First-half goals from James Norwood, Wes Burns and Macauley Bonne, and a Conor Chaplin penalty in the second saw brilliant Town to a 4-0 victory over 10-man Gillingham at the Priestfield Stadium.
Kieran McKenna’s side played the Gills off the park from the off with perhaps their most complete performance of the season, Norwood giving them the lead on nine, Burns netting the second four minutes later and Bonne ending his goalless run on 23.
The home side had Daniel Phillips red-carded for a second bookable offence with 17 minutes remaining, before Chaplin scored from the spot on 85 to complete a memorable first away game under new manager McKenna.
Christian Walton returned to an otherwise unchanged Blues side having missed the 1-0 victory over Wycombe Wanderers in McKenna’s first game in charge due to Covid. The on-loan Brighton man replaces Vaclav Hladky, who drops to the bench.
Cameron Burgess, who also had Covid, and Kane Vincent-Young were back on the bench with Scott Fraser and Toto Nsiala dropping out.
For the Gills, former Town loanee Mustapha Carayol started, while academy youngster Stuart O’Keefe skippered.
Ahead of kick-off, as rain continued to fall steadily as it had throughout the day, both teams took a knee.
The Blues, wearing their white and black away kit, got off to a bright start and almost created an opening within the first minute when Wes Burns played a one-two with Macauley Bonne, which looked to have sent the Welshman into the area in the clear but the right wing-back lost his footing on the wet surface on the edge of the box as he took the return pass.
In the fifth minute, a long Ryan Jackson throw from the Gills right was headed well back into the Town fans behind the goal by Vadaine Oliver.
But Town had started very confidently and in the ninth minute they went in front. George Edmundson played a cross-field ball to Janoi Donacien, who exchanged a one-two with Burns before taking it forward to the edge of the area and playing it into Bonne’s feet.
The Blues’ top scorer swept it wide to skipper Sam Morsy, who whipped over a low cross which James Norwood slammed into the net from close range, the striker’s fourth goal in four league games.
After play restarted, Donacien was was shown the first yellow card of the game for a foul on Carayol on the Gillingham left.
In the 13th minute Town doubled their lead. Bonne turned away from his man, brought it forward and laid it to Burns on the right of the box from where the wing-back smashed a shot between Gills keeper Jamie Cumming and his left post. The Welshman delightedly celebrated his fifth goal of the season with his team-mates.
Bonne had played a part in both and in the 24th minute his 10-game goal drought came to an end when he netted the Blues’ third and his 12th of the season from another brilliantly constructed move.
Sone Aluko, in a number 10 role behind Bonne and Norwood, played a defence-splitting pass for Matt Penney on the left and the wing-back cut across to the on-loan QPR man who stroked into the empty net as cheers erupted from the ecstatic - if a little damp on the open terrace - 2,100-strong Town support and boos from the home fans.
The Blues were well worth their three-goal lead having played their slickest football of the season, the additional time on the training ground afforded by the recent postponed matches clearly having paid dividends.
The possession stats at the half-hour of 75-25 in their favour illustrated their domination with their one-touch passing at pace and movement having Gillingham chasing shadows.
The Gills caused the first moment of hesitation in the Blues’ backline in the 39th minute when a Jackson cross hit a Town defender and ran loose but the danger was averted and the Blues quickly went back the looking for a fourth, Burns seeing a dangerous cross headed out at the near post.
In injury time Carayol struck a speculative shot from distance which caught a Town player and went for a corner from which Daniel Phillips was unable to get enough on his header to direct it goalwards.
Moments later, the half-time whistle was greeted by boos from the home support and applause from the travelling Town fans, delighted with their side’s superb display.
The Blues had started confidently and were in control of the half from the off, carving the Gills apart with their slick, fast-paced football as they gained a well-deserved three-goal lead.
Gillingham had looked shell-shocked and had only really shown any threat from a couple of set pieces.
