Jordan Graham’s eighth goal of the season in stoppage time salvaged Gillingham another deserved point at Sunderland as history repeated itself ten months after the Gills last visited the Stadium of Light.

2-1 behind with time rapidly running out, Graham latched onto Vadaine Oliver’s knock down (who in turn had pounced on John Akinde’s flick from Jack Bonham’s huge clearance) and coolly waltzed past home keeper Lee Burge before blasting the ball into the roof of the net to gain Steve Evans’ side a valuable point and extend their unbeaten run to four.

The Gills recovered from the early setback of going behind to Aiden McGeady’s deflected striker before levelling through the returning Alex MacDonald’s low strike for his first Gillingham goal when a corner wasn’t properly cleared, and just moments later, he smacked a drive off the bar.

Gillingham though were behind at the break – and it was so tough on Bonham! Robbie Cundy was very harshly penalised for tangling with McGeady only for Bonham to magnificently save Grant Leadbitter spot kick low to his right.

The ball came back off the foot of the post, and the Gills keeper reacted brilliantly to palm the ball off the line only to see Leadbitter bundle the ball home. To their eternal credit, the visitors spent long periods of the second period looking for an equaliser – both Oliver and Stuart O’Keefe saw efforts come back off the woodwork as the home side’s goal led a charmed life. Then just as the home side looked like they’d seen off the Blue siege, Graham struck gold and the points were shared.

The Gills were forced into a change from the side that beat Crewe in midweek as Tom O’Connor was ruled out with MacDonald replacing him and he slotted back into a midfield alongside Olly Lee and Callum Slattery with Kyle Dempsey playing the deeper role.

After singling McGeady out as arguably one of the division’s top players in his weekly KSN briefing, the Gills boss would have been shaking his head as the Irish midfielder fortunately put the home side in front on eight minutes when his hopeful shot flicked off Slattery’s challenge and flew over a stranded Bonham.

Evans would have been delighted at the way his side responded with both Cundy, Lee and Slattery all having chances to equalise before MacDonald did level on twenty-eight minutes. A ball into the box wasn’t cleared and as the ball dropped to MacDonald on the edge of the area, his low drive fizzed into the bottom corner with Burge foundering.

For MacDonald, it was something of a redemption as his dismissal in the return fixture at Priestfield had turned the game Sunderland’s way, and just moments later he so very nearly put the Gills in front as his angled drive crashed off the bar, and it was almost as though the sound of the bar rattling in a near deserted Stadium of Light kick started the home side Jack Diamond, Max Power and Tom Flanagan all had chances before on the stroke of half time, McGeady went down under Cundy’s “challenge” and Leadbitter – eventually – forced the ball over the line from the spot.

The Gills started the second period in the ascendency and Oliver was desperately unlucky with an overhead kick which hit Burge’s right post with the keeper motionless, and from the rebound, O’Keefe (who replaced skipper Dempsey) saw his cross-shot smack off the face of the bar.

As the Gills pressed the home side were reduced to breaks but McGeady was proving to be a real problem and had a shot well saved by Bonham before Lee shot wide when well placed. Time was ticking away, and it looked like the Gills would have to “settle” for a good performance and no points.

But then, just as the last trip to the North East, Evans side dug deep and levelled in stoppage time – in March it was Mika Mandron’s last gasp goal that saved a point; ten months on, it was Graham’s turn as he gleefully hammered the ball into the roof of the net for an injury time equaliser.

A great point for Steve Evans side and a run of four unbeaten to take into their next outing as Friday Night Football comes to Priestfield as high flying Lincoln City come to Kent along with the SKY Sports cameras…

SUNDERLAND – Burge, Power, Willis, Flanagan, McFadzean, Leadbitter (Sanderson), Scowen, Diamond (Gooch), McGeady, O’Brien, Wyke (O’Nien)

Subs – Embleton, Matthews, Winchester, Vokins

GILLINGHAM – Bonham, Jackson, Tucker, Ogilvie, Cundy, Dempsey (O’Keefe), MacDonald (Akinde), Lee, Slattery (Johnson), Graham, Oliver

Subs – Willock, McKenzie, Bastien

REFEREE – Mr Langford