Gillingham beat League 1 Stevenage on penalties after a drawn game in the EFL Trophy but their efforts weren’t enough.
Josh Andrews scored his first goal of the season to put Gillingham ahead in the opening half. The Gills had several great chances to score the second goal they needed before Dan Kemp equalised.
Gillingham won the subsequent shootout 5-4 but the bonus point gained made no change to the table. The 1-1 draw in normal time was enough to send Stevenage through to the knockout stages and leave the Gills bottom of the group.
Gillingham had lost their previous two games in the tournament but results elsewhere meant they still had a chance of qualifying in their final group-stage fixture at Stevenage.
Scoring twice was a must and any win by more than two goals would have seen them progress to the knockout stage. Stevenage just needed to avoid defeat in 90 minutes to move into the next round.
Manager Mark Bonner made seven changes to his weekend XI in the league, handing a rare start for fit-again striker Andrews in an attacking-laden side while goalkeeper Luca Ashby-Hammond was also picked – on the opposite team to his older brother Taye, who was between the sticks for Stevenage.
Former Gills forward Elliott List was involved in an early chance for the hosts, running at the defence and pulling the ball back for Eli King and his shot was blocked.
Stevenage were popping the ball around confidently early on and Nathan Thompson forced a save from the Gills keeper.
Despite being second best early on, the Gills took a 26th minute lead. Jayden Clarke laid the ball off for Andrews and he fired home into the bottom corner from the edge of the box with a well-hit effort.
That goal injected a bit of confidence into the away team and Gillingham began to look like they could get the second goal they needed. Ethan Coleman went close with a header from Max Clark’s free-kick.
Right at the end of the half Stevenage had a great chance to level but Aaron Pressley’s shot was well saved.
Andrews made way for Marcus Wyllie in the second half, the Gills presumably taking a cautious approach towards the fitness of their goalscoring striker. Max Ehmer also replaced Remeao Hutton.
Those changes saw the Gills switch to a back three for the second half, Clarke and Clark operating as the wing-backs.
The hosts threatened from a couple of Harvey White corners but the Gills almost grabbed a second with Nolan sending a low shot narrowly wide after being at the centre of a good spell of possession around the Stevenage box.
bJoe Gbode also went close with an hour gone, bending a shot just the wrong side of the post with the keeper stranded.
The chances kept coming for the Gills and Conor Masterson met a Nolan corner with a header that went just wide.
Those missed opportunities proved costly as Kemp levelled it up on 68 minutes for Stevenage. Kemp ran onto a ball forward, got the better of Ehmer and buried a shot to make it 1-1.
Stevenage corner-taker White went close again from a flag-kick, claiming his ball in had crossed the line before Ashby-Hammond had made the save. Referee Scott Simpson waved away the protest.
Gills goalie Ashby-Hammond denied White again moments later following a shot from outside the box. Nolan had a pop at the other end that the older Ashby-Hammond sibling scooped up.
With five minutes left Gills manager Bonner handed 17-year-old youth forward Stan Sargent his first senior appearance.
The match ended level and despite group standings already decided, a penalty shootout was needed for the bonus point, just for fun.
With no pressure, shooting in front of an empty home end, Gillingham scored all five of their penalties after Stevenage missed their first. Clark, Jonny Williams, Nolan, Sargent and Wyllie all converted.
Gillingham: L Ashby-Hammond, Hutton (Ehmer 46mins), Clark, Masterson, Ogie, Coleman, Nolan, J Williams, Clarke, Gbode (Sargent 86mins), Andrews (Wyllie 46mins). Subs not used: Turner, E Williams, Dieng, Wakeling.
Stevenage: T Ashby-Hammond, Freestone, King, Young (Aboh 56mins), N Thompson, Doherty (Kemp 56mins), Pressley (Simpson 56mins), Smith, White, Freeman, List (Brown 84mins). Subs not used: Bouzanis, Thornett, Henry.
Referee: Scott Simpson
Attendance: 832 (147 away)