With a mountain to climb in the second half, the Gills swapped David Tutonda for new Norwich City loanee Tom Dickson-Peters.
But Town began the period in the same vein as their first-half performance with the Gills cutting out a couple of early crosses before Aluko was felled 25 yards out, the home side having been unable to get the ball off the Nigerian international legitimately all match.
Evans smashed the resultant free-kick into the wall, then on 54 Bonne screwed a shot wide from a similar distance but to the right.
Four minutes later, Edmundson brought the ball forward some distance before laying off to Morsy, whose effort was blocked by Rhys Bennett.
Walton had to deal with an awkward ball played down the middle following a Town corner in the 62nd minute, the keeper appearing to chest down outside his area as Gills players converged with the home support claiming he’d handled. Referee Alan Young showed no interest and there were few if any protests on the field.
Two minutes later, O’Keefe was booked for catching Evans on the top of his foot with his studs.
On 66 Gillingham assistant manager Paul Raynor joined his club’s skipper after taking his protests too far following a clash between Norwood and Bennett in which he claimed the Town man had used an elbow, although it looked to be half a dozen of one and six of the other with the pair having exchanges words moments earlier.
Penney shot just over from the left moments later, then in the 68th minute Edmundson, again superb at the back for the Blues, brought the ball forward once more and struck a low shot which Cumming bundled away to his right.
At the other end, Phillips scuffed a shot well wide before being shown a yellow card for dissent after claiming his side should have been awarded a corner.
Town made a double change in the 71st minute with Norwood and Bonne replaced by Kayden Jackson and Joe Pigott. Seconds later, as Bonne had selfies taken with the Blues fans as he made his way around the pitch, Aluko shot over from distance.
Two minutes later, the Gills’ afternoon got even worse when they were reduced to 10 men. Phillips, needlessly booked for dissent a few minutes earlier, was shown his second yellow card and then a red for a foul on Penney on halfway.
The once-again-outstanding Aluko made way for Chaplin in the 80th minute shortly before Burns tried to score a replica of his earlier goal but only found the side-netting.
In the 84th minute the Blues were awarded a penalty when Max Ehmer hauled Pigott to the floor as a corner from the left came across.
Sub Chaplin slammed the spot-kick straight down the middle to claim his second goal at the Priestfield this season, having netted in the Papa John’s Trophy tie between the sides earlier in the campaign, and his seventh of the season in total.
Bennett headed well wide for the Gills from a left-sided corner, moments before the Town fans chanted "We want five” to a response of "We want one!” from the home supporters.
Town went within an inch or two of scoring their fifth as the game entered injury time, Pigott battling for a loose ball on the byline inside the area on the right before cutting across to Morsy, whose effort hit the top of the bar.
The final whistle was met by more boos from the home fans as the Town support continued to chant in tribute to their team, who had put in a display to remember.
While the Blues previously won 4-0 away at Portsmouth and 4-1 at Wycombe, this was perhaps a more complete display and if it’s anything like an indicator of the football that will be played throughout McKenna’s time at Portman Road then fans could be in for a treat.
It was men against boys for the most part with Gillingham never allowed to get a foothold in the game as the Blues controlled from start to end and passed the ball around them, while preventing the Kent side from managing a single shot on target.
The win moves Town up a place to 10th now eight points off the play-offs ahead of next Saturday’s visit to Bolton Wanderers.
Gillingham: Cumming, Jackson, Ehmer, Bennett, McKenzie, Tucker, O’Keefe (c), Phillips, Carayol (Lloyd 79), Tutonda (Dickson-Peters 46), Oliver. Unused: Chapman, Sithole, Reeves, Lee, Dempsey.
Town: Walton, Donacien, Woolfenden, Edmundson, Burns, Aluko, Morsy (c), Evans, Penney, Norwood, Bonne (. Unused: Hladky, Vincent-Young, Burgess, Carroll, Chaplin, Jackson, Pigott. Referee: Alan Young (Cambridgeshire). Att: 6,401 (Town: 2,073).