Cameron Jerome and Martin Taylor scored the goals against League Two side Gillingham this afternoon to extend Blues' winning pre-season run to four games on a sweltering hot day in Kent.

The 150 or so Blues fans that made the long journey south were rewarded with an impressive display of attacking football from their side during an entertaining first half.

Both goals came within a six minute spell as Blues made their early dominance tell.

The home side came into the game more after the break and Maik Taylor was called upon to make a number of saves in the visiting goal.

But Blues never looked in danger of relinquishing their lead and completed a comfortable victory in baking heat at the Priestfield Stadium.

The main team news for Blues was a first start Marcus Bent, who produced a promising first half performance, embarking on one particularly impressive run that almost finished with a goal.

The striker did pick up an injury 15 minutes into the second half and was forced to leave the action but the problem didn't look too serious.

Transfer-listed defender Franck Queudrue got his first 90 minutes of first team pre-season action under his belt.

Goal scorer Taylor and Liam Ridgewell impressed at the back while Gary McSheffrey saw plenty of the ball during an industrious afternoon.

Ridgewell was given the captain's armband in the absence of Lee Carsley, who is one of eight senior players that have been included in the squad for tomorrow's friendly at Forest Green Rovers.

The first real chance of note for either side came on 12 minutes when Martin Taylor should have done better with a free header from Gary McSheffrey's left wing corner but the ball bounced harmlessly wide.

Two minutes later Mark Bentley raced on to a ball over the top of the Blues defence but sent his shot wide of the target.

Seconds later and Blues were ahead; Cameron Jerome punishing a mistake by home defender John Nutter and firing a fierce shot into the bottom corner from just inside the area.

Bent made his first notable impression on the match on 17 minutes when he showed blistering pace to cut in from the left and unleash a shot that Simon Royce did well to save.

Blues went further ahead on 20 minutes when Taylor produced a sublime piece of skill to turn his marker inside the area.

The big defender laid the ball off to Jerome, whose shot was saved, but Taylor got his just rewards by tapping in the rebound.

Gillingham came more into the game as the half went on and Taylor had to be alert to turn aside a Simeon Jackson shot while Stephen Kelly produced an excellent block to prevent Adam Miller's shot from hitting the target.

Queudrue then made hard work of a clearance on the edge of his team's six yard box, almost putting the ball into his own goal.

Blues recovered their composure and began to spray the ball about with ease.

One such flowing move finished with McSheffrey turning Barry Fuller, leaving the defender in a heap on the floor, but the Blues winger lacked composure at the vital moment and blasted his shot well wide.

Gillingham came close to reducing the deficit on 37 minutes with Simeon Jackson's neat turn and shot that was deflected just wide by Mehdi Nafti.

From the resultant corner kick, Gills captain Andrew Crofts headed wide when well placed inside the area.

Half-time: Gillingham 0 Blues 2

Larsson missed a golden opportunity to increase Blues' lead when he raced clear down the left wing.

The Swede took the ball from the halfway line to just inside the area but his eventual shot lacked both pace and accuracy.

There was a worrying sight for Blues on the hour mark when Bent went down in some pain after seeing his shot blocked.

Bent was able to continue after treatment, during which time McLeish made his first change replacing Mutch with fellow first year Academy scholar Mitch McPike.

Taylor did well to get down low to his right to prevent Gills sub Dennis Oli's shot from sneaking into the bottom corner.

Bent was eventually replaced on 65 minutes by another new Academy recruit, 16-year-old Jake Jervis.

Oli caused Blues a few problems again, firing in two shots that Taylor got down easily to save.

Blues' third change came on 76 minutes with Sone Aluko taking the place of Larsson.

Maik Taylor kept his best save of the afternoon until last as he acrobatically tipped over a vicious Jackson shot.

And late on Bentley glanced a header wide from eight yards when he should have scored.

Full time: Gillingham 0 Blues 2

Gillingham: Simon Royce, Barry Fuller, John Nutter, Simon King, Garry Richards, Michael Burns (Luis Cumbers 46), Andrew Crofts, Mark Bentley, Leslie Thompson (Dennis Oli 46), Simeon Jackson, Adam Miller.

Blues: Maik Taylor, Stephen Kelly, Martin Taylor, Liam Ridgewell, Franck Queudrue, Seb Larsson (Sone Aluko 76), Jordon Mutch (Mitch McPike 62), Mehdi Nafti, Gary McSheffrey, Marcus Bent (Jake Jervis 65), Cameron Jerome.
Goals: Jerome (14), Martin Taylor (20)

Attendance: 1,742