Gillingham 0-2 Charlton Athletic: Addicks keep another clean sheet as they claim first win at Priestfield in 39 years

Charlton tasted victory at Priestfield for the first time since 1980 as they saw Gillingham off comfortably on Saturday afternoon.

The Addicks, who had to do without top-scorer Lyle Taylor and consistent defender Patrick Bauer due to minor injuries, were two to the good at the break thanks to strikes from Joe Aribo and Josh Cullen.

There were to be no further goals after the break as the South Londoners claimed their tenth away win of the regular season and their sixth clean sheets in their last eight outings.

Charlton now head into next week’s final day clash with Rochdale before preparing for the play-off campaign that will follow.

Both sides had seen speculative efforts fly wide at a wind-swept Priestfield before Jonny Williams had the first real opening. Aribo picked out his fellow midfielder inside the area, who made himself a yard of space but fired over from a tight angle.

Addicks stopper Dillon Phillips tipped a vicious Tahvon Campbell drive above his crossbar midway through the first-period, but it would be the visitors who opened the scoring moments later.

Ben Purrington made ground down the left, firing in a low-cross that deflected into the path of Aribo to sweep home his eighth goal of the campaign from inside the area.

Former Charlton man Regan Charles-Cook fired a tame effort at Phillips from outside the area as the hosts, who sacked manager Steve Lovell just last night, went in search of an equaliser.

Lee Bowyer’s nearly added a second as Naby Sarr rattled the crossbar from close-range as he attacked a corner, but the sold-out away end didn’t have to wait much longer to celebrate once again.

Williams weaved his way through a static Gills defence and fired at Tomas Holy, who spilled the ball into the path of West Ham loanee Cullen who had the simplest of tasks to bury his first goal in Addicks colours into the empty net from the edge of the six-yard box.

They nearly had a third ten minutes after the restart. Cullen measured a ball through for Igor Vetokele but Holy stood up well to deny the Angolan forward, who then had another effort deflected wide as Aribo recycled possession from the rebound.

Left-back Ben Purrington was nearly in on the act seconds later. Williams dribbled a dangerous ball across the face of goal and the Rotherham loanee popped up at the far stick only to see his shot smothered by Holy.

Gills made a bit of a fight of it for a spell in the second-period, which saw former Addick Dean Parrett lift a shot over the bar from range, but the visitors were always comfortable.

Cullen should have added a third late on as he headed Aribo’s cross over when unmarked but he mattered not as the 2,306 travelling supporters went home happy.