Gillingham secured a hard-fought 0-0 draw away to Colchester, extending their unbeaten run to four League 2 matches. The Gills, led by manager Gareth Ainsworth, showed their defensive prowess, with Aaron Rowe's excellent block denying Colchester's Kyreece Lisbie a goal. Gillingham's skipper Armani Little returned to the starting line-up after his two-match ban, while Travis Akomeah started in defence and youngster Louie Dayal was on the bench. The early exchanges saw the Gills concede a series of cheap free-kicks, but Colchester were unable to capitalize. Gillingham played with a hybrid defensive system, with Rowe dropping into a five when defending but pushing forward into midfield when the visitors were on the attack. The game sparked into life on 24 minutes when Remeao Hutton picked up a needless yellow card after shoving Lisbie in the chest. Colchester had a great chance to take the lead on 28 minutes, but Rowe's block denied them. Gillingham had two great openings to take the lead, with Bradley Dack's low shot being diverted on its way to the target and Seb Palmer-Houlden's effort being saved by Colchester keeper Matt Macey. Dack led Gillingham's improvement in the second half, getting himself further forward than in the opening 45 minutes. He did brilliantly on 56 minutes to collect McCleary's pass at full stretch and then got back to his feet before seeing his low shot saved by Macey. Colchester rallied in the last 20 minutes, but Gillingham's defence held firm, with Arthur Read and Micah Mbick both having shots blocked. The hosts had defender Harvey Araujo injured at the start of seven additional minutes, and he had to limp through what remained of the contest. In the end, a draw was probably a fair reflection of what had been a keenly-contested battle. Gillingham's point sees them continue their unbeaten run, while Colchester's failure to win means they missed out on the chance to end the day in the top five. The Gills will look to build on this result in their next match, as they aim to climb the League 2 table. With over 800 away fans cheering them on, Gillingham showed their spirit and determination, and they will be hoping to carry this momentum forward. The draw also means that Gillingham's manager Gareth Ainsworth will be pleased with his team's performance, as they showed their ability to compete with one of the top teams in the league.