There was no way back for Gillingham on Tuesday night away at Newport County after conceding three goals inside half an hour.

Bobby Kamwa’s fine free-kick finish put Newport ahead early on at Rodney Parade and he struck twice more to complete a hat-trick after 30 minutes. Jimmy-Jay Morgan replied for Gillingham but the home side ensured there was no late drama.

Gillingham had created chances of their own, and Morgan headed a golden opportunity over at 1-0, but they were architects of their own downfall as Newport capitalised on mistakes and ruthlessly finished.

Manager John Coleman had made just one change to his starting eleven from the weekend win over Morecambe, switching strikers as Morgan replaced Oli Hawkins to play alongside Joe Gbode.

The Gills had gone 13 games without a win before a 1-0 weekend victory over Morecambe at Priestfield. That had raised hopes of a bright end to the season but enthusiasm was quickly extinguished at Newport.

Gillingham had lost the two previous games against Newport at their Rodney Parade ground, without scoring in either. This one quickly turned ugly.

The Gills are facing the final two months of the season where the manager will hope to pick up enough results to be considered for the job more permanently in the summer, while the players also have careers to think about, with or without Gillingham. This won’t have helped anyone.

The Gills found themselves a goal down after just nine minutes with a postcard finish from Kamwa.

Peterborough loan forward David Ajiboye was tripped by Andy Smith on the edge of the box, after he had already forced his way past Sam Gale, and Kamwa made the Gills pay with a sweet strike into the top corner.

Ajiboye had already shot wide before that and Kamwa put another effort wide of the post as the home side looked to extend their advantage.

At 1-0 down, the Gills had a flurry of corners that they were unable to capitalise on and a handball shout in the box that on current penalty form was never going to be given.

Morgan had a tame effort saved and headed over from a pinpoint Remeao Hutton cross and before long the Gills were two down.

Gills lost out in the middle of the park and when Matt Baker played the ball forward the visitors were caught short in defence, Ajiboye laid it off for and Kamwa tucked home an effort beyond Glenn Morris.

Kamwa’s second goal had come in the 28th minute and with half an hour played he had a third. The Gills lost the ball, Ajiboye took on and beat Gale, played the ball back to Cameron Antwi and his pass forward was guided past Morris for a 3-0 lead.

Gillingham were squandering possession too easily, their captain Armani Little as guilty as anyone. The chances that came weren’t capitalised against a side who had conceded three in each of their previous two matches.

Robbie McKenzie tried his luck from the edge of the box but unlike at the weekend, the effort sailed over the bar.

Coleman sent the same eleven out for the second half and finished the game without making a change.

Elsewhere in League 2, ex-Gill George Lapslie struck twice for Bradford and Tom Nichols got a goal with a Will Wright assist for Swindon. The current crop needed to do something special to get back into Tuesday’s game in Wales.

Kamwa was up for scoring another for Newport in the second half but Morris saved well after he had got away from defender Andy Smith.

The home hat-trick hero had another chance with a free-kick 25 yards out but he put the shot wide.

Gillingham got a goal back in the 69th minute after Newport had failed to get a corner cleared properly. Little’s driven shot was saved but when the ball bounced up for Morgan, he nodded home into the far corner.

Kamwa continued to threaten for the hosts and when Morris attempted to challenge him on the edge of his box, the Newport man’s curling effort was headed clear by the covering Max Ehmer.

Courtney Baker-Richardson had the ball in the net for Newport but was fractionally offside.

A second Gillingham goal would have really given the hosts the jitters and Coleman was keeping faith with his starters. Nevitt almost got one with 10 minutes left, an angled shot that beat the keeper but flashed across the face of goal.

Gillingham were pushing men forward late on, with Gbode often running at the defence from out wide, but the early damage proved too much of a mountain to climb for Coleman’s men.

There were several late yellow cards for the frustrated Gills, with Nevitt and Little going in the book, as Gillingham’s season received another blow with their 16th defeat.

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