‘Riot act’ pays off in style for Lovell

STEVE LOVELL was delighted to end a dramatic week with a first home win since August as Gillingham produced a second-half blitz to sink bottom side Bradford City 4-0.

The Gills came into this Priestfield clash on a three-match losing run at home and a midweek defeat to Plymouth had led to chairman Paul Scally offering free tickets to this bottom-of-the-table clash.

Lovell also sent a number of his misfiring first-team squad home for the week, and with a clean slate arrived a clean sheet.

Tom Eaves bagged a double while Regan Charles-Cook and Elliott List were also on target in a decisive victory.

“This week has been difficult, there were certain things I did that go against my nature but I had to do them,” he said. “It’s turned out to be very positive on and off the field. It may only be one win but I’m going to enjoy it.

“There were certain players who I told to go home and think for themselves. Others got the riot act read to them.

“They’ll only come back when they’re ready to come back.”

Former Charlton trainee Charles-Cook curled in his first goal in league football to put the hosts in front three minutes after the break.

Eaves saw his 62nd-minute penalty saved by Richard O’Donnell following Connor Wood’s handball, but fired home from an acute angle shortly after to double the hosts’ advantage.

Substitute List capitalised on poor City defending after 69 minutes to consign David Hopkin’s side to their 13th league defeat in 17 games.

And Eaves earned the Gills their biggest win since September 2015 when he headed home late on from Barry Fuller’s cross.

Struggling City were made to pay for a number of missed chances in the opening half. Gillingham right-back Luke O’Neill cleared Lewis O’Brien’s shot off the line within the opening two minutes, before Tomas Holy produced a great save to deny Jack Payne.

David Ball’s header from a Payne corner was disallowed for offside and Josh Wright headed straight at Holy just before the break.

It goes from bad to worse for Bradford, with David Hopkin – who refused his media duties after the game – recording eight defeats in 10 league games since taking over as manager in September.