Newport County 1 Gillingham 0: Will Evans scores 19th goal of the season in League 2 match at Rodney Parade

A superb strike was enough to send Gillingham home from Newport with nothing to show for their efforts.

Newport County’s Will Evans volleyed his side ahead on the hour with his 19th league goal of the season while the Gills struggled to unlock the home defence.

Defeat means it’s now just one win in six for the Gills as their play-off chase suffered another blow.

Gillingham head coach Stephen Clemence had made two changes to his starting line-up as George Lapslie and Connor Mahoney returned to the XI ahead of Josh Walker and Jonny Williams.

There was disappointment among fans at the absence of exciting loan forward Jorge Hurtado, who was understood to have picked up an injury ahead of the weekend game. The Gills were missing that spark for much of Saturday’s game.

Better news for Gillingham was that defender Shad Ogie had surprisingly made the team following his midweek injury, picked up while preventing a goal against Swindon Town and taking a blow to the groin area.

Ogie battled well against Newport’s leading scorer Evans during the opening half, leaving the dangerous front-man on the deck on a couple of occasions and arguing against the rough treatment. The striker would be smiling later in the game, however.

The opening 45 minutes at Rodney Parade failed to produce many clear-cut opportunities for either side. The best fell to the hosts as Seb Palmer-Houlden glanced wide from Adam Lewis’ excellent cross.

For the Gills, there were numerous half-chances as Tim Dieng and Mahoney had shots blocked while an effort from Oli Hawkins was comfortably saved by keeper Nick Townsend.

Defender Conor Masterson looked to continue his scoring form with a chance at the far post, saved well by the home goalie, but the flag was up for