There was a chastening return for Carlisle United to League Two when they went down 4-1 at Gillingham.
It had started disastrously by conceding a goal after only two minutes but they should have been level before the break as Charlie Wyke hit the bar when he should have scored.
A second Gillingham goal early in the second-half made the Blues’ task harder but when Jon Mellish pulled one back after 65 minutes it looked to be game on.
But Gillingham debutant Jack Nolan produced a brilliant goal to restore the home side’s two goal advantage and they added a fourth before the end to win comfortably.
Tim Dieng had scored the opener when he followed up a blocked effort by Aaron Rowe to score from close range.
On-loan forward Jacob Wakeling knocked in the second goal when he intercepted a poor pass and went on to finish clinically.
Mellish pulled a goal back when he just managed to steer the ball beyond home keeper Jake Turner before Nolan stepped in to ruin Carlisle’s day.
The former Accrington winger went past the first challenge, raced into the box and then blasted home a great shot on the run beyond Harry Lewis.
Substitute Jonny Williams grabbed a late fourth with another good finish to give new manager Mark Bonner a flying start.
