Gillingham came home with a point from their fixture with Fleetwood Town but it really should have been so much more.
Tom Eaves found the back of the net for the 28th time this season, with seven minutes of the match remaining, giving the Gills a valuable lead.
However, Fleetwood were not going to be beaten and in stoppage time at the end of the 90 minutes, James Husband made it a point a piece with a well taken free-kick.
Steve Lovell was forced into one change with Dean Parrett coming in to replace the injured Billy Bingham, who tore a calf muscle in the victory over Wycombe Wanderers. Lovell also named Josh Rees and Billy King among the substitutes.
The visitors certainly started brightly and looked to build on the victory over Wycome the week before. The first real chance came in the 10th minute when a ball over the top unlocked the Fleetwood defence and sent Eaves on his way down the right. He cut back in and saw his shot blocked by a last ditch attempt.
Shortly after the hosts had their first chance of the game which was created by Ashley Hunter, but his goal bound clearance was blocked by Luke O’Neill.
With the game approaching the half hour mark, a goal mouth scramble in the Gills box was finally cleared by Connor Ogilvie.
Some slick inter play between Lopes, Hanlan and Fuller saw the Gills full-back send the ball into the area, he picked out Mark Byrne but just as he hit the trigger and sent his shot goal bound, a defender got his foot to the ball taking all the pace off it and allowing it to be cleared.
Shortly before half time, Holy was forced into action saving well with his left from a shot from Hunter, who was definitely a thorn in the Gills side.
As the break approached Fleetwood started to grow in to the game and another chance for Hunter, again on his left foot, was denied by Tomas Holy, who cleared the ball with his left leg.
Half Time: 0-0
The first action of the half came from the home side, Lopes fouled Lewis Coyle just outside the area, which resulted in the midfielder being shown a yellow card. The free-kick however was struck straight at the wall.
Substitute Ashley Nadesan was straight into the action as he flicked a cross goal wards, which in the end was comfortably saved by Holy.
With 68 minutes on the clock, the Gills went the closest they had come all afternoon to opening the scoring. Eaves and Fuller combined down the left hand side. Fuller sent a cross to Hanlan, but his effort went just wide of the post.
Eaves was causing the home side all sorts of problems and he had the attentions of numerous Fleetwood players as he looked to launch the Gills forward with every attack.
Then in the 83rd minute the Gills did break the dead lock, Graham Burke played the ball into Fuller, he sent his cross to the back post and there was that man Eaves to head home goal 18 of the season and make it 0-1.
The lead lasted until the 93rd minute when Fuller committed a foul on the edge of his own area. This allowed Husband to step up and curl an unstoppable effort into the top corner, to ensure that the home side got a share of the points.
Full Tim: 1-1
Fleetwood: Cairns, Coyle, Eastham, Burns, Evans, Souttar, Madden, Husband, Sowerby, Hunter (Garner 72), Sheron (Nadeson 62)
Unused subs: Jones, Rydel ,Hunter, Biggins, Holt.
Gillingham: Holy, Fuller, Ehmer, Ogilvie, O’Neill, Byrne, Lopes, Parrett, Burke, Hanlan (List 80), Eaves.
Unused subs: Hadler, King, Rees, Campbell, Charles-Cook, Reilly.
Referee: Neil Hair
Image courtesy of GFC