Mattie Pollock’s close-range strike was enough to take Cheltenham Town through to the FA Cup second round with a 1-0 win over a Gillingham side that was depleted by numbers and that suffered yet more injuries.
The Gills went into the game with a seriously threadbare squad of just 15 players and were forced into a couple of changes with Kyle Dempsey and Vadaine Oliver not risked whilst Jamie Cumming dropped to the bench giving Aaron Chapman a game.
It took only 11 minutes for Watford loanee Pollock to find the net again, touching in with his left foot after Kyle Vassell nodded Chris Hussey’s corner into his path.
Cheltenham were on top for most of the first half, with Christian Norton heading a cross from Hussey wide in the 20th minute and Vassell volleying over at the far post.
More injury misery was to follow for The Gills in just the 34th minute with Danny Lloyd limping off to be replaced by Gerald Sithole, the young striker that had bagged the only Gills goal in the first game between the two sides.
Gillingham created one opening during time added on before the break with Daniel Adshead nearly finding John Akinde in the six-yard box, but goalkeeper Scott Flinders was alert to the danger.
Norton raced through on goal in the 54th minute and he was fouled by Jack Tucker right on the edge of the box, but play was allowed to continue and Aaron Chapman pulled off a fine save, with Tucker then shown a yellow card.
Ben Reeves became the latest injury victim in the 62nd minute, limping off and had to be replaced by academy product Joe Gbode who came on for his club debut.
Cheltenham continued to push, but Gillingham restricted them to a single goal, without seriously threatening to equalise and the Robins will visit League One rivals AFC Wimbledon in round two.
Gillingham will now lick their wounds and work out how they patch up a squad to travel to Crewe on Saturday for a vital League One tie.
With speculation that manager Steve Evans could be off to League Two side Stevenage, this could have been his last game in charge of a Gillingham side that look to be heading in the wrong direction on all fronts.
Cheltenham Town: Flinders, Long, Pollock, Freestone, Blair, Hussey, Thomas, Sercombe (Barkers 93), Crowley (May 71), Vassell, Norton (Joseph 71).
Unused Substitutes: Evans, Horton, Armitage, Williams.
Goal: Pollock (11).
Booked: Joseph (87).
Gillingham: Chapman, Jackson, Tucker, Ehmer, Akehurst, Phillips (Lintott 84), Adshead, Reeves (Gbode 62), O’Keefe, Lloyd (Sithole 34), Akinde.
Unused Substitute: Cumming.
Booked: Tucker (54), O’Keefe (80), Ehmer (81).
Attendance: 2651 (138 Gills)
Referee: Mr Lee Swabey
Picture supplied by Gillingham Football Club.