Gillingham had a player sent off and conceded five at League 2 Colchester United on Saturday.

The Gills endured a tough first half, finding themselves three goals down after half an hour and having Mark Byrne sent off for violent conduct.

Dean Parrett pulled a goal back before the break but the impressive Mikael Mandron scored a fourth for the hosts and a fifth soon followed.

Reaction: Just a blip, says Gills boss Steve Lovell

It was Gillingham’s final test of the pre-season before their League 1 campaign gets underway next week at Accrington, with manager Steve Lovell naming a strong XI.

There were several players missing for the Gills, striker Tom Eaves still out through injury, while in-form Elliott List and midfielder Josh Rees were also absent, also out injured. Conor Wilkinson was named in the team to play Thamesmead.

It was the first time the Gills had played Football League opposition during their pre-season campaign and they found themselves three goals down inside the opening half hour, all coming from open play.

Colchester opened the scoring on five minutes, catching the Gills on the break. Max Ehmer had been unable to get a decent connection on a shot and when the Us broke, he was out of position, enabling Sammie Szmodics to side-foot the ball home after Mandron picked him out in plenty of space.

Mandron was involved in their second goal on 15 minutes, playing the ball in behind Gills’ defence for Szmodics to run onto and from his ball across, Aaron Collins had a simple tap-in to make it 2-0.

Lovell switched formation with 23 minutes gone. Having started 3-5-2, he switched it to a diamond, moving centre-back Alex Lacey into midfield. A first shot on target for the Gills soon followed, but Josh Parker’s shot wasn’t troubling keeper Dillon Barnes.

Colchester were soon 3-0 up, however, Mandron getting a deserved goal himself. He latched onto a ball through the middle, evaded a challenge from Lacey and did well to stay on his feet before placing a shot past Holy.

Worse followed for the visitors with five minutes of the half remaining, as Byrne was dismissed for a challenge on Tom Lapslie, aiming a kick at the Colchester player with the ball gone. There was a mass confrontation, leading to a booking for Luke Prosser and a red card for the Gills midfielder.

The Gills did at least end the half on a high, Parrett firing in low from the edge of the box after Colchester failed to clear a corner.

Gillingham started the second half brightly but conceded two more in quick succession before the hour mark. Mandron picked his spot from 20 yards out to make it 4-1 and Tom Eastman headed home a cross following a short corner.

Regan Charles-Cook had a good chance snuffed out by the home keeper and Parker headed a corner wide. At the other end Holy had to make a good save to deny former Gills player Ryan Jackson from adding a sixth.

Colchester: D Barnes (Ross 76mins), Lapslie (Jackson 46mins), Prosser (Senior 46mins), Kent (Wright 46mins), Szmodics (Kensdale 46mins), Dickenson (Clampin 46mins), Comley (Pell 72mins), Eastman, Mandron (Nouble 72mins), Vincent-Young (Gondoh 46mins), Collins (A Barnes 72mins).

Gillingham: Holy, O'Neill (Fuller 67mins), Garmston, Ehmer, Zakuani (Charles-Cook 46mins), Lacey, Byrne, Parrett (Nash 64mins), Reilly (Nasseri 54mins), Parker, Hanlan (Bingham 64mins). Sub not used: Hadler.