Gillingham made it five unbeaten with their fifth successive draw after a crazy opening twenty-five minutes saw Gareth Ainsworth’s side share four goals and the points at Salford.
Elliott Nevitt gave the Gills a flying start after just ninety second yet by the quarter hour mark, the home side were in front courtesy of Cole Stockton and Kell Nami before Romeao Hutton’s first Gillingham goal levelled things up at 2-2 after just twenty-five minutes.
Andy Smith, Jonny Williams and Joe Gbode missed out after Tuesdays draw with Colchester – Smith injured with WIlliams and Gbode replaced by Amani Little and Oli Hawkins respectively and must have been delighted by Nevitt’s early strike, as Max Clark threaded a great ball through to Nevitt who advanced and drilled the ball home.
The home sides response was almost immediate as Stockton got on the end of Ben Woodburn’s cross to ease the ball past Glenn Morris, and within a further five minutes the Gills were behind. Nmai received the ball thirty yards out, advanced and then drilled the ball beyond Morris and into the corner of the net.
The Gills keeper then almost remarkably put the Gills back in front as the wind caught Morris’s free-kick and had Matty Young in the Salford goal panicking as the ball didn’t bounce until the penalty spot, and hopped over home keeper who was relieved to see the ball clear the bar.
Gillingham were level though on twenty-five minutes as Hutton intercepted a poor ball, moving into the box before curling an absolute super effort beyond a despairing Young to equalise on twenty-five minutes.
Quite how that was the end of the scoring had most of the crowd scratching their heads!
The home side upped the tempo before the break as Ossama Ashley looped a header onto the top of the Gillingham crossbar before Morris did magnificently to deny Stockton as the striker fired a low shot which Morris did well to get the ball round the post!
Tyrese Fornah fired over for the home side just after the break as Salford tried to get back in front and the home side had shouts for a penalty as Conor Masterson and Hakeeb Adelakun collided, but nothing was given.
Gbode so nearly won Ainsworth his first Gills game late on as the sub did well to get on the end of Sam Gale’s knock down but couldn’t keep the shot down and Gillingham left with a point, the fifth draw in a row as the head to Chesterfield on Tuesday night.
SALFORD CITY – Young, Mnoga, Shephard (Edwards), Tilt, Garbutt, Ashley, Fornah, N’Mai, Woodburn (Lund), Adelakun, Stockton
Subs – Jones, Longelo, Warrington, Austerfield, Wright
GILLINGHAM – Morris, Hutton, Gale, Masterson, Ogie, Max Clark, McKenzie, Little, Clarke (Jonny Williams), Hawkins (Gbode), Nevitt (Agbinone)
Subs – Holtam, Morgan, Euan Williams, Rowe
REFEREE – Mr. Finnie
Image courtesy of Gillingham FC