Gillingham 2 Watford 0: Pre-season friendly at MEMS Priestfield Stadium - Euan Williams and Jack Nolan score for Mark Bonner’s side

Gillingham produced an encouraging performance to defeat Championship side Watford at Priestfield on Saturday.

The Gills were forced to defend early on against their higher-league opponents but took a 27th-minute lead through a trialist, thought to be former Charlton attacking midfielder Euan Williams. A superb Jack Nolan goal doubled the home side’s advantage.

The game against Watford came a week after the Gills played out a goalless draw with another Championship side, Millwall. Unlike the previous game, this one wasn’t short of goalscoring chances at both ends.

Gillingham included several youth players in their squad for the match with first-teamers Jonny Williams, Armani Little and Ethan Coleman among those not involved.

Youth-team right-back Harry Webster and midfielder Harry Waldock both started against the Championship opponents.

Transfer-listed pair George Lapslie and Ashley Nadesan weren’t selected either. There was a new trialist wearing the 39 shirt for the Gills, with West Ham’s Kamarai Simon-Swyer not involved.

Watford got stuck in traffic ahead of the game which meant a slightly delayed kick-off and they named a strong team for the pre-season fixture.

Webster impressed against Millwall the previous week and looked at ease again, up against the lively Ken Sema. The Gills spent the first 10 minutes defending but it was Webster and Joe Gbode who combined to get the home side to make their first foray forward.

The Gills attacked soon after down the left side and Nevitt’s ball in for the trialist almost produced an opener but the shot was dragged wide.

Tom Dele-Bashiru’s defence-splitting pass for Ryan Andrews forced Gills keeper Glenn Morris into a save and the former fired wide himself from distance in what