Colchester United 1 : 2 Gillingham - Gills see off U's

Gillingham gave their survival hopes a boost after securing a vital 2-1 win at fellow strugglers Colchester.

The U's slipped to second bottom in Sky Bet League One with the loss as their poor home form continued.

Colchester almost scored in the fifth minute when Gavin Massey skipped past John Egan and unleashed a shot which crashed against the crossbar.

But Gillingham took a 25th-minute lead through left-back Joe Martin, who clinically fired home first time at the far post after U's defender Kaspars Gorkss had inadvertently nodded into his path from Cody McDonald's cross.

And the Gills doubled their lead 10 minutes later after McDonald had once again found space down the U's left and picked out the unmarked Bradley Dack, who converted at the near post.

Massey's close-range shot was palmed over by Gills goalkeeper Stuart Nelson just before half-time and Colchester reduced the deficit five minutes after the break through substitute Sammie Szmodics, who turned in from Sean Clohessy's pass despite Max Ehmer's attempts to keep it out.

Freddie Sears was brilliantly denied by Nelson late on but Gillingham held on for a rare away win.