Stoke City 2 Gillingham 0

Stoke produced a polished team performance to dominate the game and clinch maximum points to establish their place amongst The Championship's early pacesetters.

Goals from striker Gifton Noel-Williams and Ade Akinbiyi sealed the victory and maintained the Potters' unbeaten run.

Gillingham had looked organized, but they lacked any cutting edge and their frontrunners failed to trouble the Stoke keeper throughout the game.

But it has been Gillingham who got the ball in the net first only to see Iwan Roberts' effort be disallowed.

Roberts: Disallowed goal

Player-manager Andy Hessenthaler had got to the by-line in the 25th minute and swung in a cross for Roberts to head home, but the referee ruled that the ball had gone out of play before it was crossed and disallowed at the goal.

But Stoke had been well organised and stronger from the off. In the opening minutes John Hills had cleared off the line from Wayne Thomas after he had got to a free-kick from Lewis Neal.

Midway through the first period Noel-Williams opened up the visitors defence for Darel Russell, but he fired just wide of the post.

Noel-Williams continued to trouble the Gills defence and in the 35th minute he teed up a chance for John Halls, who was just off target from 12 yards.

But four minutes later Noel-Williams squandered a close-range shot when he got to a cross from Thomas but fired straight at keeper Steve Banks.

The breakthrough came just before the interval when Noel-Williams played a one-two with strike partner Akinbiyi before taking the return ball and firing home.

Stoke almost had a second on the stroke of half-time when Dave Brammer played a superb through ball to Noel-Williams, but again his shot was a fraction wide of the upright.

Gillingham looked better organised and more likely to trouble Stoke after the interval, but continued to struggle to create any real openings.

And in the 70th minute Akinbiyi beat his marker to get in a shot which Banks saved well, then just two minutes later, City sealed their victory when the forward grabbed the second goal of the game.

Noel-Williams played in a super throughball for his strike partner Akinbiyi, who sidestepped defender Barry Ashby and slotted the ball past Banks into the corner of the net.

Late in the game Hills tried to grab a late consolation for Gillingham keeper Ed de Goey saved easily to deny him.