the-road team at best, but the Gillingham we saw today is a potential challenger.
Let's see if we can challenge. Let's attack teams, put them on the back foot and really have a go - even away from home. It was a great performance, thoroughly enjoyable to watch and hugely encouraging for the rest of the season, as it demonstrates that we DO have it in the locker to not just beat teams, but beat them convincingly.
The standard has been set. The challenge now for Stimson and his team is to see if they can match it in the next few games.