Gillingham fight back to earn first-round replay against Cheltenham in FA Cup

Posted Sunday, November 07, 2021 by PA

Gillingham and Cheltenham will battle it out again in an FA Cup replay following a 1-1 draw between the two League One sides at Priestfield.

Young Gills striker Gerald Sithole cancelled out Mattie Pollock’s first-half strike and neither side could find a winner, meaning both will be in the hat for the second-round draw.

Christian Norton headed wide and Kyle Vassell miscued an effort from 10 yards as the visitors, who won at Gillingham in the second round of the Carabao Cup earlier this season, started brightly.

However, the Gills almost took the lead on 22 minutes through Danny Lloyd, whose poked shot following a surging run into the box was brilliantly saved by Scott Flinders.

Cheltenham went ahead nine minutes before the break when Pollock’s header was controversially adjudged to have crossed the line, despite Robbie McKenzie’s attempted acrobatic clearance.

Alfie May volleyed inches wide for the Robins but Gillingham’s 18-year-old striker Sithole levelled with an exquisite finish on the stroke of the hour after meeting Ryan Jackson’s deep cross.

Another teenager – defender Bailey Akehurst – almost won the game for the Gills in the 93rd minute but his low drive flashed narrowly past the post.