Gillingham staged the most remarkable comeback at Priestfield on Tuesday night after coming back from 2-0 and 4-2 down to beat Hereford United 5-4.
An unchanged Gills side must have thought it wasn’t going to be their night after just seven minutes when they found themselves 2-0 down courtesy of Rob Purdie’s fourth minute penalty after Jack Evans was adjudged to have fouled Tom Barkhuizen.
It was Barkhuizen that doubled the lead just three minutes later when he placed his ball superbly past Paulo Gazzaniga after cutting in from the left wing much to the dismay of those in the Rainham End.
Chris Whelpdale volleyed The Gills back into the game just before the break from Danny Jackman’s pinpoint cross and Danny Kedwell levelled just seconds into the second half with a well taken clip after a great long throw by substitute Charlie Lee.
With neither side really concerened about keeping things tight at the back, it was no surprise when Barkhuizen scored his second of the night on seventy minutes when Gazzaniga failed to hold Will Evans shot and the Hereford man tapped home and the game looked over when the visitors stretched their lead to two goals when Will Evans headed home former Gills striker Delroy Facey’s cross with just ten minutes left.
What happened next can only be described as incredible.
Just seconds after the restart, Charlie Lee went on a mazy run before firing home for 3-4.
With the crowd in utter disbelief at what they were seeing, Lee went and did it again just seven minutes later to make it 4-4.
Seemingly impossible to have any more drama, Hereford were awarded a second penalty after Gazzaniga took down Barkhuizen, but the Gills keeper was only given a yellow card and somehow clawed the ball away from Purdie’s second spot kick to keep the scores level.
As fans thought things couldn’t get any more dramatic, and following the most almighty Keystone Cops moment on the edge of the Hereford box, up popped Gavin Tomlin with a spectacular scissors kick to make it 5-4 to Gillingham deep into injury time to turn around one of the most staggering games of football to have ever been seen at Priestfield.
FULL TIME: GILLINGHAM 5-4 HEREFORD UNITED
The win lifts Gillingham up to ninth in League Two, just three points outside the play-offs with a trip to strugglers Plymouth Argyle to come on Saturday.
Gills line up: Gazzaniga, Evans (C Lee H/T), Essam, King, Jackman, Tomlin, J Payne, Weston (Montrose 77), Whelpdale (O Lee 77), Kuffour, Kedwell.
Subs not used: Hawkes, Davies.
Goals: Whelpdale (45), Kedwell (46), C Lee (81) & (88), Tomlin (90+3).
Booked: C Lee (78), Gazzaniga (90), Montrose (90+2), Kedwell (90+4).
Hereford line up: Cornell, Anthony, Williams (Clucas 74), Townsend, Purdie, Clist, Evans, Barkhuizen, Taylor (Colbeck 82), Lunt, Facey.
Subs not used: Bartlett, Elder, McQuilkin.
Goals: Purdie (pen 4), Barkhuizen (7) & (70), W Evans (80).
Booked: Cornell (45+1).
Referee: Mr Phillips
Attendance: 3,784 (45 Hereford)