Gillingham were beaten by promotion-chasing Peterborough on Saturday.

Marcus Maddison fired Peterborough ahead from the spot just before the hour mark and Matt Godden doubled the lead.

Referee Rob Jones awarded the controversial penalty for a foul from Dean Parrett on Siriki Dembele but Godden made it safe for the Posh with the second late on.

"It was one of those games" - reaction from Gills boss Steve Lovell

Gills boss Steve Lovell once again names an unchanged starting XI for the match at play-off chasing Peterborough and his side had a number of good first half opportunities.

Tom Eaves had the best, with a header late in the half following Graham Burke’s flick from a cross, but home keeper Aaron Chapman saved well.

Peterborough had three lively players in support of striker Ivan Toney but the Gills restricted them to only a few sights at goal first half.

Toney got the better of Luke O’Neill from Jason Naismith’s long ball forward but Tomas Holy was alert and denied the striker. Just before that Rhys Bennett wrapped his foot around a cross but struck the side-netting.

O’Neill brought down Toney on the edge of the box as the Posh striker looked to beat him again and Maddison was unable to get his free-kick beyond the Gills wall.

The Gills had to make a switch midway through the half after Mark Byrne picked up a knock following a challenge, but the visitors continued to compete well, with Regan Charles-Cook taking to the field.

Dembele’s trickery created an early chance for Peterborough in the second half but Toney’s run was blocked by Connor Ogilvie. Moments later Dembele did likewise to Brandon Hanlan and the referee wasn’t interested in either appeal for a penalty.

Maddison went close with a shot that he dragged narrowly wide but Charles-Cook’s effort at the other end only made an imprint on the roof of the stand behind the goal.

Peterborough forward Maddison was proving more of a threat in the second half and he flashed another shot wide across Holy.

Maddison finally got his goal in the 58th minute, scoring from the spot after referee Rob Jones had signalled for a foul on Dembele. The lively Posh forward was adjudged to have had his shirt tugged by Dean Parrett, after he had side-stepped Ehmer and O’Neill.

Gills’ finishing wasn’t good enough on the day, when they did manage to create, and Eaves hit a shot well wide of the mark as they looked to hit back. Charles-Cook went closer on 77 minutes but fired just wide.

With five minutes left Peterborough added a second, Godden striking home after Madden had played the ball into his path.

Peterborough: Chapman, Naismith, Woodyard, Tafazolli, Dembele, Reed (Knight 83mins), Bennett, Toney (Godden 68mins), Lafferty, Maddison, Tomlin (Cooper 77mins). Subs not used: O’Mallery, Knight, Cooke, Denton, Stevens.

Gillingham: Holy, O’Neill, Fuller, Ehmer, Ogilvie, Byrne (Charles-Cook 25mins, King 90mins)), Parrett, Lopes, Burke (List 80mins), Hanlan, Eaves. Subs not used: Hadler, Lacey, King, Rees, Campbell.

Attendance: 8,331 (544 away)

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