A flying start wasn’t enough for Gillingham to extend their winning Priestfield run, but with results elsewhere going the way of Steve Evans and his players, a two-two draw with fellow play off chasers Doncaster Rovers keeps the Gills well and truly in the hunt for the post season.

It started to well for the home side as Jordan Graham and Vadaine Oliver both scoring inside the opening four minutes only for the Yorkshire side to level the scores by half time courtesy of skipper Tom Anderson and 40-year-old James Coppinger.

The home side though were left to rue the missing faithful at the Rainham End to “pull the ball into the net” as chances came and went and ultimately cost the Gills a win that would have elevated them into the prized Play Off places but takes the improved run now to one defeat in seven and importantly keeps the Play Off dream very much alive!

Unsurprisingly, the Gills boss named the side that won so well at Lincoln in midweek with Matty Willock returning to the bench, whilst the visitors named former Priestfield loanee Scott Robertson among their replacements.

Previously this season, Evans has been concerned on many occasions that his side have been slow starters – it couldn’t have been more different this particular Saturday as the Gills made nearly the perfect start. Grahams eleventh of the season came after just two minutes and two minutes later, Oliver’s fifteenth made it two nil inside five minutes.

Graham was on hand to drill home after Kyle Dempsey’s effort (from Alex MacDonald’s great ball from the left) had been well kept out by Rover’s keeper Louis Jones before Oliver was on hand to bury Ryan Jackson’s cross beyond a despairing keeper who at that point must have thought that he was in the midst of a shooting gallery.

And it could have been even better for the home side as Dempsey had an effort blocked before Robbie Cundy couldn’t direct a header on target as Graham turned provider.

Just as the Gills had stunned the visitors with two quick fire goals, Rovers then returned the compliment! Skipper Anderson headed his side back into the game on nineteen minutes from Josh Sims corner before Coppinger then levelled the scores – again from Sims’ assist – as the veteran midfielders shot nestled in the bottom corner to equalise at two-two all in the opening quarter of the game.

Chances came and went at both ends before the break – John Akinde and MacDonald both going close for the Gills whilst at the other end, Doncaster’s two goal scorers perhaps should have scored as both fired high and wide when well placed.

Oliver missed a great chance as the second half began – again from a Jackson cross – but this time couldn’t convert with his header. MacDonald had a shot that flew just past the left post and Stuart O’Keefe was denied by a last gasp block as Gillingham went back in search of regaining the lead.

Fejiri Okenabirhie had Doncaster’s best chance of the second half but his header from Jason Lokilo’s cross wide of Jack Bonham’s goal, but it was the Gills who went looking for the win – Cundy got on the end of Oliver’s flick from a corner, but his shot whistled past the right post. Oliver himself then went close again with a header – from another Jackson cross – before the Gills top scorer fired wide with the game’s final chance.

But the best opportunity the home side forced fell to skipper Dempsey in eighty minutes – Grahams cross caused chaos in the Doncaster box as it came back off the post and as Dempsey looked set to score another crucial winner, Joe Wright earned his side a point with a tremendous block.

A valuable point or two dropped? Arguably both as the point keeps Gillingham within two points of the Play Off places and ironically, on a day when only two of the divisions top ten sides, a possibly crucial point won that takes them up to eighth place. Three points though would have taken the Gills into the top six for before their next game – a daunting trip to Humberside to face title favourites Hull City!

GILLINGHAM: Bonham, Jackson, Cundy, Tucker, Ogilvie, O’Keefe (McKenzie), Dempsey, Graham, MacDonald (O’Connor), Akinde (Lee), Oliver

Subs – Bastien, Woods, Johnson, Willock

DONCASTER ROVERS – Jones, Halliday, Anderson, Wright, Horton, James, Okenabirhie (Gomes), Smith, Sims (Lokilo), Coppinger (Richards), Bogle

Subs – Greaves, Robertson, John, Balcombe

REFEREE – Mr Finnie

Image courtesy of Gillingham FC