Gillingham 0-1 Sheff Utd

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Michael Tonge's stunning freekick earned Sheffield United a hard-earned victory over in-form Gillingham at the Priestfield Stadium.

The Gills went into the game brimming with confidence after three successive victories in all competitions.

And Andy Hessenthaler's men dominated the first half without turning their dominance into goals.

Tonge made the Gills pay for their lack of a cutting edge when he fired the Blades ahead in the 63rd minute.

Marcus Browning fouled Carl Asaba and Tonge blasted a 25-yarder beyond Vince Bartram.

The Blades almost rubbed salt in home wounds in the last minute when Peter Ndlovu's effort was scrambled clear by Barry Ashby.

The Gills had started the match brightly, Paul Shaw firing a right-foot shot wide after two minutes.

Marlon King, with 12 goals to his name so far this season, drilled another effort wide before Iffy Onuora tested Blades goalkeeper Simon Tracey with a right-foot shot from just outside the area after seven minutes.

Spurned chance

Neil Warnock's side finally began to settle after the early bombardment and created their first opportunity after 18 minutes when Ndlovu fired the ball over the bar following a Michael Brown free-kick.

But it was the Gills who continued to impress, and they fashioned another opening after 26 minutes when Simon Osborn slipped the ball into the path of David Perpetuini whose right-foot volley flew over the crossbar.

Perpetuini was at the heart of the action again just before the half-hour when his inswinging corner found its way to Onuora whose left-foot shot went over the top.

Ndlovu was the only threat for the visitors, and he almost put his side ahead after a rare attack when his right-foot shot went just wide.

Asaba, up against his old club, was making little impact - but Brown did unleash a long-range shot which went wide after 34 minutes.

King was a constant menace to the United defence, and his right-foot shot was saved by Tracey a minute later as the stalemate continued.

He went close again early in the second period, before Tracey was booked for time wasting by referee Rob Harris.

The Blades then gave Gillingham a fright on the hour when Ndlovu broke away and set up Michael Brown but he fired wide.

Three minutes later Tonge fired the Blades ahead and the Gills were up against it.

They battled in vain for an equaliser, skipper Paul Smith coming the closest when he blasted his effort into the side netting.

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Gillingham: Bartram, Hope, Ashby, Perpetuini, Nosworthy, Osborn, Browning, Smith, King, Shaw, Onuora. Subs: Patterson, Butters, Ipoua, Gooden, Saunders.

Sheff Utd: Tracey, Uhlenbeek, Page, Curle, Ullathorne, Brown, Tonge, Ford, Ndlovu, Asaba, D'Jaffo. Subs: Sandford, Montgomery, Santos, Nicholson, de Vogt.

Referee: R Harris (Oxford)