A last gasp Oli Hawkins goal gave Gillingham a fully deserved point on the road and put a dent into the automatic promotion dreams of Bradford City in front of nearly eighteen and a half thousand at Valley Parade.
After Tim Dieng put the Gills ahead at one of his former clubs, it looked as though a brace from League Two’s top scorer Andy Cook was going to take Mark Hughes side to within a point of automatic promotion, only for, in the last minute of seven of stoppage time, a Cheye Alexander corner fell to substitute Hawkins who prodded the ball home and lift Neil Harris’ side to the heady heights of fifteenth in the League two table.
Ethan Coleman replaced Shaun Williams in the starting line-up from Tuesday win over Champions elect Leyton Orient and later in the day Harris conceded that his skipper’s season is over because of injury.
George Lapslie saw an early chance cleared off the line as the Gills started really well before Max Ehmer cleared off the Gillingham line to deny Cook as the game started brightly.
It got very bright for Gillingham as Dieng capitalised on a defensive mistake, picking the defenders pocket before slotting low past keeper Lewis into the bottom corner from an acute angle.
Dieng drove a second effort just the wrong side of the post before Lewis was nearly embarrassed by a viciously in swinging corner from Alex MacDonald as the keeper was nowhere and so relieved to see a claret and amber shirt behind him to head the ball away.
With Hughes reputation as a player, you expected something from his players after the break and within three minutes the home side were level when Cook got on the end of a cross and his towering header beat Glenn Morris.
Walker had the chance to put the home side ahead but shot wide just before the hour, whilst at the other end, Robbie McKenzie and Tom Nichols combined brilliantly and as McKenzie raced through and shot, he was denied by the advancing Lewis.
It appeared eight minutes from time as McKenzie was going to be the villain as he and Banks “collided”, referee Speedie pointed to the spot. Up stepped Cook who sent the ball left whilst Morris dived right!
The Gills though roared back showing grit and determination that was devoid before Christmas and could have levelled before they eventually did as Lewis did well to save Nichols twenty-five yarder. The keeper then made an even better save to deny Nichols’ header after a wonderful interchange between Gills subs David Tutonda and the debut making Jayden Clarke combined magnificently.
Just when the Gills fans were thinking it was going to be another late, late defeat, Alexander took the 97th minute corner and Hawkins did the rest to send everyone from Kent home happy…
BRADFORD CITY – Lewis, Halliday, Stubbs, Crichlow, Ridehalgh, Gilliead, Smallwood, Banks (Platt), Walker (Derbyshire), Nevers (Osadebe), Cook
Subs – Doyle, Bola, East, Costelloe
GILLINGHAM – Morris, Alexander, Ehmer, Masterson, McKenzie (Tutonda), Dieng, Coleman (Clarke, Jefferies, Lapslie, MacDonald (Hawkins), Nichols
Subs – Turner, Wright, Chambers, Abrahams
REFEREE – Mr Speedie
Image courtesy of Gillingham FC