Full-time: Bristol Rovers 2 Gillingham 1

​Bristol Rovers 2 Gillingham 1: Jeff Hughes struck from the penalty spot 10 minutes from time to make it two wins in a row for Bristol Rovers.

Chris Lines had scored his third goal in four games to give the Pirates the lead in the first half, only for Andy Barcham to equalise shortly before the interval with a shot that dipped over keeper Mikkel Andersen..

But Hughes fired home the winner after Matt Fry handled the ball in the closing stages.

Rovers made two changes to the side that had started the last-gasp 3-2 win over Carlisle a week earlier with Pat Baldwin, a loan signing from Colchester, making his debut. He lined up at right-back in place of the suspended Carl Regan.

Andy Williams was also recalled to the side with young winger Ben Swallow returning to the bench. Williams started wide on the right of midfield with Dominic Blizzard on the opposite flank.

The game began in bad conditions with a swirling wind and driving rain making control difficult, but Rovers were soon on the attack with Jo Kuffour setting up a second-minute shooting chance for strike partner Chris Dickson, who scuffed his shot across the face of goal.

The Pirates had the better of play during the early stages, but Danny Coles ballooned a 25-yarder over the top of the Blackthorn End and then Dickson was just unable to chase down a pass from Kuffour as keeper Simon Royce advanced to collect.

The home side, playing with the wind behind them, needed to make an early breakthrough – and it came in the 17th minute.

Dickson let fly with an overhead kick from 10 yards which Royce saved to his left. But the ball then ran loose and Coles played it back across goal for Lines to sidefoot home.

Gillingham were finding it hard to make much progress, mainly due to some wayward passing, and their best hope of a leveller looked to be from a set piece.

But when Josh Gowling rose to meet a corner midway through the opening period, he only managed to head it the wrong way with the ball flying 30 yards away from the Rovers goal.

Kuffour looked to break free inside the Gills’ box just after the half-hour mark as Rovers tried to press home their advantage, but the striker was halted by a good tackle by Fry.

Gillingham stunned the home crowd five minutes before the interval, however, when Andy Barcham let fly with a dipping shot from just outside the box which curled over Mikkel Andersen and just under the bar.

It was the Gills’ first attempt of any note and the goal came against the run of play, but the visitors weren’t complaining – and they went in at the interval knowing they would have the wind at their backs in the second half.

But it was Rovers who had the first opportunity after the break when a Kuffour shot was blocked and the ball broke to Lines 20 yards out. His shot was on target but Royce managed to punch the attempt clear.

The home side were still having the better of things despite playing into the wind, and both sides made a couple of changes with just over an hour gone. The Gills brought on leading scorer Simeon Jackson in place of Curtis Weston, while Rovers took off Dickson and put on Darryl Duffy.

Then, with 17 minutes left, Swallow came on to replace Blizzard on the left flank.

Duffy then promptly had the chance to restore Rovers’ advantage after being put through by Kuffour, but Royce was out quickly to snuff out the danger from a one-on-one opportunity.

Rovers regained the lead 10 minutes from time after Williams made a nuisance of himself near the goal-line to the right of the penalty box. Fry went to ground and handled the ball, and Hughes stepped up to send Royce the wrong way with the spot kick.

Rovers survived a couple of late scares with Stuart Campbell clearing off the line from a Gillingham corner, but the home side held firm to continue their recent recovery after a six-game losing run.

Bristol Rovers: Andersen, Baldwin, Anthony, Coles, Hughes, Williams, Campbell, Lines, Blizzard (Swallow 73), Dickson (Duffy 67), Kuffour (Wright 88). Subs (not used): Elliott, Reece, Clough, Evans.

Gillingham: Royce, Fuller, Gowling, Fry, Lewis, Maher, Bentley, Palmer, Weston (Jackson 65), Barcham, Brandy (McCammon 79). Subs (not used): Nutter, Oli, Rooney, Payne, Julian.

Att: 6,210.