Ronan Hale bagged a brace on his full home debut to help Gillingham clinch all three points against struggling Tranmere at Priestfield, the former Ross County striker doing the damage either side of the hour.
Hale found the net with an impressive 25th-minute volley before heading home Max Clark's corner shortly after the hour, with Charlie Whitaker's late strike for Tranmere ultimately proving only a consolation.
Hosts Set The Tempo
The hosts dominated the early exchanges and created two fine chances, with Garath McCleary and Ethan Coleman forcing fine saves from debutant Marko Marosi in the Tranmere goal.