AFC Wimbledon made the most of suicidal defending from 10-man Gillingham to record their third win of the season.
Justin Edinburgh’s side came to Kingsmeadow bearing gifts, giving one goal to Dominic Poleon and then conceding a needless penalty in a wretched first half display.
The first present came 18 minutes in when Rory Donnelly, an early substitute for Bradley Dack, played a blind back-pass and the recalled Dominic Poleon seized on it to race clear, waltz around keeper Stuart Nelson and slot the ball into an empty net for his sixth goal of the season.
The Gills’ man attempted to atone with a shot from distance dealt with by James Shea, before the visitors repeated their folly with another misplaced back-pass.
This time Tom Elliott attempted to capitalize, but Nelson was out in the nick of time to hack clear.
The Gills though had one more gift for the hosts to unwrap before the interval, Josh Pask hauling down Paul Robinson at a 45th minute corner, allowing Dean Parrett to send Nelson the wrong way from the spot for his first goal for the Dons.
Edinburgh hooked ex-QPR striker Jay Emmanuel Thomas in favour of Elliott List immediately upon the restart and Gills started strongly as Dons perhaps understandably sat back on their lead.
However, a set-piece saw the Wombles close to a match-killing third when Robinson lost his marker but volleyed over.
Elliott too went close with a glancing header, before Gills fired a warning shot with Donnelly’s free-kick floating narrowly wide.
The Kent side though created little else and Donnelly’s miserable afternoon was capped four minutes from time when he was sent off for abuse of the home support and promptly gave referee England a finger of salute as he left the field.
Barcham would have added a third before the end, but for a smart stop from Nelson on a good day for Neal Ardley’s side.
