Gillingham fans were treated to twelve goals in the epic thriller against Reading in the Checkatrade Trophy.

Just over a thousand watched on as goals rained in at both ends with the home side edging a classic.

With a much changed side, Steve Lovell handed Stuart Nelson a start and the captain’s armband. However, he couldn’t have imagined his inexperienced side would have shipped five goals and still won.

At 4-1 up, The Gills looked to have comfortably booked their passage in the next round, but the young Reading side roared back into the game and made it a thriller to the end.

It took just 15 seconds for the game’s opening goal to come with Greg Cundle getting himself on the scoresheet.

A dart down the right from Scott Wagstaff saw the ball pulled back to Cundle and he made no mistake.

The second goal came on twelve minutes as Wagstaff tried his luck from distance and with the ball parried into his path, Conor Wilkinson scored.

Wagstaff himself made it 3-0 just before the half hour mark as he headed home at the far post.

Joel Rollison pegged it back to 3-1 in the 37th minute, but the home side restored their three goal lead a minute later when Luke O’Neill drilled the ball home from 25 yards beyond Reading keeper George Legg.

At 4-1 up at the break, Lovell took Max Ehmer and Elliott List off as he looked to give opportunities to Jack Tucker and Noel Mbo.

Within a few minutes of the restart it was back to 4-2 as Adrian Popa scored a well worked goal beyond Nelson.

The 57th minute saw Medford-Smith bring the game back to 4-3 and eleven minutes later it was 4-4 as Jake Sheppard guided the ball past Nelson.

Gillingham had a chance to pull in front once again in the 75th minute as Scott Wagstaff was brought down in the box, but Darren Oldaker blazed the resulting penalty over.

His blushes were spared though as it was 5-4 just five minutes later as Noel Mbo prodded home.

Two minutes later and Oldaker made amends for his penalty miss with a stunner from 25 yards to make it 6-4.

The scoring wasn’t over though and Reading pegged it back to 6-5 a minute later with Popa grabbing his second of the night.

Finally, the game was put to bed in the 90th minute as Oldaker rammed home a 25 yard free kick to the delight of those hardy Gillingham fans that had braved the rain and cold.

 

Gillingham line up: Nelson, O’Neill, Ehmer (Tucker H/T), Wagstaff, Wilkinson (Stevenson 55), Oldaker, List (Mbo H/T), Chapman, Simpson, Cundle, O’Mara.

Subs not used: Arnold, Nash, Starkey, Scarlett.

Reading line up: Legg, Popa, Barrett, East, Medford-Smith, Osho, Frost, Rollinson, Sheppard, Holmes, Burley.

Subs not used: Rosario, Howe, Shokunbi, Davies, Green, Buchanan, Odimayo.

Attendance: 1,039.

Picture supplied by Kent Pro Images.