Gillingham were within minutes of beating Charlton Athletic in the league for the first time in 87 years, and breaking a run that now reaches 7 games without a win, until Nicky Ajose converted Charlton’s second penalty of the match to share the points.

Bradley Dack had given the home side a lead on 41, running onto Paul Konchesky’s cross to head past Declan Rudd.  It was a lead that they defended determinedly in the second period, with Stuart Nelson, a 30th minute replacement for Jonathan Bond earning the man-of-the-match award for five notable saves, not least of which was Ricky Holmes’ spot kick.  But not even Nelson’s display could deny Ajose’s late equaliser.

The result increases the pressure on under-fire manager Justin Edinburgh.  His assistant, David Kerslake, speaking afterwards said “I thought first half we were well on top, but once again unfortunately, we haven’t been able to see the game out and we’ve paid for it again.”

“I thought it was a really strong performance.  We looked like a good unit, athletic, aggressive, and that’s what the manager has been on to the players about over the last couple of weeks.  I don’t think it was a risk (playing three strikers), they are all physical players, and Charlton have physical defenders so we had to match them.”

“If we continue to show the aggression and the willingness to get the ball that we did today, then we’ll be fine.  All we think about is building and giving ourselves a platform to go on a run.”

“We went in one-up today and on a bit of a high.  Then when Nels (Stuart Nelson) has saved the penalty, we’ve had a stroke of luck and thought it could be our day.  I didn’t see them scoring today, but they got the penalty and it’s a tough one to take.”

Kerslake was asked his opinion about the penalty decisions in the match and admitted “their second penalty, unfortunately Herdy’s led with his arm so the referee has to give it.  I’m still not sure about the first, I thought the guy fell to the ground.  We were sitting there thinking that it would really cost us.  There were two challenges on Cody (McDonald); the first could have been given, but I thought the second was a stone-cold penalty.  Cody is through one-on-one.”

Desperate to build on the midweek draw at Walsall, Gillingham started the game positively, with Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and Bradley Dack looking lively, especially in wide areas.  Emmanuel-Thomas had an early freekick charged down by the wall, but all too often though, any ball into the area was dealt with by the Charlton defenders, with only lone-striker Cody McDonald trying to reach the ball.

Gillingham were being restricted to long range pot-shots, with both Chris Herd and Ryan Jackson, on his 50th Gills start, drifting shots high and wide.  But the home side finally had a sight of the posts after 26 minutes, when Emmanuel-Thomas’ weaving run took him past 2 Addicks’ challenges, and the ball into the box found Dack’s run, with Declan Rudd quickly off his line to smother Dack’s shot.

Charlton were seemingly content to just sit back and try to hit on the break.  Gillingham keeper Jonathan Bond was replaced on the half-hour by Stuart Nelson following a reoccurrence of his recent groin problem, and Nelson was grateful that Josh Magennis wasn’t able to make a clean contact to Ademola Lookman’s cross, with the ball trickling through to the replacement keeper.

The home side starting to make inroads into the Charlton defence as the half wore on, with Paul Konchesky’s pass into Frank Nouble allowing the forward to release Dack in to the area.  The midfielder’s shot was fired high over the bar though.

Gillingham made the breakthrough on 41 with the first real moment of quality in the half.  Emmanuel-Thomas drove inside off the right wing before playing a cross-field ball into the path of Konchesky.  The former Charlton full-back measured a right foot cross into the middle, over the grappling McDonald and Jason Pearce, for Dack’s late run, and the midfielder looped a header over Rudd for his third goal of the season.

For all Gillingham’s possession, Charlton probably should have been level at the interval, as Magennis’ long throw was flicked to the back post, where Lookman lashed a wild volley into the Rainham End with the goal at his mercy.

Charlton make a change at the break, altering their formation, but Gillingham continued to create half-chances.  Billy Knott fired two shots wide and Emmanuel-Thomas drew a good low save out of Rudd within the first ten minutes.

The visitors then put together their first move of note.  Lookman and Andrew Crofts combined on the left with Lookman sending in a cross that found Magennis unmarked to head towards the top left corner.  Replacement Nelson somehow managed to get a strong right hand up to tip the effort over.

Moments later, and even after a warning to both players from Mr Haywood, Fredrik Ulvestad and Jackson continued to tangle at a Charlton corner, with Jackson eventually pulling the Charlton man to the floor as the set-piece was taken.  Mr Haywood pointed immediately to the spot, but Nelson once more came to the rescue, diving full-length to his right to push away Ricky Holmes’ spot kick.

There were howls of derision for the referee from the Rainham End as McDonald appeared to be baulked by challenges from Ezri Konza and Rudd, which got even louder with the controversial awarding of a corner to Charlton at the other end.  Lookman’s corner was headed back in to the
middle by Jason Pearce, for Konza to head goalwards; Nelson tipping over for his third save in 13 minutes.

In a rare foray forwards, Nouble charged into the left side of the area and squared for Dack to fire wide left.  But it was the visitors looking more likely, with Nelson standing alone in their path.  Holmes played a ball into the area for Lee Novak, who deftly turned past Herd, before trying to poke a shot past Nelson, that the keeper got down quickly to push out.

There was little Nelson could do about Charlton’s equaliser in the 89th minute though.  A throw from the left was flicked on by Pearce, but intercepted by Herd’s arm, with Mr Haywood pointing to the spot for the second time.  Nicky Ajose this time stepped up to send the keeper the wrong way, and level the match.

There was a late chance for McDonald, whose freekick was charged down by Crofts but, this result drops Gillingham to 18th in League One, level with Charlton, and only two points outside the relegation zone.  On a more positive note, the Gills do now extend their unbeaten run to two with a tricky trip to Fleetwood to come before an outing in the FA Cup against Brackley Town.

GILLINGHAM: 30- Jonathan Bond (1- Stuart Nelson 30); 2- Ryan Jackson (16- Emmanuel Osadebe 83), 4—Chris Herd, 5- Max Ehmer, 12- Paul Konchesky: 8- Jake Hessenthaler, 23- Bradley Dack, 11- Billy Knott; 45- Frank Nouble, 10- Cody McDonald, 50- Jay Emmanuel-Thomas.

Subs not used: 9- Rory Donnelly, 18- Josh Pask, 20- Darren Oldaker, 21- Elliott List, 33- Mark Byrne.

Goal: Bradley Dack 41

Cautions: Ryan Jackson 58, Bradley Dack 66, Frank Nouble 87, Stuart Nelson 89.

CHARLTON ATHLETIC: 1- Declan Rudd, 20- Chris Solly, 15- Eric Konsa, 16- Jason Pearce, 21- Morgan Fox; 11- Ricky Holmes, 8- Andrew Crofts, 4- Johnnie Jackson (10- Nicky Ajose 46), 7 Ademola Lookman; 17- Fredrik Ulvestad, 9- Josh Magennis (30- Lee Novak 76).

Subs not used: 13- Dillon Phillips, 2- Kevin Foley, 26- Harry Lennon, 28- Brandon Hanlon, 50- Jorge Teixeira.

Goal: Nicky Ajose 89 (pen)

Cautions: Josh Magennis 16, Chris Solly 90+4, Ezri Konsa 90+5

Attendance: 8,670 (2,360 Charlton)

Referee: Mr Mark Haywood
Assistants: Mr Michael D’Aguilar and Mr Adrian Waters
Fourth Official: Mr Dean Treleaven