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After a scrappy opening, the game came to life on nine minutes. Andy Hessenthaler, an inspirational figure throughout, broke down the right before pulling the ball back across the penalty area, only inches away from the outstretched boot of Matthew Jarvis.
Steve Claridge almost opened the scoring on 24 minutes on his Gills debut. Looking suspiciously off-side when picking the ball up just past the half-way line, the veteran striker was allowed to continue before rounding Neil Moss and somehow stroking the ball against the inside of the post.
Claridge did find the net two minutes later, but this time the referee's assistant raised his flag to deny him.
Gillingham eventually made their dominance pay and took the lead on 30 minutes. Michael Flynn struck a free kick from the edge of the box that took a wicked deflection off the wall, leaving Moss totally stranded.
Josh Gowling replaced Shaun Maher at the start of the second half, allowing James O'Connor to push up into midfield.
Bournemouth seemed to seize the initiative and forced a succession of corners from which they were unlucky not to make a breakthrough. After the Gills had weathered the storm they gradually began to reassume the ascendancy and turned the screw on their visitors.
On 67 minutes Gillingham could have sealed the game when Matthew Jarvis's pace took him clear of the Cherries' back line, before he was crudely brought down by Eddie Howe, who was lucky to escape with only a booking.
Gillingham were good value for the three points, Bournemouth, for all their endeavour, struggled to match their host's extra quality on the ball.