Gillingham 3-0 Grimsby

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Rod Wallace scored twice as Gillingham comfortably defeated Grimsby at the Priestfield Stadium.

The 33-year-old, whose season has been hampered by injury, opened the scoring from close range after six minutes and netted a second with a cool finish eight minutes later.

Wallace's opening goal came after Guy Ipoua had dummied Paul Shaw's cross, leaving Wallace with a straightforward finish.

The veteran's second came after he reacted fastest to Chris Hope's long punt up field, before lifting the ball over Danny Coyne.

Grimsby, stunned by Gillingham's clinical finishing, had their first chance of the afternoon after 32 minutes, but George Santos headed Terry Cooke's deep cross over the bar.

Gills keeper Jason Brown then saved Chris Thompson's drilled shot from the edge of the area as the Mariners tried to force their way back into the match.

But the home team added a third on the stroke of half-time through Hope to end the game as a contest.

Nicky Southall bent in a free-kick from the right, and Hope was left unmarked to flick a header past Coyne.

The second half was poor in comparison and the first shot on goal came after 89 minutes.

And the nearest the half came to a goal was when Gillingham substitute Danny Spiller shot over with full-time looming.

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Gillingham: Brown, Nosworthy, Ashby, Hope, Edge, Southall, Hessenthaler, Smith, Shaw, Ipoua, Wallace. Subs: Bartram, Leon Johnson, Spiller, Perpetuini, Sidibe.

Grimsby: Coyne, McDermott, Ford, Santos, Gallimore, Cooke, Groves, Coldicott, Campbell, Thompson, Boulding. Subs: Allaway, Barnard, Chettle, Soames, Bolder. Referee: P Taylor (Hertfordshire)