Harewood plunders treble

Nottingham Forest 4 Gillingham 1

Marlon Harewood's first senior hat-trick inspired Forest to halt Gillingham's upward progress in the Nationwide First Division with an incisive performance in an entertaining match at the City Ground.

The 23-year-old striker, whom Forest manager Paul Hart nurtured as a teenager when in charge of the club's academy, scored the first goal of the night after four minutes, restored Forest's advantage from the penalty spot after Gillingham had secured an instant equaliser and completed his first senior treble midway through the second half. In between, he set up front-line partner David Johnson to score Forest's third.

Harewood, recalled by Hart in place of Jack Lester, opened his account for the season when he turned Johnson's header past goalkeeper Jason Brown after a corner on the right. Gillingham's response was to equalise immediately when player-manager Andy Hessenthaler arrived at the far post to blast home Chris Hope's cross from the left.

Guy Ipoua and Kevin James went close as Gillingham enjoyed their best spell. However Forest always threatened on the break and Harewood stepped up to restore their lead from the penalty spot after himself being tripped by Roland Edge.

The pacy Harewood twice threatened to complete a first-half hat-trick before providing Johnson with the low cross from which the former Ipswich striker extended the home side's lead after 38 minutes.

Gillingham, with Hessenthaler pulling the strings from midfield, offered some neat football but Forest, for whom the former Bayern Munich trainee Eugen Bopp caught the eye in midfield, put the result beyond doubt after 65 minutes when Bopp combined with Gareth Williams and Johnson to set up Harewood, who forced the ball home from close range.

Nottingham Forest (4-4-2): Ward; Louis-Jean, Dawson, Walker (Hjelde, 76), Brennan (Doig, 86); Bopp, Williams, Prutton, Jess; Harewood, D Johnson (Lester, 81). Substitutes not used: Roche (gk), Reid.

Gillingham (4-4-2): Brown; Saunders, Ashby, Hope, Edge; Shaw, Hessenthaler, Smith, Perpetuini; Ipoua (Awuah, 75), James. Substitutes not used: Bartram (gk), L Johnson, Rose, Pennock.

Referee: R Pearson (Durham).