Gary Hart made an encouraging return to action in a 4-1 romp for Albion's Reserves against Gillingham at Worthing yesterday.

He came close to scoring himself before playing a part in two of the goals.

John Piercy also pressed his claims with two goals in as many minutes after the break, the first a penalty.

Hart is now likely to be back on the bench alongside Piercy for Saturday's visit by Portsmouth after missing the matches against Coventry and Norwich with flu.

Dean Blackwell continued his comeback from hamstring trouble on a Woodside Road pitch turned into a quagmire by rain before the game.

The former Wimbledon stopper, used as a late substitute at Norwich on Tuesday, got through 90 minutes for the second time in ten days.

Paul Kitson was missing from the line-up. He is still sidelined by a rib injury sustained on his comeback at East Preston last week in the Sussex Senior Cup.

Hart hit a post from 35 yards midway through the first half, with Gillingham's Vince Bartram caught out of position.

Hart's cross to the far post in the 36th minute allowed David Lee to plant an angled header beyond Bartram.

Albion doubled their advantage five minutes later. Lee's slide rule pass picked out Chris McPhee's run and the young striker finished well from six yards.

There was nearly an embarrassing moment early on from Will Packham following his taste of first team action in place of the injured Michel Kuipers at Norwich.

The rookie keeper spilled a high cross by Danny Spiller. Guy Butters, playing against his old club, spared Packham's blushes by blocking the resulting shot from Jonathan Wallis on the line.

Packham was helpless as Spiller halved the visitors' arrears four minutes into the restart with a cracking drive from 15 yards.

Hart got in on the act again on 57 minutes. His cross was turned on to the woodwork by Bartram, but the referee spotted a handling offence by a defender inside the box.

Piercy's rather weak penalty was just good enough to beat Bartram. There was nothing tame about Piercy's second goal on 59 minutes, a right-foot rasper from 25 yards in off the base of a post.

Albion Reserves: Packham; Hinshelwood, Wilkinson, Blackwell, Butters, Hammond, Hart, Rogers, McPhee, Lee, Piercy. Subs: Pitcher for Wilkinson (injured 46), Beck for McPhee (withdrawn 70), Bartholomew for Lee (withdrawn 71), May, Harding.

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