Gillingham are still without a win on the road this season following a 1-1 draw with Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday evening.

The Gills had taken the lead from the penalty spot on 43 minutes thanks to Stuart O’Keefe after Tom O’Connor was fouled in the area, but the home side equalised in the second-half through Omar Beckles to ensure the spoils were shared.

Manager Steve Evans made three changes to the Gillingham starting line-up for the game, clearly tinkering in search of that first away win, and he was without Mark Byrne after the midfielder picked up his fifth yellow card of the season in Saturday’s defeat against Peterborough.

The Gills, in all red for the fixture, started brightly with Regan Charles-Cook beating his full-back down the right hand side. His low cross, though, was intercepted by O’Leary in the Shrewsbury goal just before it reached Alex Jakubiak.

Connor Ogilvie headed wide, unmarked, from a Jack Tucker free-kick not too long after, before Sean Goss had Shrewsbury’s first attempt of the game, firing over the bar from a free-kick off his own.

The home side tried to get a foothold on the game, and Josh Laurent tested Bonham from range as the game progressed. The Irishman had to be alert on sweeper-keeper duty minutes later, too, to mop up a long ball over the top from the Shrewsbury back line.

Daniel Udoh had to depart half way through the first-half due to injury, but not before he went down in the box under the challenge of Gills captain Max Ehmer. Referee Will Finnie, though, waved play on.

Gillingham began to dominate proceedings, but the Shrews defence held firm, and they continued to look impressive on the break. Bonham was, again, forced into action. This time denying former Peterborough forward Jason Cummings.

Max Ehmer came the closest either side had come after 40 minutes, flicking a Mark Marshall cross inches wide, but the deadlock was broken just minutes later thanks to a Stuart O’Keefe penalty.

Shrewsbury man Ryan Giles looked to be bringing a high ball down with ease, but young Gillingham full-back Tom O’Connor nipped in before him to take the ball away. Giles made solid contact with O’Connor’s stomach, and the referee had no hesitation pointing to the spot. O’Keefe then, with ease, sent O’Leary the wrong way to give the Gills the lead.

Brandon Hanlan headed over from an O’Connor cross just before the half-time whistle, and the away side went into the break in front, though with plenty of work still to do.

Naturally, Shrewsbury came out for the second-half with good intent, and almost equalised when substitute Fejiri Okenabirhie header over from Giles’ cross minutes after the restart.

Mark Marshall forced O’Leary into early second-half action up the other end not long after, before Tom O’Connor was presented with a brilliant opportunity to double his side’s tally from a free-kick right on the edge of the box following a foul on Regan Charles-Cook. The Southampton loanee, though, put his effort well over the bar.

One felt that the Gills needed to add to their total whilst they were on top, and missed opportunities came back to bite them when Shrewsbury equalised on 64 minutes thanks to an Omar Beckles strike.

Sean Goss worked a ball well on the left before putting in what was, ultimately, a poor cross that should’ve been cleared by the first man. Goalscorer Stuart O’Keefe, though, missed the ball and allowed it to trickle into the path of Beckles, who got in front of Tucker to equalise for the hosts.

Despite a neat effort from Brandon Hanlan soon after, Shrewsbury began to pepper the Gillingham goal, as the game entered the final 15 minutes, looking for a winner. Jack Tucker had to be alert to block an effort from substitute Shaun Whalley, before Goss fired a free-kick straight into the wall.

Shrewsbury had a couple of headed opportunities in added time, too, wasted by Dave Edwards and Okenabirhie, but Gillingham held on for what, on the surface, looks like a decent point. They will, however, want that first away win to come sooner rather than later.

Shrewsbury: O’Leary (GK), Pierre, Williams, Beckles, Norburn, Giles, Love, Goss, Udoh (Okenabirhie 31), Laurent (Whalley 59), Cummings (Edwards 73).

Subs not used: Murphy (GK), Goldbourne, Walker, Thompson.

Goals: Beckles 64

Gillingham: Bonham (GK), O’Keefe, Ehmer, Ogilvie, Hanlan, Charles-Cook (Lee 80), Jones, Marshall (Hodson 90), Jakubiak (Ndjoli 82), O’Connor, Tucker.

Subs not used: Walsh (GK), Mandron, Cissé, Pringle.

Goals: O’Keefe 43

Attendance: 5076 (186 away)

Referee: Mr. W. Finnie

Assistants: Mr. J. Clark and Mr. R. Woodward

Fourth official: Mr. A. Clayton